Question 1

True or false: She is a cousin of actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

Accepted Answer

False. No relation—though they worked together in 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain,' they aren’t cousins.

Question 2

True or false: She played Queen Elizabeth II in 'The Crown' and won an Emmy for it.

Accepted Answer

True. Colman won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in season 3 and 4.

Question 3

True or false: Olivia Colman won an Oscar for her role in 'The Favourite' as Queen Anne.

Accepted Answer

True. She won Best Actress for her portrayal of Queen Anne in 2019, beating Glenn Close and Lady Gaga.

Question 4

True or false: Before acting, Colman was a professional dancer with the Royal Ballet.

Accepted Answer

False. She studied teaching but joined Cambridge Footlights; no ballet career—though she danced in 'Broadchurch' for a scene.

Question 5

True or false: She turned down a role in 'Harry Potter' to focus on theater.

Accepted Answer

False. Colman has said she never turned down Harry Potter; she simply wasn’t offered a role in the films.

Question 6

True or false: Olivia Colman is a trained midwife and worked in a hospital before acting.

Accepted Answer

True. She qualified as a midwife and worked briefly in London, but quit to pursue acting full-time.

Question 7

True or false: Colman once filled in for an ill actor on stage with only 30 minutes' notice.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2008, she replaced an ill actor in 'The Hothouse' at the National Theatre, learning lines in half an hour.

Question 8

True or false: Olivia Colman's real name is Sarah Caroline Colman.

Accepted Answer

False. Her birth name is Sarah Caroline Colman; 'Olivia' is a stage name she adopted early in her career.

Olivia Colman Trivia Questions