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Sian Clifford

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Sian Clifford
Clifford in 2020
Born (1982-04-07) 7 April 1982 (age 44)
London, England
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present

Sian Clifford (born 7 April 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Claire, the older sister of the titular character in the BBC comedy-drama series Fleabag (2016–2019),[1] Martha Crawley in the ITV/Amazon Studios series Vanity Fair (2018),[2] and Diana Ingram in the ITV series Quiz (2020).[3]

For the second season of Fleabag, Clifford won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance, and received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series as well as a Critics' Choice nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[4][5][6]

Her theatre credits include Consent at the Harold Pinter Theatre,[7] Pains of Youth at the National Theatre,[8] and The Road to Mecca at the Arcola Theatre.[9]

Early life

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Clifford was born in London on 7 April 1982, the daughter of an executive assistant mother and a father who worked for the local council.[10] She grew up in the London borough of Ealing.[11] She has two brothers, Alex and Elliot, and a sister, Natalie, who is an art dealer in New York City.[12][11]

Growing up, Clifford knew she wanted to be an actor and participated in youth theatre from the age of six.[11] She hated school and saw theatre as an escape.[11]

After school, Clifford worked for three years as a writing consultant before being accepted into Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) for a BA degree in acting,[10] having been turned down twice previously.[11] While attending RADA, she met her future co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge early on and they became friends.[13] The two "“made a silent pact” that if one of them became successful first, they’d “help the other one out”."[14] She graduated from RADA in 2006.[15][16]

Career

[edit]

2006–2015: Early career and theatre

[edit]

In the first ten years of her professional acting career, Clifford became a prolific Off West End actress. In her first few years out of drama school, she was involved with Theatre503 in which she was involved the productions Without Laughing, Contraction, and Listening Out.[17] In March 2007, she acted in the play Not the End of the World at the Bristol Old Vic theatre.[18] Her first notable performance was playing Ismene in the Nottingham Playhouse production of Burial at Thebes at the Barbican, which premiered in September 2007.[19][20]

In summer 2008, she acted in a play called The Pendulum, written by her co-star Alexander Fiske-Harrison, at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End, which ran for the month of June,[21] and in the following month she took part in the annual Latitude Festival in the play Public Displays of Affection.[22] Clifford was in three theatre productions the next summer: in June, she had a small role in a chamber opera titled Parthenogenesis at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio,[23] she co-starred in the Arcola Theatre play The Road to Mecca,[24][25] and she toured with the production Is Everyone Okay?, which co-starred future Fleabag castmate Phoebe Waller-Bridge.[26][27]

Throughout September 2010, Clifford starred in the well-reviewed experimental theatre piece Pieces of Vincent at the Arcola Theatre.[28][29][30] For the rest of autumn 2010, she had a supporting role in the play Pains of Youth at the Royal National Theatre.[31][32] Finishing out the year, Clifford held the titular role in an original production of Beauty and the Beast, also at the Royal National Theatre.[33] The production ran throughout the Christmas season and was critically successful.[34][35]

In 2014, she was one of the stars of the Nottingham Playhouse's production of Time and the Conways. Also that year, she took part in Good. Clean. Fun., a collection of short plays by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, which includes an early version of Clifford's Fleabag character Claire, as well as the Victorian-era play Fever at the Jermyn Street Theatre.[36][37] Clifford had previously played the role of Claire in a sketch of Waller-Bridge's called "Use Your Vote", which consisted of two sisters attending a feminist lecture, and Clifford reprised this role several times.[38]

In 2015, Clifford started Still Space, a blog and platform where she shared information and thoughts about mindfulness and meditation.[33][38] As part of this, she published an article in Psychologies Magazine and won the Hay House publishers' "New Wise Voice" award in 2016.[39] Her last post (as of August 2026) was on 7 April 2024.

During her career, Clifford has also participated in many workshops and readings for Off West End productions.[40] She has often collaborated with DryWrite and Nabokov theatre companies, theatre directors Vicky Jones (DryWrite), Lyndsey Turner (Royal National Theatre, Theatre503) and Andrew Steggall, and writer–actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge.[40]

2016–present: Fleabag, television, radio and theatre

[edit]

In 2016, Clifford had her breakthrough screen acting role in Waller-Bridge's Fleabag, as Claire, Fleabag's uptight older sister.[41] Waller-Bridge wrote the character of Claire with Clifford in mind, and Clifford said she fought the BBC to include her in the series, having wanted someone famous to fill the role.[13][11] Fleabag returned in 2019.[42] Clifford's performance in the show was widely praised and she was nominated for the Emmy Award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series[33] and the Critics' Choice Award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance.[citation needed] In 2020, she won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for the series.[43][44] She was also nominated for the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actress (which Waller-Bridge won).[45]

In 2017, Clifford was part of the cast of the play Gloria at Hampstead Theatre, which was the play's Off West End premiere.[11][46]

In 2018, Clifford had a recurring role in the ITV miniseries Vanity Fair and was in a production of Circle Mirror Transformation in Manchester.[47]

Later in 2018, Clifford was part of the cast in the West End production of Consent at the Harold Pinter Theatre.[48][49]

In 2019, Clifford had a small role in the independent dark comedy film A Serial Killer's Guide to Life.[citation needed] In 2020, Clifford had guest roles on the television shows Hitmen on Sky One and Liar.[citation needed] She starred as Diana Ingram opposite Matthew Macfadyen (who played Charles Ingram) in the April 2020 miniseries Quiz, based on the 2001Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? scandal.[11] Clifford later[when?] co-starred in the Sky comedy series Two Weeks to Live.[50]

In 2021, Clifford starred in the romantic comedy Good Grief, a hybrid of theatre and film produced in the context of the covid pandemic.[51] It was written by Lorien Hayes, directed by Natalie Abrahami and featured music composed by Isobel Waller-Bridge.

In May 2021, Clifford starred as Iris in the Inside No. 9 episode "Lip Service".[52][53] In July 2021, Clifford voiced GS-8 in Star Wars: The Bad Batch.[54]

In 2022, Clifford starred in the BBC adaptation of Kate Atkinson's novel Life After Life.[11] Clifford played Sylvia, the mother of the protagonist, Ursula Todd. She also starred in See How They Run, a murder mystery with Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell, and His Dark Materials.[11]

In July 2024, Clifford starred as journalist Chloe Slack in Time of the Week, a BBC Radio 4 comedy series.[55] In March 2025, Clifford was nominated in the BBC Audio Drama Awards under Best Comedy Performance for her role in the show.[56] The series returned for a second series in December 2025 to January 2026.[57][58]

In 2024, Clifford starred in series two of the Channel 4 comedy Everyone Else Burns as Maude.[59][60] In the series, Maude, a new member of the Order, tries to tempt father and husband David away from his wife Fiona.[61][62] The Guardian said that this storyline was "a reminder of why this style of sitcom fell out of fashion" and that "As a character and plot device, Maude – who has no intelligible backstory – feels hollow".[63]

In 2025, Clifford led the cast of mockumentary Lady, which was eventually released in August 2026.[64]

In September 2025, it was announced Clifford had joined the cast of BBC detective series Ludwig, playing local MP Joanne Kemper in the second series.[65]

Personal life

[edit]

Clifford is a vegan and practises daily meditation.[66] In 2016, she launched a digital wellness and meditation platform called Still Space.[67]

Filmography

[edit]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Channel Role Notes Ref.
2012 Dark Matters: Twisted But True Ida Thomas Documentary series (Episode: "Agent Orange, Ben Franklin") [68]
2013 Midsomer Murders PC Milton Episode: "Schooled in Murder" [68]
2016–2019 Fleabag BBC Claire 2 series, 12 episodes [69]
2018 Vanity Fair Martha Crawley 5 episodes [70]
2020 Hitmen The Accountant Episode: "Money"
Liar Ruby Allen Episode: "2.5"
Quiz ITV Diana Ingram Miniseries, all episodes [69]
Two Weeks to Live Tina Noakes 6 episodes
2021 Inside No. 9 BBC Iris Episode: "Lip Service"
Star Wars: The Bad Batch GS-8 (voice) Episode: "Common Ground"
Robot Chicken Sigourney Weaver, Maleficent, Vicki Gunvalson (voice) Episode: "May Cause Numb Butthole"
2022 Life After Life Sylvia Todd [71][11]
His Dark Materials Agent Salmakia 3 episodes
2023 Unstable Anna Bennet [72]
2024 Doctor Who Kind Woman Episode: "Empire of Death"
Everyone Else Burns Channel 4 Maude Series 2
2026 Bait Amazon Prime Vivian Episode: "To Troll, to Provoke"
2026 Ludwig BBC Joanne Kemper MP Series 2
2026 The Miniature Wife Terry Filming [73]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Production Role Notes Refs.
2014 Paddy Meg Short film [74]
2017 Fry-Up Rosie Short film [74]
2018 Dodgy Dave Stephanie Short film [75]
White Lies Mum Short film
2020 A Serial Killer's Guide to Life Cynthia [75]
The Duke Dr. Unsworth [76]
2022 See How They Run Edana Romney [77]
Chevalier Searchlight Pictures Madame de Genlis
2023 The Magician's Elephant Netflix Gloria Matienne (voice)
2024 Young Woman and the Sea Disney+ Charlotte
2025 The Ballad of Wallis Island Amanda
Lady Lady Isabella [78]
2026 Mother Mary Jade [79]
TBA Real Love Sally [11]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Gee, Catherine (24 September 2016). "Fleabag's sex scenes are the filthiest on TV. But the heartbreak makes it revolutionary". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  2. ↑ Bley Griffiths, Eleanor (8 February 2019). "Meet the cast of Vanity Fair". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  3. ↑ "7 Questions with… Sian Clifford and Michael Jibson: 'Quiz raises bigger questions than whether the Ingrams are guilty or not'". BT. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "71st Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Television Academy. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "BAFTA TV 2020: Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy TV Craft Awards". British Television Academy. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Critics' Choice Awards". Critics' Choice Association. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Berrington, Katie. "How #MeToo Has Impacted This Summer's Most Topical Play". Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  8. ↑ Spencer, Charles (30 October 2009). "Pains of Youth at the National Theatre, review". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  9. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (29 June 2010). "The Road to Mecca | Theatre review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  10. 1 2 Butter, Susannah (8 March 2019). "Fleabag actress Sian Clifford on why this season packs a punch". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Beddington, Emma (17 April 2022). "Life after Fleabag: actor Sian Clifford on taming her inner 'Claire'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Contact | Space Gallery St Barth". spacegallerystbarth.com. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Fleabag will not return, says co-star Sian Clifford". BBC News. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Crockett, Moya (18 March 2019). "Sian Clifford on Sunday Brunch: I almost wasn't cast in Fleabag". Stylist. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Broster, Alice (12 March 2019). "Who Is Sian Clifford? The 'Fleabag' Actress Has Conquered Stage & Screen, All While Running Her Own Website". Bustle. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  16. ↑ Fabrique. "Sian Clifford — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "Credits". Monica Bertei British Actress and Voice-Over Artist. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  18. ↑ Mahoney, Elisabeth (21 March 2007). "Theatre review: Not the End of the World / Old Vic, Bristol". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  19. ↑ "Theatre review: The Burial at Thebes at Nottingham Playhouse". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  20. ↑ Billington, Michael (20 September 2007). "Theatre review: The Burial at Thebes / Pit, Barbican, London". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  21. ↑ Billington, Michael (9 June 2008). "Theatre review: The Pendulum / Jermyn Street Theatre, London". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  22. ↑ "Latitude 2008". nabokov. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  23. ↑ "Parthenogenesis at Linbury Studio Theatre - Opera". Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  24. ↑ Cavendish, Dominic (29 June 2010). "The Road to Mecca, Arcola theatre, London, review". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  25. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (29 June 2010). "The Road to Mecca | Theatre review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  26. ↑ "Is Everyone Okay?". Daily Info. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  27. ↑ "Is Everyone Ok?". nabokov. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  28. ↑ Billington, Michael (7 September 2010). "Pieces of Vincent | Theatre review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  29. ↑ Tripney, Natasha. "Pieces of Vincent review at Arcola London | Review | Theatre". The Stage. Retrieved 9 October 2019.[dead link]
  30. ↑ "Theatre Review: Pieces Of Vincent @ Arcola Theatre". Londonist. 7 September 2010. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  31. ↑ Theatre, National. "Pains of Youth at National Theatre, Cottesloe - West End".
  32. ↑ Callan, Paul (31 October 2009). "Pains Of Youth: National Theatre, London". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  33. 1 2 3 Cohen, Anne (17 July 2019). "Sian Clifford's Next Show Sounds Just As Good As Fleabag". Refinery29. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Spencer, Charles (2 December 2010). "Beauty and the Beast, National Theatre, review". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  35. ↑ "Beauty and the Beast, National Theatre | reviews, news & interviews | The Arts Desk". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  36. ↑ Day, Elizabeth (10 January 2016). "Foul-mouthed, frank, funny: generation rent finds its comic voice". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  37. ↑ Billington, Michael (17 June 2014). "Fever/District 6 review – insights into South Africa's past traumas". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  38. 1 2 Blake, Meredith (20 September 2019). "'Fleabag' scene-stealer Sian Clifford's Emmy nod was 16 years in the making". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  39. ↑ Clifford, Sian. "About - Still Space with Sian Clifford". Sian Clifford substack. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  40. 1 2 "Sian Clifford CV". United Agents. 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  41. ↑ "BBC Three - Fleabag, Series 1, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  42. ↑ "BBC Three - Fleabag, Series 2, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  43. ↑ "Sian Clifford for Fleabag - Winner's Acceptance Speech, Female in a Comedy, Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards in 2020". Bafta. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  44. ↑ "Fleabag's Sian Clifford received a fitting gift from Phoebe Waller-Bridge after BAFTA win". Harper's BAZAAR. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  45. ↑ Yee, Hannah-Rose (20 January 2020). "SAG Awards 2020: Sian Clifford says Fleabag isn't unlikeable". Stylist. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  46. ↑ "GLORIA". Hampstead Theatre. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  47. ↑ "Circle Mirror Transformation". HOME. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  48. ↑ Haynes, Natalie (29 May 2018). "Consent review – bracingly clever courtroom drama". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  49. ↑ "Consent at Harold Pinter Theatre | in the West End". www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  50. ↑ Clarke, Stewart (26 June 2019). "'Game of Thrones' Star Maisie Williams to Star in Sky Comedy 'Two Weeks to Live'". Variety. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  51. ↑ Cremona, Patrick. "Exclusive 1st look at Fleabag's Sian Clifford in new show Good Grief". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  52. ↑ Power, Ed (24 May 2021). "Inside No 9, episode 3, review: Fleabag's Sian Clifford hits the mark in Line of Duty send-up". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  53. ↑ Fear, Helen (24 May 2021). "Sian Clifford guest stars as Iris in Inside No 9 – but what else has she been in?". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  54. ↑ "GS-8 Voice". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  55. ↑ "Sian Clifford to star in Radio 4's Woman's Hour spoof". comedy.co.uk. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  56. ↑ "The 2025 Shortlist". BBC. March 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  57. ↑ "Matt Forde, Laura Smyth & Ria Lina amongst Radio 4 comedy commissions". comedy.co.uk. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  58. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Time Of The Week Series 2 episode guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  59. ↑ Creamer, Jon (4 November 2024). "BTS: How we made Everyone Else Burns". Televisual. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  60. ↑ Emily, Olivia (9 October 2024). "What To Expect From Season 2 of Everyone Else Burns". Country and Town House. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  61. ↑ Guyoncourt, Sally (17 October 2024). "Everyone Else Burns cast: Who joins Simon Bird in season 2 of Channel 4 sitcom?". The i Paper. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  62. ↑ "Sian Clifford - Everyone Else Burns S2". Channel 4. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  63. ↑ Aroesti, Rachel (17 October 2024). "Everyone Else Burns series two review – this brilliant doomsday show might just save the sitcom". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  64. ↑ "Lady 2025 film". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  65. ↑ "Ludwig series two begins filming as David Mitchell's smash hit award-winning comedy detective series returns". BBC Media Centre. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  66. ↑ "My Fashion Life: Sian Clifford AW19". www.matchesfashion.com. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  67. ↑ "Still Space". Still Space. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  68. 1 2 Rosenfeld, Laura (15 September 2016). "The 'Fleabag' Cast Is Just One Reason To Watch This Buzzy New Comedy". Bustle. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  69. 1 2 Blake, Meredith (20 September 2019). "'Fleabag' scene-stealer Sian Clifford's Emmy nod was 16 years in the making". LA Times. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  70. ↑ Steafel, Eleanor (3 March 2019). "Fleabag's Sian Clifford: 'Phoebe and I really are like sisters'". Telegraph. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  71. ↑ Kanter, Jake (20 April 2021). "Thomasin McKenzie & Sian Clifford To Lead Cast For BBC Adaptation Of Kate Atkinson's 'Life After Life'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  72. ↑ "Rob Lowe, John Owen Lowe Netflix Comedy Series 'Unstable' Adds Six to Cast". Variety. 15 June 2022.
  73. ↑ "What's filming in Toronto and which celebrities you may just bump into". Toronto.com. 19 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  74. 1 2 "BBC Comedy confirms Bafta winning Fleabag will return to BBC Three in 2019". BBC. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  75. 1 2 Heath, Paul (18 October 2019). "'A Serial Killer's Guide To Life' Set For January 2020 Release". The Hollywood News. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  76. ↑ "Sian Clifford". United Agents. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  77. ↑ Donnelly, Matt (29 July 2021). "Star-Studded Searchlight Murder Mystery 'See How They Run' Reveals Full Cast, First Look Image". Variety. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  78. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (16 October 2025). "Lady review – outrageous mockumentary is like Saltburn on shrooms". Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  79. ↑ Greenwood, Douglas; Mahale, Jenna. "A24's popstar movie melodrama is getting even more star-studded". i-d.vice.com. Vice Media Group. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
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