Vanessa Nuala Kirby (born 18 April 1987 or 1988) is an English actress acclaimed for her versatility across stage, television, and film. She achieved international recognition as Princess Margaret in The Crown (2016–2017), winning the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress, and later earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Pieces of a Woman (2020), in which she also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice.
Kirby has established herself in both independent dramas and Hollywood blockbusters, appearing in Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Napoleon (2023), and as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
Early Life
Born in Wimbledon, London, Kirby was raised by Jane Cooper, a magazine editor, and Roger Kirby, a surgeon and former president of the Royal Society of Medicine. She has two siblings, Joe and Juliet. Educated at Lady Eleanor Holles School, she was rejected by LAMDA, after which she spent a gap year traveling and working at an AIDS hospice in South Africa. Kirby later studied English literature at the University of Exeter, where her stage ambitions crystallized.
Career
Stage Beginnings (2010–2014)
Kirby’s acting career began on stage with the Octagon Theatre Bolton, starring in All My Sons, Ghosts, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2010). Her early acclaim included the BIZA Rising Star Award. She went on to perform in Women Beware Women (2011) at the National Theatre, Anya Reiss’s The Acid Test at the *Royal Court, and Three Sisters (2012) at the *Young Vic. In 2014, her role as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire alongside Gillian Anderson earned her the Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Breakthrough (2015–2020)
Kirby appeared in Everest (2015), Jupiter Ascending (2015), and the TV drama The Frankenstein Chronicles. Her casting as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown was a turning point, with her layered performance earning a BAFTA win and global recognition.
In 2018, she appeared in Mission: Impossible – Fallout and later starred in Hobbs & Shaw (2019), with critics noting her screen-stealing charisma. Kirby’s portrayal of Martha Weiss in Pieces of a Woman (2020) brought critical acclaim, an Academy Award nomination, and the Volpi Cup at Venice, cementing her reputation as one of her generation’s finest actresses.
Global Stardom (2021–Present)
Kirby co-founded Aluna Entertainment in 2021, signing a first-look deal with Netflix. She headlined Italian Studies (2021), appeared in The Son (2022) opposite Hugh Jackman, and replaced Jodie Comer as Empress Joséphine in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon (2023).
Her franchise roles expanded with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) and Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), portraying Sue Storm / Invisible Woman. She is set to reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Personal Life
Kirby dated actor Callum Turner (2015–2019). Since 2022, she has been in a relationship with Paul Rabil, American lacrosse star and league founder. The couple announced in May 2025 that they were expecting their first child.
Selected Filmography
- All My Sons (2010, stage)
- The Crown (2016–2017, Netflix) – Princess Margaret
- Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – White Widow
- Hobbs & Shaw (2019) – Hattie Shaw
- Pieces of a Woman (2020) – Martha Weiss
- Napoleon (2023) – Empress Joséphine
- Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) – Sue Storm / Invisible Woman
Awards and Honors
- BAFTA TV Award – Best Supporting Actress (The Crown, 2018)
- Volpi Cup for Best Actress – Pieces of a Woman (2020)
- Academy Award Nominee – Best Actress (Pieces of a Woman, 2021)
- Whatsonstage Award – Best Supporting Actress (A Streetcar Named Desire, 2014)
- Multiple nominations from Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, and SAG Awards
