Who Do You Think You Are? - Claire Foy - 9:00 pm Tuesday, July 28 on Really

About this Broadcast

Claire Foy
Season 20, Episode 2

Having enjoyed researching the lives of her onscreen characters in The Crown, actress Claire Foy looks forward to delving into the lives of her own ancestors. After reminiscing about their Irish roots, her maternal grandfather directs her to 'The Castle' in Carlisle, the site of the military barracks where her great, great grandparents Henry and Maria Stimpson lived. Claire's father David was adopted, but was reunited with his birth mother Joyce later in life. Despite having got to know Joyce, he knows nothing of her ancestors, so Claire sets out to find out more

HD subtitles 16x9

Education/Science/Factual Topics Family And Friends History

Did You Know..

Phil Davis (Narrator)

Born: July 30, 1953 in Grays, Essex

Best Known For: Bleak House.

Early-life: Born Philip Davis on 30 July, 1953, in Grays, Essex. His father worked in the local soap factory; his mother was a hospital cleaner. He enjoyed three seasons at the National Youth Theatre in his mid-teens, then landed a part in Barrie Keefe's play Gotcha about troubled teens, which later transitioned to TV, and he came to the attention of casting directors. He was then cast in cult film Quadrophenia.

Career: Davis's career took off and he played a huge range of roles throughout the 1980s and 90s. He was Prince John in the TV series Robin of Sherwood. He also took on Hollywood roles, starring in The Bounty, alongside Mel Gibson. In 2004 came Davis's much acclaimed performance in Vera Drake, the Oscar-nominated Mike Leigh film. He gained massive praise for his performance, and won the Best Actor award at the British Independent Film Awards. TV roles have included major hits like Inspector Morse, Bleak House, Fields of Gold, Sherlock, North Square, Rose and Malony, White Teeth, Doctor Who and Beau Brummell, and he is also an accomplished director.

Quote: 'I just do it. It's like asking a painter about painting. They dip the brush and put it on the canvas. All I know is that if something isn't brilliant, there's no reason that you can't deliver it to the best of your ability.'

Trivia: In 1980, Davis had a brief spell as a music artist when he recorded the song Blown It for Elton John's The Rocket Record Company.

Claire Foy (Contributor)

Born: April 16, 1984 in Stockport

Best Known For: Little Dorrit and Season of the Witch.

Early-life: Clare was born in Stockport on April 16, 1984, the youngest of three siblings. Her parents divorced when she was eight but she doesn't view this period as a traumatic time. She went on to study drama and screen studies at Liverpool John Moores University and spent a year on an acting course at the Oxford School of Drama.

Career: After filming the pilot of Being Human and guest starring in an episode of Doctors, Foy landed the lead role in BBC period drama Little Dorrit. Her next projects were the TV movie Going Postal and the 2010 BBC remake of Upstairs Downstairs. In 2011, she starred opposite Nicolas Cage in the Hollywood fantasy Season of the Witch. More recently, she has appeared on the small screen in Hacks, White Heat and Crossbones.

Quote: 'I'd like to work with directors who really make you work hard.'

Trivia: In 2013, she starred alongside James McAvoy in Macbeth at the Trafalgar Studios.

Helena Greening (Producer)

Noa Snowdon (Producer)

Sue Hills (Director)