Rose Leslie is a Scottish actress. Her leading on screen debut was at age 21 in the television film New Town (2009). She is famous for playing Ygritte in the HBO fantasy series
Game of Thrones (2011). Leslie also appeared in the films
Now Is Good (2012) and
The Last Witch Hunter (2015).
Leslie was born Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie in Aberdeen, Scotland, near Lickleyhead Castle, where her
family has lived for more than 500 years. Rose is the daughter of Candida Mary Sibyl (Weld) and Sebastian Arbuthnot-Leslie, who is the Aberdeenshire Chieftain of Clan Leslie. She is the middle of five
children, and went to the local primary school in Rayne, before going to Millfield, a co-ed public school in England. It was at Millfield
that Rose really cultivated her love for acting, as the school had an
excellent drama department. After five years at Millfield, Rose went on
to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) to earn a
bachelor's degree with honors in 2008.
Rose's first acting job was in a television documentary series, called
Locked Up Abroad (2007), in
2008. In 2009, she appeared in the made-for-TV film,
Purves + Pekkala (2009), in which she
received a Scottish BAFTA Award for Best Acting Performance - New
Talent Award. In 2010, Rose appeared in the British TV Series,
Downton Abbey (2010), as "Gwen
Dawson", for 7 episodes. Later that year, she appeared in the play,
"Bedlam", at the Globe Theatre in London. In 2011, Rose appeared in the
British drama television series,
Case Histories (2011), as
"Laura Wyre", for 2 episodes. In 2012, Rose played "Lena Holgate" in
the episode,
The Ghost Position (2012),
in the British detective television series,
Vera (2011). Later that same year, Rose
would make her iconic appearance in the 2nd season of the HBO epic
fantasy series,
Game of Thrones (2011),
opposite
Kit Harington as the wildling
"Ygritte".