Anna Popplewell (born 16 December 1988) is an English actress. She began acting with minor roles in television films and, notably, the drama films Mansfield Park (1999) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003). Her breakthrough role was Susan Pevensie in the fantasy film series The Chronicles of Narnia (2005–2010), which grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide and earned her a number of awards. Popplewell went on to play Chyler Silva in the web series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012) and Lady Lola in the historical drama series Reign (2013–2016). After a series of independent film roles, she played Kate in the horror film The Nun II (2023). Also in 2023, she made her stage debut as the title character in Hedda Gabler.

Early life and education

Popplewell, the eldest of three children, is the daughter of Lord Justice Sir Andrew Popplewell, a Court of Appeal judge, and Debra Lomas, a dermatologist who studied at Newnham College, Cambridge. She was born in London. Her siblings are Lulu and Freddie. Her paternal grandfather, Sir Oliver Popplewell, is a former judge, and her uncle, Nigel Popplewell, is a former cricketer. Popplewell attended North London Collegiate School, and was admitted to Oxford University in 2007 where she studied English Language and Literature at Magdalen College.

Career

Popplewell began acting at the age of six, taking classes at the Allsorts Drama School. She began acting professionally in the TV production Frenchman's Creek in 1998. She made her film debut in 1999 in the film Mansfield Park, and followed up with supporting roles in the films The Little Vampire (2000) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003), with Scarlett Johansson. In 2001, she appeared as Victoria in the BBC serial Love in a Cold Climate. Popplewell's first major role was in the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), where she played Susan Pevensie at the age of 16. She has a fear of mice, requiring a double to undertake part of her scene at the Stone Table. The film emerged as a blockbuster, and earned acclaim from critics and audiences. She reprised her role in the sequel, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), in which she acted with William Moseley, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley and Ben Barnes. She also made a cameo appearance in the third Narnia film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). Collectively, the films have grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide. In 2012, Popplewell played the character Chyler Silva in the live action 5-part mini series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. In 2013, she began playing Lola, a friend of Mary, Queen of Scots, in the CW television series Reign. Filming took place in Ireland and Canada. She played the role until 2016. Since 2018, Popplewell has narrated the audiobooks Dear Mrs. Bird and its sequels Yours, Cheerfully and Mrs. Porter Calling for Simon & Schuster Audio; London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency, for HarperAudio; Queen of Coin and Whispers for Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd; Jane Eyre for Penguin Audio; Everything is Lies for Michael Joseph Publishers; and her grandfather Sir Oliver Popplewell's novel, The Prime Minister and His Mistress, for Lulu Publishing Services. In 2023, Popplewell played Kate in the horror film The Nun II, which was a commercial success. Writing for Forbes, Simon Thompson praised her return, calling Popplewell a "familiar and welcome face in the cast". Alison Foreman of IndieWire described her as "especially warm" and "easy-to-root-for". Also in 2023, she made her stage debut playing the titular role in the play Hedda Gabler.

Personal life

Popplewell married Sam Caird in 2016. The couple have one daughter.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Podcast

Stage

Awards and nominations