Harriet Mary Walter, CBE, (born September 24, 1950) is a British actress.
She is the niece of renowned British actor Christopher Lee. She was educated at the Cranbourne Chase School. After training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, she gained early experience with the Joint Stock touring theatre company, Paines Plough touring, and the Duke's Playhouse, Lancaster. She has worked many times throughout her career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, in productions including Nicholas Nickleby (1980), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1981), All's Well That Ends Well (1981), The Castle (1985), Three Sisters (1988), The Duchess of Malfi (1989), Macbeth (1999), and Much Ado about Nothing (2002).
She was made an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987. Other theatre work includes Three Birds Alighting on a Field (1991), Arcadia (1993), Hedda Gabler (1996), Ivanov (1997), and Mary Stuart (2005). Her films include Sense and Sensibility (1996), Bedrooms and Hallways (1998), Onegin (1999), Villa des Roses (2002), and Bright Young Things (2003).
She is an associate artist with Peter Hall's Cannon's Mouth Theatre Company. On New Year's Eve 1999 she was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In the autumn of 2007 she judged a Declamation Competition at Eton College.
Her partner, until his death in 2004, was actor Peter Blythe.
Niece of Christopher Lee (I) and Gitte Lee.
Was named a Commander of the Order of British Empire (CBE) by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on New Year's Eve, 1999
Associate artist with Peter Hall (I)'s "Cannon's Mouth" classical theatre company (2003).
She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1989 (1988 season) for Best Actress in a Revival for Her performances in "Twelfth Night", "A Question of", and "Three Sisters".
She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best Actress for her performance in "Life X 3" at the Royal National Theatre, Lyttelton stage.
Her partner was actor Peter Blythe (I).
