History Creator / TildaSwinton

** She's been often compared to Music/DavidBowie in this regard, and it all came full circle when she played with him in the music video "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" for his 2013 album ''Music/TheNextDay'' (though as a fairly normal wife). At one point in it, there is an androgynous singer and it's difficult to tell if said singer is meant to represent her or Bowie.

** She's been often compared to Music/DavidBowie in this regard, and it all came full circle when she played with him in the music video "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" for his 2013 album ''Music/TheNextDay'' -- at one point in it, there is an androgynous singer and it's difficult to tell if said singer is meant to represent her or Bowie.

* {{Bifauxnen}}: Many of her roles have her dress in a fairly masculine way, which emphasizes her androgynous appearance. This is taken to its extreme in ''Film/{{Constantine}}'', where she plays an OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous archangel. She's been often compared to Music/DavidBowie in this regard, and it all came full circle when she played with him in the music video "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" for his 2013 album ''Music/TheNextDay'' -- at one point in it, there is an androgynous singer and it's difficult to tell if said singer is meant to represent her or Bowie.

* AwesomeDearBoy:[[invoked]] She loves playing Jadis in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' and came back for the films on ''Film/PrinceCaspian'' and ''Film/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'' (when Jadis didn't appear in the books) because she enjoys playing her that much. She's greatly looking forward to an adaptation of ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew''.

* {{Bifauxnen}}: Many of her roles have her dress in a fairly masculine way, which emphasizes her androgynous appearance. This is taken to its extreme in ''Film/{{Constantine}}'', where she plays an OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous archangel.

Katherine Matilda "Tilda" Swinton of Kimmerghame (born November 5, 1960) is a British actress of English and [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Scottish]] descent. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Swinton Her family]] is one of only three in the entire United Kingdom that is able to trace their land ownership in an unbroken line to before [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy the Norman Conquest of 1066]].

* PlayingTheirOwnTwin: She plays twins Thora and Thessaly in ''Film/HailCaesar''.

* ProductionPosse: A favorite of Creator/DerekJarman, Creator/JimJarmusch, Creator/LucaGuadagnino, Creator/WesAnderson and Creator/BongJoonHo.

* ''The Souvenir'' (2019) as Julie's Mother, with Julie being played by [[RealLifeRelative her daughter]] Honor Swinton Byrne.

She studied social and political science at Cambridge, and joined the Communist Party. After graduating in 1983, she briefly worked in theater before acting in films. Her initial projects were very [[LeFilmArtistique experimental and artistic]], but the last two decades have seen her move to more mainstream films. She lives in Scotland with her partner Sandro Kopp, and her two children with ex-partner John Byrne ([[NamesTheSame not]] Creator/JohnByrne the comic book artist).

!!This actress provides examples of:

* {{Bifauxnen}}: Usually considered to be the undisputed master of this trope in Western cinema. She even played an elderly man (albeit under heavy prosthetics) in ''Film/Suspiria2018''.

* EnforcedMethodActing:[[invoked]] She flirted with Skandar Keynes between takes to sell Edmund's attraction to Jadis.

* MysticalWhiteHair: As the White Witch and as the Angel Gabriel.
* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: Pretty much the personification of this trope, and has made a career playing such characters. Calls for her to play Creator/ConanOBrien and Music/DavidBowie are made only slightly in jest.
* OlderThanTheyLook: She's in her mid-50s and can yet can pass for 40s or even 30s.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: Her daughter, Honor Swinton-Byrne, is [[http://cdn01.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/swinton-edinburgh/tilda-swinton-edinburgh-festival-03.jpg practically a clone]] of her mother.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUnivers as The Ancient One

* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Her daughter, Honor Swinton-Byrne, is [[http://cdn01.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/swinton-edinburgh/tilda-swinton-edinburgh-festival-03.jpg practically a clone]] of her mother.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (2016, 2019) as The Ancient One

* OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous: Pretty much the personification of this trope, and has made a career playing such characters.

* PlayingAgainstType: [[invoked]] In ''Film/TheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButton'' she plays a ShrinkingViolet. In ''Film/{{Trainwreck}}'', she plays an AlphaBitch magazine editor who looks traditionally feminine; thanks to make-up and a wig, [[https://peopledotcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/tilda-swinton-800.jpg?w=800&h=600&crop=1 Swinton is nearly unrecognizable in the film.]]

* ''Film/{{Suspiria|2018}}'' (2018) as Madame Blanc, Dr. Jozef Klemperer, [[spoiler:and Helena Markos]] with Swinton being credited as "Lutz Ebersdorf" for the middle performance.

* ''Film/{{Suspiria|2018}}'' (2018) as Madame Blanc [[ActingForTwo &]] Dr. Jozef Klemperer, with Swinton being credited as "Lutz Ebersdorf" for the latter.

* ActingForTwo: In ''Teknolust'', ''Hail, Caesar!'', ''Okja'' and ''Suspiria''.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' (2016, 2019) as The Ancient One

* ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}'' (2016) as The Ancient One

Katherine Matilda "Tilda" Swinton of Kimmerghame (born November 5, 1960) is a British actress of English and [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Scottish]] descent. Her family is one of only three in the entire United Kingdom that is able to trace their land ownership in an unbroken line to before [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy the Norman Conquest of 1066]].

* ''Caravaggio'' (1986) as Lena

* {{Bifauxnen}}: Usually considered to be the undisputed master of this trope in Western cinema. She even played an elderly man (albeit under heavy prosthetics) in ''Film/{{Suspiria2018}}''.