# Tamsin Egerton
**Tamsin Egerton** (born 1988) is an English actress and model, born in [Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/hampshire), England, best known for playing Chelsea Parker in the *St Trinian's* comedies (2007 and 2009) and [Guinevere](https://www.edgepedia.org/guinevere) in the television series *Camelot* (2011)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/). Her birth name is Tamsin Egerton Dick; she dropped the "-Dick" from her surname early in her career to avoid confusing American audiences[3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988, Hampshire, England; birth name Tamsin Egerton Dick[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/) |
| Height | 5 ft 10½ in (1.79 m)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/) |
| First roles | Acting from age six; Mary Lennox in the RSC musical *The Secret Garden* (Stratford and West End)[3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html) • [4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/) |
| Breakthrough | Chelsea Parker in *St Trinian's* (2007) and *St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold* (2009)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/) |
| Signature TV role | Guinevere in *Camelot* (2011), 10 episodes[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/51837/tamsin-egerton) |
| Marriage | Married actor Josh Hartnett in November 2021 in London; four children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/) • [6](https://www.justjared.com/tags/tamsin-egerton/) |
| Recent work | Attached to star as Cherie in *The Golden Valley*, a mockumentary comedy drama in development (2026)[7](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/comedy-drama-golden-valley-development-165139151.html) |
## Early life and start in acting
Egerton began acting at age six, following her older sister Sophia into a local youth theater in [Petersfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/petersfield), Hampshire; she has said that wanting to do what her sister did was the whole reason she took up acting[3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html). A year later she was cast as Mary Lennox in the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company)'s musical production of *The Secret Garden*, performed in Stratford and the West End[3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html) • [4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/). She had earlier appeared in youth theater as Blousey Brown in *Bugsy Malone* with Petersfield Youth Theatre[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/).
Her early television work leaned toward fantasy and period roles. At 13 she played Young Morgaine in the 2001 TNT miniseries *The Mists of Avalon*, adapted from [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://www.edgepedia.org/marion-zimmer-bradley)'s novel[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/51837/tamsin-egerton) • [4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/). She then played Princess Elenora in the children's series *Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land*, which ran for two series and was BAFTA nominated[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/), and Betsy Balcombe in the A&E miniseries *Napoléon* (2002)[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/).
She attended Ditcham Park School near Petersfield, where she has said she was bullied and sometimes truanted to go to modeling shoots. She left school at 16 with nine A-grade GCSEs and chose acting over university[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/).
## Breakthrough and film career
**Keeping Mum and St Trinian's.** Egerton's feature film debut came as Holly Goodfellow in the 2005 black comedy *Keeping Mum*, alongside [Rowan Atkinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/rowan-atkinson), Kristin Scott Thomas, Patrick Swayze, and [Maggie Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/maggie-smith); her agent describes this as her breakout role[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/). In 2006 she played Sarah, the unrequited love interest of [Rupert Grint](https://www.edgepedia.org/rupert-grint)'s character, in *Driving Lessons*[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/).
Her profile rose sharply with the 2007 [Ealing Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/ealing-studios) revival *St Trinian's*, in which she played Chelsea Parker, a posh schoolgirl who runs a sex chatline from her dormitory; she repeated the role in the 2009 sequel *St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold*[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/) • [3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html). The film placed her among a group of young British actresses, including [Gemma Arterton](https://www.edgepedia.org/gemma-arterton), Jodie Whittaker, and her flatmate [Talulah Riley](https://www.edgepedia.org/talulah-riley), who were competing for many of the same parts[3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html) • [9](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/girls-on-top-the-next-generation-of-british-actresses-1758327.html). In 2007 she came 10th in the Independent Critics' list of the 100 most beautiful women in the world[10](https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/the-saints-and-sinners-of-st-trinians-6792142.html).
**Later films.** Through the 2010s she worked steadily in British and international productions: the heist film *4.3.2.1* (2010) as [Cassandra](https://www.edgepedia.org/cassandra), which [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) calls her highest-profile film role to that point; *Chalet Girl* (2011) as Georgie; *The Look of Love* (2013) for [Michael Winterbottom](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-winterbottom), playing Fiona Richmond; the thriller *Grand Piano* (2013) as Ashley; John Boorman's *Queen and Country* (2014) as Ophelia; *Love, Rosie* (2014) as Sally; and Louis Leterrier's comedy *Grimsby* (2016)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/) • [4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/). She also played Katrina in *Eragon* (2006), though scenes she filmed were cut from the final release[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/), and voiced Lara in the animated *Justin and the Knights of Valour* (2013)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/).
## Television
Egerton's most prominent television role was Guinevere in *Camelot* (2011), a Starz and Ecosse Films production in which she starred for 10 episodes[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/51837/tamsin-egerton). Other television credits include the BBC adaptation of [Martin Amis](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-amis)'s *Money*, the ITV title role in *Octavia*, *Silent Witness*, *Trial and Retribution*, and *Gil Mayo*[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/). In 2012 she played Nancy Spungen in *Playhouse Presents*[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/).
## Personal life
Egerton shared a flat in Marylebone, London, with her *St Trinian's* castmate Talulah Riley, whom she described as her "soulmate"; the two auditioned for many of the same parts and each recommended the other in auditions[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/) • [3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html).
She met the American actor Josh Hartnett on the set of Roland Joffé's film *Singularity* (released as *The Lovers*), in which they both appeared[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/) • [11](https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/tamsin-egerton/). The couple married in a private ceremony in London on 5 November 2021, after about a decade together, and have four children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/) • [6](https://www.justjared.com/tags/tamsin-egerton/). The family lives on a small farm in the Hampshire countryside[12](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/hollywood/news/in-2026-verity-star-josh-hartnett-lives-a-quiet-farm-life-in-hampshire-with-wife-tamsin-egerton-4-kids-and-pygmy-goat/articleshow/134691861.cms).
Her height has affected her casting. In a British Vogue interview she said, "I've lost so many wonderful roles because I'm too tall, apparently, and it's largely down to the actor in the other part"[13](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/tamsin-egerton-on-small-hollywood-actors-shorter-than-her).
## Recent work
Egerton appeared in *Tell That to the Winter Sea* (2024) and had wrapped Jamie Adams's feature *Balance, Not Symmetry* (2019) as Fiona[4](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/). In 2026 she was attached to star as Cherie Sterling in *The Golden Valley*, a half-hour mockumentary comedy drama created, written, and directed by Jack Eve, about an eccentric family facing the loss of their farm; a pilot was shot on the Welsh Borders and the series, planned at six to eight episodes, was being shopped to broadcasters[7](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/comedy-drama-golden-valley-development-165139151.html) • [14](https://www.memorabletv.com/news/tamsin-egerton-trevor-eve-lead-cast-riches-to-rags-comedy-golden/).
## References
1. [Tamsin Egerton – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/bio/)
2. [Tamsin Egerton, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tamsin-egerton/)
3. [Tamsin Egerton: Too cool for school, The Independent (2008)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tamsin-egerton-too-cool-for-school-889121.html)
4. [Tamsin Egerton, Independent Talent](https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/tamsin-egerton/)
5. [Tamsin Egerton, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/51837/tamsin-egerton)
6. [Tamsin Egerton Archives, Just Jared](https://www.justjared.com/tags/tamsin-egerton/)
7. [Comedy Drama 'The Golden Valley' in Development With Tamsin Egerton, Trevor Eve, Variety via Yahoo](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/comedy-drama-golden-valley-development-165139151.html)
8. [Tamsin Egerton, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989182/)
9. [Girls on top: The next generation of British actresses, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/girls-on-top-the-next-generation-of-british-actresses-1758327.html)
10. [The saints and sinners of St Trinian's, London Evening Standard](https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/the-saints-and-sinners-of-st-trinians-6792142.html)
11. [Tamsin Egerton on Female First](https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/tamsin-egerton/)
12. [Josh Hartnett lives a quiet farm life in Hampshire with wife Tamsin Egerton, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/hollywood/news/in-2026-verity-star-josh-hartnett-lives-a-quiet-farm-life-in-hampshire-with-wife-tamsin-egerton-4-kids-and-pygmy-goat/articleshow/134691861.cms)
13. [Tamsin Egerton on small Hollywood actors shorter than her, British Vogue](https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/tamsin-egerton-on-small-hollywood-actors-shorter-than-her)
14. [Tamsin Egerton and Trevor Eve Lead Cast for Riches-to-Rags Comedy The Golden Valley, MemorableTV](https://www.memorabletv.com/news/tamsin-egerton-trevor-eve-lead-cast-riches-to-rags-comedy-golden/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames D to E*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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