Sara Kestelman (born 12 May 1944) is an English actress.[1] She is known for her role as Lady Frances Brandon, Lady Jane Grey's mother, in the 1986 film Lady Jane, as well as for providing the voice of Kreia in Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.[2]

Sara Kestelman
Kestelman performing at A Breath of Fresh Air, 17 June 2008
Born (1944-05-12) 12 May 1944 (age 79)
London, England
OccupationActress

Life and career edit

Kestelman was born in London, the daughter of Dorothy Mary (née Creagh), a dress designer, and Morris Kestelman, an artist.[3][4] Her father was Jewish, from a family from Russia.[5]

In 1994, she won a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for her performance as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret in the London revival of the show. She has performed with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Kestelman joined the latter in 1968 but left in 1973 when she had her first film role in Zardoz. In 1982, she played Lady Macbeth.[citation needed]

Kestelman wrote a book of poetry, A Two Hander, with Susan Penhaligon. It was published by The Do-Not Press in 1996. [6]

She voiced the character Kreia in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.[2]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Zardoz May
1975 Lisztomania Princess Carolyn
1976 Break of Day Alice
1986 Lady Jane Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk
1997 Love Story: Berlin 1942 Narrator
2006 Ex Memoria (short) Eva


TV edit

Year Series Episode Role Notes
1955 Dixon of Dock Green "The Executioners" (No. 13.4) 22 October 1966 Sonia Watts
1971 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes "The Mystery of the Amber Beads" (No. 2.13) 16 April 1973 Hagar
1975 Jack Flea's Birthday Celebration Ruth
1975 Under Western Eyes
1976 The New Avengers "Sleeper" (No. 1.10) 19 December 1976 Tina
1976-1984 Crown Court eight episodes Ann Merritt
1978 Kean Elena, Countess de Koefeld
1981 Nationwide (No. 13.129) 16 July 1981
1981 Bergerac "See You in Moscow" (No. 1.5) 15 November 1981 Margaret Semple credited as Sarah Kestelman
1985 Lady Windermere's Fan Duchess of Berwick
1989 Somewhere to Run Magistrate
1991 The War That Never Ends Presenter (voice)
1991 The Last Romantics Queenie Leavis
1991 Van der Valk "Doctor Hoffmann's Children" (No. 4.1) 16 January 1991 Monika Hendricks
1993 Cabaret Fräulein Schneider
1996 Brazen Hussies Madame Zarene
1997 Kavanagh QC "Ancient History" (No. 3.3) 17 March 1997 Halina Birnbaum
1997 The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Mrs. Wilkins miniseries
1998 Invasion: Earth Group Capt. Susan Preston miniseries
1998 The Going Wrong Tessa Mandeville
2000 Relic Hunter "Memories of Montmartre" (No. 1.22) 22 May 2000 Simone DeGuerre
2000 Anna Karenina Countess Vronskaya miniseries
2001 Mind Games Dr. Davina Ward
2001 Hindenburg Disaster: Probable Cause Narrator
2003 Ultimate Force Series 2, episode 2 'Mad Dogs' Lady Lee
2003 Trial & Retribution VII Judge Emily Hilliard
2004 Casualty "Finding Faith" (No. 18.29) 13 March 2004 Mary Wynne
2005 Midsomer Murders "Hidden Depths" (No. 9.1) Bernie
2011 Holby City "Old Habits" (No. 13.42) 8 February 2011 Clarice Parker
2020 Inside No 9 "Thinking Out Loud" (No. 5.5) 2 March 2020 Therapist
2022 This Is Going to Hurt Episode 2

Episode 3

Magda Winnicka

Documentaries edit

  • Reputations – Wiesenthal and Lord Kitchener
  • Horizon – Beyond a Joke

Theatre edit

Audio books edit

  • King Lear ~ 2002 – Regan
  • Mill on the Floss
  • Proto Zoe
  • Quarantine
  • The Siege
  • When I Lived in Modern Times
  • Full House

Radio edit

  • Full House (read and adapted)
  • Baldi

Video games edit

  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords ~ 2004 – voice of Kreia
  • Shattered Union ~ 2005 – Narrator (voice)

Awards, honours and nominations edit

  • Australian Film Institute
  • Nom 1977 Best Actress in a Lead Role for Break of Day
  • Clarence Derwent Award
  • Rec'd 1994 Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for Cabaret
  • Irish Times ESB Awards
  • Nom 2004 for The Shape of Metal
  • Laurence Olivier Theatre Award
  • Rec'd 1994 Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for Cabaret

References edit

  1. ^ "Sara Kestelman". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b Julie Muncy (6 March 2015). "Desperately seeking a Sith Lord's approval in Knights Of The Old Republic II". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Sara Kestelman Biography (1944–)".
  4. ^ Agi Katz (17 June 1998). "Obituary: Morris Kestelman". The Independent.
  5. ^ Kate Kellaway (24 March 2013). "Sara Kestelman: 'I didn't enjoy my immersion in Shakespeare. I was frightened of it'". The Guardian.
  6. ^ "Catalogue A-J". The Do-Not Press. Retrieved 15 July 2021.

External links edit