Rose Leslie is a Scottish actress who made her on-screen debut at the age of 21 in the television film New Town in 2009. She is well-known for her role as Ygritte in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, which she played from 2011 to 2012.
Born Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie in Aberdeen, Scotland, Leslie is the daughter of Candida Mary Sibyl (Weld) and Sebastian Arbuthnot-Leslie, who serves as the Aberdeenshire Chieftain of Clan Leslie. She is the middle child of five siblings and attended the local primary school in Rayne before moving to Millfield, a co-ed public school in England.
At Millfield, Leslie developed her passion for acting, which was nurtured by the school's excellent drama department. After completing five years at Millfield, she went on to earn a bachelor's degree with honors in acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 2008.
Leslie's early acting credits include a television documentary series, Locked Up Abroad, in 2008, and the made-for-TV film Purves + Pekkala in 2009, for which she received a Scottish BAFTA Award for Best Acting Performance - New Talent Award. In 2010, she appeared in the British TV series Downton Abbey and the play Bedlam at the Globe Theatre in London.
Leslie's subsequent roles include appearances in the British drama television series Case Histories and the British detective television series Vera. She made her iconic appearance in the second season of the HBO epic fantasy series Game of Thrones in 2011, playing the wildling Ygritte opposite Kit Harington.
