Who are Olivia Colman's parents? 'The Crown' actress pays an emotional tribute to her late father at the Emmys 2021

On September 19, Olivia Colman won the Emmy for 'Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series' for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's The Crown. This win comes after four nominations (in 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021) for playing the Queen.

Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman has revealed that her father passed away during COVID while receiving her Emmy. She said,

"I'm going to be very quick because I'm very teary as I wish my dad was here to see this. I lost my daddy during Covid, and he would have loved all of this."

The 47-year old star also addressed her associates on Netflix's The Crown during her acceptance speech. Olivia Colman said,

"What a lovely ending to an extraordinary journey with this lovely family. I loved every second of it, and I can't wait to find out what happens next."

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Who are Olivia Colman's parents?

Olivia's mother, Mary:

Olivia Colman (aka Sarah Caroline Colman) was born on January 30, 1974, to Mary Colman (née Leakey) and Keith Colman. Her mother reportedly worked as a district nurse for the UK's National Health Service. Mary was also formerly a ballet dancer, but her time as one was cut short when she became a nurse.

Note: Mary Colman (née Leakey) is not to be confused with Lady Mary Cecilia Colman, the British socialite.

In a podcast with Broadchurch co-star David Tenant, Olivia Colman mentioned that her mother's severed career in the performing arts inspired her to pursue acting professionally.

It has been speculated that Mary Colman is in her late 70s or 80s.

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Olivia's father, Keith:

Keith Colman was reportedly a chartered surveyor who was reportedly in his 80s. According to the Daily Mail, Olivia Colman imbibed her 'work ethic' and an emphatic emotional nature from father Keith.

Her father was a car enthusiast who also enjoyed riding motorbikes. Olivia mentioned this on BBC Radio 4's Women Talking About Cars while talking to Victoria Coren Mitchell. She also added that her father taught her to drive at the age of 12 in the fields of Norfolk. Furthermore, Olivia Colman mentioned having a rally license at the age of 16 due to her father's efforts.

While the news of Keith Colman's demise was not previously shared by Olivia, she commented on her father's health during an interview with the Daily Mail in January while promoting The Father.

She said,

"He's a lovely man. He's getting on of course - he's relatively frail compared to the young man I remember, and that's upsetting. But he's a very nice daddy."

In another interview with Vogue in 2019, Olivia mentioned,

"We moved houses quite a lot, just for fun. I had a nice, outdoorsy childhood—lots of camping, lots of walks on very wet beaches with anoraks."

It should be noted that while the actress revealed she lost her father during COVID, it is unclear whether the cause of death was COVID itself.