Who do you think are the stage and screen national treasures of the future?

[SantaToSSD]

Thinking about Maggie Smith and her generation of actors got me thinking, specifically, that, although we can always enjoy her screen performances, it is a shame not to have seen her on stage. So, as someone who would like to go to the theatre more, who do you think are the next generation (so, say people aged between 50 and 65) of stage and screen national treasures? I am wondering very specifically about actors who mix both stage and screen, as Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, etc did/do.

I sometimes wonder if David Tennant might one day fill that niche of national treasure as he obviously has done a lot of screen work and I have seen him on stage (and can confirm his performance was excellent and very charismatic). I have also, many years ago, seen Derek Jacobi a few times and again was blown away. But who else do you think I should look out for? Who else will one day have their stage performances mentioned as something special you were privileged to have seen?

Christ no, I can’t stand Milly Bobby Brown. And she’s far too young to make the prediction. Plus no theatre and I think they need to actually be trained and do theatre - don’t care if that makes me a snob!

Has annoying mentioned Anne-Marie Duff yet?

*anyone

I wouldn't disagree that all of these are talented actors but I have no feeling of any of them at all being a national treasure. If they died tomorrow I wouldn't feel as I did on Friday when I heard about Maggie Smith or when Victoria Wood died. I don't dislike them but they don't 'reach me' .
David Attenborough, Alan Bennett- both are tied into our culture and identity somehow. Their characters are important too and their contribution of extremely high standard work that says something about us. I am struggling to think of anyone else I would include - either of that generation or younger.
Possibly Billy Connolly, Paul McCartney.

Seen no mention of Nicola Walker, she's SO good

Lesley Manville
KST
Anna Chancellor

She's not British!

She's not even Irish. She's from Kerry

Yes! Me. I’ve seen her in a couple of productions at the NT and she is phenomenal.

Yes she's awesome and so is

Amanda Redman

I'm not sure some of these meet the criteria re stage work. But there is still time I guess.

Emma Chambers has missed the boat, sadly. She died a few years back.

Rebecca Hall (surprised nobody's mentioned her).

Just watching “This Time Next Year” on Netflix, new romcom based in London with Lucien Laviscount and Sarah Cooper starring. I’d add Golda Roushavel, Adjoa Andoh, and Martine McCutcheon!

The ones I’ve mentioned have been on stage but it’s not well known stuff yet. I would agree they don’t meet the “if they died tomorrow” criteria, I thought the question was about up and coming.

Some of these names are just silly. Nowhere near being 'national treasures'. Some are barely known.

So many of those mentioned but Antony Lesser - so under rated.

Russell Tovey
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Benedict Cumberbatch
Nicola Walker
Adeel Ahktar
Cush Jumbo
Rosamund Pike

I'd quite like Henry Cavill to be a national treasure too, but I'm not sure he's done much theatre.

I love Anton Lesser! But didn't have him on my list as felt he already was of National Treasure status.

Sorry, I wasn't referring to your list specifically and yes, I did mean people who have the potential to become national treasures, rather than those who are necessarily there now. But some of those mentioned haven't (yet, anyway) proved themselves across multiple genres. When you think of Maggie Smith or Judi Dench, they were/are as comfortable in a Shakespeare play as in a tv rom com or a popularist show like Downton Abbey, or as in a Hollywood blockbuster. I don't want to be a cultural snob, but I do think they have to do some stage work to qualify, plus some screenwork to become well known.

How has nobody mentioned Indira Varma???

Most people would barely recognise him.

A National Treasure is a national figure, a loved national figure who has amused us, impressed us, contributed to our national life in some way and endeared themselves to us over many years. They are significant, decent, funny, good, talented, people. We love them.

Most of the people mentioned here do not fall into anything like that category and never will. We might think they are talented and admire them but they don't have the status or reach of a National Treasure.

The day Victoria Wood died, I was in London. As I left a conference venue in Docklands and climbed into a taxi, the cabbie's first words were 'Victoria Wood has died.' There were two of us plus him and we discussed it all the way to King's Cross. In traffic, cabbies called to each other to tell each other. On the train back to Newcastle everyone discussed it and was sad to hear the news, had lovely things to say about her and her work, and recalled funny sketches, characters and talked about her significance to them.

There is no one who has been mentioned who would get that kind of response.

No because she is not, and will never be, a National Treasure.

Who?

Jodie Comer
Jonathan Bailey
Dev Patel, though I don’t think he’s done stage yet
Sarah Lancashire
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Carey Mulligan
James Norton

It really depends what they end up doing. Daniel Craig did Macbeth after his last Bond film, is he planning to do stage? Would Rachel Weisz as well? She has a Laurence Olivier award. The ones I said have been in national favourites as well as big international hits which I think paves the way to being national treasures.

I have never heard of Victoria Wood though which PP mentioned! I think the landscape of what is a national treasure has changed too.

Stephen Graham. Not much stage work, but some. I think he's an incredible actor.