Wissenswertes

In early 2008, she revealed that she had been "close to death" after suffering a debilitating stroke due to being hit by a piece of 17th-century plaster that fell on her head (damaging her vertebral artery) when filming for Transsiberian (2008) in 2006 causing partial paralysis and loss of vision and was replaced by Emily Mortimer. She was in hospital for three weeks after the incident. She withdrew from the public spotlight and took an 18-month break from film acting to spent time in physical and speech therapy, learning how to walk and remaster her speaking skills. She went straight from therapy into filming Synecdoche, New York (2008). She reports "I still have a slight dis-fluency, sentences are spaced differently, but I was given a clean bill of health.".

Was the original voice of Samantha in Her (2013). She was actually on set interacting with Joaquin Phoenix, not alone in a studio, but her voice was replaced during post-production with Scarlett Johansson's voice.

At 14, she was convicted of making threats to kill and sentenced to 18 weeks at an attendance center. She was originally charged with attempted murder. The incident occurred at a children's home in Nottingham during a riot.

Was homeless for almost a year, sleeping at friends' houses or in bus shelters between the ages 13 - 14.

She has a reputation for being difficult on set, by her own admission: in an interview given with The Guardian Weekend magazine in 2009, she stated that it was fair enough to tell crew members to shut it if they were chatting away while she was giving it her all - she works hard and expects others to do so, too.

Her daughter Esme Creed-Miles appeared alongside her in Mister Lonely (2007).

Dropped out of school at 13.

Her parents split up when she was just three and she lived with her father until she was eight when she was made a ward of court, because neither of her parents could take care of her and her siblings. Her father was an abusive alcoholic and the mother trapped in a violent relationship with her second husband.

Has eight siblings.

Had a serious drug problem from age 14 onwards.

Turned down the role of Lisa in Durchgeknallt (1999) and Angelina Jolie was cast instead. At the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000 Jolie won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in which Morton was nominated in the same category for Sweet and Lowdown (1999).

Was Terry Gilliam's original choice for the role of Angelika in Brothers Grimm (2005), but Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein vetoed it. According to Morton, they said the tops of her arms were "too fat" and "You think Matt [Damon] or Heath [Ledger] would want to fuck that?". She was replaced by Lena Headey.

Has shaved her head for two parts as Agatha in Minority Report (2002) and as Alpha in The Walking Dead (2010).

Was Paddy Considine's first choice for his directorial debut Tyrannosaur - Eine Liebesgeschichte (2011) but had to turn it down due to being pregnant with her third child at the time. Olivia Colman was cast instead. She worked with Considine in In America (2002).

Has three children: a daughter Esme Creed-Miles (b. February 5, 2000) with her ex-boyfriend Charlie Creed-Miles (they dated from 1999 to 2000); a daughter Edie Holm (b. January 4, 2008 in London) and a son Theodore Holm (b. 2012) with her boyfriend Harry Holm (they are dating since 2005).

Returned to work 4 months after giving birth to her daughter Edie in order to begin filming The Messenger - Die letzte Nachricht (2009).

Was actually the third choice to play Agatha in Minority Report (2002); Cate Blanchett, Jenna Elfman and Kate Winslet all turned it down.

Wanted a role in Tatsächlich... Liebe (2003) but was turned down in favor of Martine McCutcheon and Keira Knightley.

Woody Allen cast her in Sweet and Lowdown (1999) after seeing Under the Skin (1997).

Turned down the title role in Iris (2001) and Kate Winslet was cast instead.

She has stated that, if she weren't an actress, she might work in social care or politics, and intends to combine her acting work with it some day.

Born in a Nottingham council estate.

Moved to London from Nottingham at 16.

Was originally cast as Diane Arbus in Fell - Ein imaginäres Portrait von Diane Arbus (2006) and Nicole Kidman was cast instead.

Is just 12 years older than Jessica Brown Findlay, who played her daughter on Harlots - Haus der Huren (2017).

Co-starred with U2 drummer Larry Mullen, in the Director's cut video for the 2002 single "Electrical Storm" from the band's The Best Of 1990-2000 album release. The video was filmed in the south of France and directed by Anton Corbijn.

Attended The West Bridgford Comprehensive School, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. The school has a book containing newspaper cuttings of her achievements in the reception.

Dropped out of Das Gesetz der Ehre (2008) and was replaced by Jennifer Ehle. This would have been her second time working with Colin Farrell.

Turned down the role of Ophelia in Hamlet (2000) due to scheduling conflicts with Sweet and Lowdown (1999). In The Libertine - Sex, Drugs & Rococo (2004) she played the actress Elizabeth Barry who in the film plays a stunning Ophelia on stage.

She has appeared in three films with Colin Farrell: Minority Report (2002), Fräulein Julie (2014) and Phantastische Tierwesen und wo sie zu finden sind (2016).

She coached fellow-Nottingham and BAFTA TV Award-winning actress Vicky McClure at the Central Junior Television Workshop.

Has two siblings, a brother and a sister. Beothe Marcus (born 1971) is a Royal Marine, sister Penny (born 1972) works with children with learning disabilities.

Parents split up when she was three. The children stayed with their father.

Cousin of the actor Daniel Morton yet they have never worked together.

Is just 14 years older than Sarah Bolger and 19 years older than Emma Bolger, who played her daughters on In America (2002).

Has played a sex worker twice in Band of Gold (1995) and Harlots - Haus der Huren (2017).

Molly Windsor who starred in her directorial debut The Unloved (2009) was attending the Central Junior Television Workshop at the time of casting and filming where Morton had also taken acting lessons as a teenager in the 1980s.

Is one of 19 actresses to have received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for a performance where they acted out a labor and/or birth; hers being for In America (2002). The others in chronological order are Luise Rainer for Die gute Erde (1937), Jane Wyman for Schweigende Lippen (1948), Eleanor Parker for Frauengefängnis (1950), Elizabeth Taylor for Das Land des Regenbaums (1957), Leslie Caron for Das indiskrete Zimmer (1962), Shirley MacLaine for Das Mädchen Irma la Douce (1963), Vanessa Redgrave for Isadora (1968), Geneviève Bujold for Königin für tausend Tage (1969), Marsha Mason for Zapfenstreich (1973), Ann-Margret for Tommy (1975), Ellen Burstyn for Nächstes Jahr, selbe Zeit (1978), Jessica Lange for Sweet Dreams (1985), Meryl Streep for Ein Schrei in der Dunkelheit (1988), Elliot Page for Juno (2007), Gabourey Sidibe for Precious - Das Leben ist kostbar (2009), Ruth Negga for Loving (2016), Yalitza Aparicio for Roma (2018) and Vanessa Kirby for Pieces of a Woman (2020).

Parents' names are Peter and Pamela.

As of 2018, has never appeared in a film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours List for her services to Drama and to Charity. She is an actress in London, England.