Imogen Poots: From 28 Weeks Later to The Chronology of Water — Her Full Biography

Imogen Poots is a British actress who has built a varied career across independent films, major studio movies, television and theatre. Born in Hammersmith, London, on June 3, 1989, she began acting professionally as a teenager before gaining major attention as Tammy in 28 Weeks Later. She later appeared in films including Green Room, The Look of Love, Need for Speed, Jane Eyre, Vivarium, The Father, Baltimore/Rose's War, The Teacher and All of You. In 2025 and 2026, her career entered another important period through Hedda and Kristen Stewart's The Chronology of Water, for which Poots received the Denver Film Festival's Excellence in Acting Award. As of September 2026, her next major film project is A24's Slayground, while The Salamander Lives Twice is listed in pre-production.

Summary

• Full name: Imogen Gay Poots
• Date of birth: June 3, 1989
• Current age: 37, as of September 28, 2026
• Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England
• Nationality: British
• Profession: Actress
• Professional career: Began professionally in television in 2004
• Education: Bute House Preparatory School, Queen's Gate School and Latymer Upper School; accepted to the Courtauld Institute of Art to study art history but deferred her place to pursue acting
• Early breakthrough: 28 Weeks Later (2007)
• Major films: The Look of Love, Need for Speed, Jane Eyre, Green Room, Vivarium, The Father, Baltimore/Rose's War, The Teacher, All of You, Hedda and The Chronology of Water
• Major TV work: Casualty, Miss Austen Regrets, Roadies, I Know This Much Is True and Outer Range
• Major stage work: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Belleville
• Notable awards: British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress, Sitges Best Actress and Denver Film Festival Excellence in Acting Award
• Current 2026 work: Slayground is being prepared for release, while The Salamander Lives Twice is in pre-production.

Early Life and Childhood

Imogen Gay Poots was born on June 3, 1989, in Hammersmith, London, England. She grew up in Chiswick in west London in a family with strong connections to journalism and television. Her father, Trevor Poots, was a television producer from Belfast, while her mother, Fiona Goodall, worked as a journalist. Poots has an older brother, Alex. In a 2025 profile, Tatler described Alex as a writer.

Poots grew up around books and developed an interest in the arts at an early age. Her original ambition, however, had little to do with acting. She initially wanted to become a veterinarian.

That plan changed when she undertook work experience connected to veterinary medicine and fainted while watching surgery. She later became involved with the Young Blood Theatre Company at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, attending Saturday improvisation sessions. The experience introduced her to acting and gradually changed her career plans.

Her involvement with Young Blood became particularly important. Poots has spoken about how the drama group brought together young people from different backgrounds and how many of those friendships became important parts of her life.

She also grew up going to the theatre with her family. The combination of theatre exposure, improvisation and early professional opportunities eventually moved acting from an interest into a full-time career.

Education

Poots attended several schools in London, including Bute House Preparatory School for Girls in Brook Green, Queen's Gate School in South Kensington and Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. She remained academically strong while developing her acting career.

She achieved three A grades at A-level and won a place at the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2008 to study art history. Rather than immediately beginning university, she deferred her place in order to see where professional acting could take her.

The decision was significant because Poots was already beginning to receive acting opportunities. Instead of treating university as the next fixed stage of her life, she decided to test herself in professional film and television.

She ultimately built her career as an actress rather than completing the planned university path.

Beginning of Career

Poots made her professional television debut in the British medical drama Casualty in 2004. She was only about 14 or 15 at the time. Her early work also included V for Vendetta, Miss Austen Regrets and Me and Orson Welles.

Her first professional acting experience gave her a chance to work in different formats before she had become widely known.

In 2005, she appeared in V for Vendetta as Young Valerie. Two years later, she had a much more substantial role in the horror film 28 Weeks Later. That movie became one of the most important early steps in her career and introduced her to a much wider international audience.

She continued moving between television and film rather than concentrating on one type of project.

Her early credits included Bouquet of Barbed Wire, Christopher and His Kind, Cracks, Solitary Man, Centurion and Chatroom. This period established a pattern that would remain important throughout her career: Poots was prepared to move between mainstream productions and smaller, more character-driven films.

Breakthrough

28 Weeks Later

The role that significantly raised Poots's profile was Tammy in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's 28 Weeks Later (2007).

Poots later recalled that she was around 17 when an agent spotted her and she obtained the role. The film gave her a major international horror credit before she had even finished the transition from school into adult professional acting.

The performance also led to recognition from the British Independent Film Awards, where she received a nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.

The film was important not simply because it was successful as a horror movie, but because it demonstrated that Poots could carry a demanding role at a very young age.

Moving Beyond Horror

Poots did not remain associated only with horror. She began appearing in period dramas, comedies, independent movies and biographical films.

She played Fanny Knight in Miss Austen Regrets, Lorelei Lathrop in Me and Orson Welles, Blanche Ingram in Jane Eyre and Amy Peterson in Fright Night. These projects helped establish her ability to move between very different characters and genres.

Major Career

The 2010s became the busiest period of Poots's career.

She appeared in Jane Eyre in 2011 and then took a number of contrasting film roles. Her work included A Late Quartet, Greetings from Tim Buckley, The Look of Love, Jimi: All Is by My Side, Filth, A Long Way Down, That Awkward Moment, Need for Speed and She's Funny That Way.

One of the most important projects during this period was The Look of Love (2013), in which she played Debbie Raymond, the daughter of British businessman and nightclub owner Paul Raymond. Her performance earned her the 2013 British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Need for Speed

In 2014, Poots moved into large-scale commercial filmmaking with Need for Speed, playing Julia Maddon opposite Aaron Paul.

The film was very different from the smaller independent dramas that had helped define her early career, giving her experience in a big-budget action production.

Green Room

Poots returned to intense independent cinema in Green Room (2015), playing Amber alongside Anton Yelchin, Patrick Stewart and other members of the ensemble cast.

The film became an important part of her reputation as an actress willing to take challenging material.

Poots and Yelchin became friends during their work together. She later told Tatler that she has tattoos representing his initials following his death in 2016.

Frank & Lola, Knight of Cups and I Kill Giants

Poots continued taking independent roles in movies such as Frank & Lola, Knight of Cups, Mobile Homes, Sweet Virginia and I Kill Giants.

This period showed how comfortable she had become moving between commercial films and festival-oriented independent cinema.

Vivarium

In 2019, she starred opposite Jesse Eisenberg in the unsettling science-fiction film Vivarium.

Poots played Gemma, one half of a young couple trapped in a strange suburban environment. Her performance earned her the Best Actress award at the 2019 Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.

The Art of Self-Defense

That same year, she appeared alongside Jesse Eisenberg in The Art of Self-Defense, further demonstrating her interest in unusual independent projects.

The Father

Poots later appeared in Florian Zeller's The Father as Laura, the daughter of Anthony Hopkins's character.

The film won major awards, including an Academy Award for Hopkins's lead performance, while Poots was part of the ensemble of a film that received six Oscar nominations and won two.

Her performance in the film helped add a serious contemporary family drama to a filmography already containing horror, science fiction, comedy, action and period pieces.

Television Career

Poots has maintained a smaller but significant television career.

She appeared in Roadies in 2016, created by Cameron Crowe, playing Kelly Ann Mason. She later appeared in HBO's I Know This Much Is True alongside Mark Ruffalo.

One of her most recognizable television roles came in Prime Video's Outer Range. She played Autumn alongside Josh Brolin in the science-fiction Western.

The show ran for two seasons, with the second released in 2024. Amazon canceled the series after its second season, meaning there is no third season planned.

Theatre Career

Poots also developed an important stage career.

Her West End debut came in the 2017 production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Harold Pinter Theatre, where she played Honey opposite Imelda Staunton, Conleth Hill and Luke Treadaway.

The production was followed by Belleville at the Donmar Warehouse, in which she played Abby opposite James Norton.

The two actors had worked together professionally before becoming a couple, and the production became an important part of both Poots's stage career and her personal history.

Her Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? performance also earned recognition from major theatre awards bodies, including a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

Major Movies and TV Shows

The filmography above combines established screen credits with current project information from Apple, BFI, production sources and recent industry reporting.

Personal Life

Family

Poots grew up in Chiswick, west London.

Her father, Trevor Poots, was a television producer originally from Belfast, while her mother, Fiona Goodall, was a journalist. Her older brother Alex has been described by Tatler as a writer.

Poots has occasionally discussed the influence of her parents on her personality and career. She has said that her mother encouraged her to accept rejection as part of life and to be willing to approach people directly.

Her father's television career also gave the family some familiarity with the entertainment industry, although Poots developed her own acting path.

Relationships

Poots's best-known public relationship was with British actor James Norton.

The pair met while working on Belleville at the Donmar Warehouse in 2017. They began dating in 2018 and became engaged in 2022. Their relationship ended in 2023. Norton later described the split as natural and amicable, while acknowledging that the schedules and demands of two acting careers had been among the factors involved.

Poots later discussed the media attention around the relationship in a 2025 Tatler interview. When asked about her current relationship status, she chose not to give a direct answer. As of September 28, 2026, I found no reliable public confirmation of a new spouse or partner, so a specific current relationship status should not be presented as fact.

There is also no reliable public confirmation that Poots has married or has children. Claims beyond the confirmed information above should be treated carefully.

Philanthropy, Charity and Causes

There is much less reliable public information available about a major personal charitable foundation or large-scale philanthropic operation run by Poots.

She has participated in charity-related industry events and public campaigns, and she has spoken publicly about social and cultural issues through interviews and the subjects of some of her films. However, I did not find sufficiently strong current evidence to attribute a major long-term charitable foundation, large personal donations or a specific recurring humanitarian programme to her.

This is an area where it is better to avoid repeating celebrity biography websites that list causes without clear primary or reputable supporting evidence.

Awards and Nominations

Poots has accumulated recognition from independent film festivals, industry awards and theatre organizations.

The BIFA win for The Look of Love is confirmed by both the BFI and BIFA's historical awards records.

Her Sitges Best Actress award for Vivarium is also recorded in the festival's official 2019 winners list.

More recently, the Denver Film Festival honoured Poots with its Excellence in Acting Award for The Chronology of Water in 2025.

In 2026, Girls on Film nominated her for Best Performance in a Leading Role for The Chronology of Water and included her among the nominated ensemble for Hedda.

Latest Career Developments

All of You

One of Poots's most recent completed films is All of You, the romantic science-fiction drama written by Brett Goldstein and directed by William Bridges.

Poots plays Laura opposite Goldstein's Simon. The story follows two college best friends whose relationship changes after Laura takes a test designed to identify a person's soulmate. Apple released the film globally on Apple TV on September 26, 2025.

Hedda

Poots also appeared in Nia DaCosta's Hedda, a modern reworking of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler.

She plays Thea Clifton alongside Tessa Thompson, Tom Bateman and Nina Hoss. Prime Video currently lists the film as a 2025 drama and has Poots among its principal cast.

The Chronology of Water

The biggest recent development in Poots's career is The Chronology of Water, Kristen Stewart's feature directorial debut.

Poots stars as Lidia Yuknavitch in the adaptation of Yuknavitch's memoir. The film premiered at Cannes in 2025 and subsequently received theatrical releases, including a UK and Irish release through BFI Distribution on February 6, 2026.

The film has become a major showcase for Poots's work. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists a 91% Tomatometer score based on 110 critics, with reviews continuing into 2026.

Poots also received the Denver Film Festival's 2025 Excellence in Acting Award for the performance.

In January 2026, Poots discussed the film's demanding material and her approach to choosing projects. She explained that as she became older and gained more experience, she had become less interested in accepting roles simply because she thought they might lead to something bigger.

Slayground

As of September 28, 2026, one of Poots's most immediate upcoming projects is Slayground, the new A24 movie directed by Jeremy Saulnier.

The film was previously known as October. A24 began promoting it publicly in September 2026, releasing a teaser and describing the project as an upcoming fall title. Poots is part of an ensemble that includes Cory Michael Smith, Chase Sui Wonders, Sophie Wilde, Young Mazino, Stephen Root, James Badge Dale and Matty Matheson.

A24 has not publicly supplied a complete confirmed plot and release date as of this article's September 28, 2026 cutoff, although the promotional campaign points toward an October 2026 development. Therefore, it is more accurate to describe the movie as an upcoming/fall 2026 project rather than give an unconfirmed exact release date.

The Salamander Lives Twice

Another announced project is The Salamander Lives Twice, a mystery-thriller being developed with Poots and Matt Smith.

Embankment Films announced the project in April 2026, describing Poots and Smith as part of the cast. The company's current scripted catalogue lists the movie under Pre-Production, while IMDbPro also records it as pre-production as of April 2026.

Because the project remains in pre-production, no fixed release date should currently be presented as confirmed.

Current Projects

Slayground is currently being promoted by A24 for a fall release, while The Salamander Lives Twice remains in pre-production according to its production company.

Earlier Projects That Changed Status

Poots's filmography also contains projects whose status changed after the original announcement.

The clearest television example is Outer Range. The series returned for a second season in 2024 but was canceled by Amazon after two seasons. Therefore, it should not be described as an ongoing series or as a show awaiting Season 3.

Similarly, The Chronology of Water was once an upcoming project but is now a released film, with its international theatrical rollout taking place during 2026.

Net Worth

Several entertainment websites estimate Imogen Poots' net worth at around $2 million. Celebrity Net Worth currently publishes that figure. However, this should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed financial record because Poots has not publicly released an audited statement of her assets, earnings or investments.

Career Highlights

Why Imogen Poots Stands Out

Poots's career has been defined by movement between very different kinds of roles.

She began with horror in 28 Weeks Later, moved through literary and period projects such as Jane Eyre, worked in studio action with Need for Speed, appeared in independent films such as Green Room and Vivarium, and later took on dramatic roles in The Father, Baltimore, The Teacher and The Chronology of Water.

Her work also demonstrates a willingness to alternate between film, television and theatre. Her West End debut in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? came after more than a decade of screen work, while Belleville gave her another substantial stage role shortly afterward.

Another recurring feature of her career is her interest in independent filmmaking. In interviews, Poots has explained that independent cinema was something she had wanted to pursue and that she increasingly chooses projects according to instinct rather than simply chasing bigger productions.

Her 2025–26 work reflects that approach particularly clearly: The Chronology of Water is an unconventional independent drama, while Hedda provides a different kind of contemporary reimagining of a classic work.

Legacy and Career Impact So Far

At 37, Poots's career is still developing, so it is more appropriate to talk about her career impact so far rather than a finished legacy.

She has already built a filmography covering horror, science fiction, action, comedy, literary drama, biography, psychological drama and independent cinema.

Her best-known performances include Tammy in 28 Weeks Later, Debbie Raymond in The Look of Love, Amber in Green Room, Gemma in Vivarium, Laura in The Father, Rose Dugdale in Baltimore/Rose's War, Laura in All of You, Thea Clifton in Hedda and Lidia Yuknavitch in The Chronology of Water.

Her awards history also shows a progression from an early BIFA newcomer nomination to a BIFA supporting-actress win, a Sitges Best Actress win and, most recently, the Denver Film Festival's Excellence in Acting Award.

The latest stage of her career is particularly notable because her 2025–26 work puts her at the center of films directed by filmmakers such as Kristen Stewart and Nia DaCosta, while her next project Slayground comes from Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Imogen Poots?

Imogen Poots is 37 years old as of September 28, 2026. She was born on June 3, 1989.

Where was Imogen Poots born?

She was born in Hammersmith, London, England, and was raised in Chiswick in west London.

What is Imogen Poots best known for?

She is particularly known for 28 Weeks Later, The Look of Love, Green Room, Vivarium, The Father, Outer Range, Baltimore/Rose's War, Hedda and The Chronology of Water.

Is Imogen Poots married?

There is no reliable public confirmation that Poots is married. She was previously engaged to actor James Norton, but they ended their relationship in 2023.

Does Imogen Poots have children?

There is no reliable public confirmation that Imogen Poots has children.

Who was Imogen Poots's former fiancé?

Her former fiancé was British actor James Norton. They met while performing in Belleville, began dating in 2018 and became engaged in 2022 before separating in 2023.

What was Imogen Poots's first acting job?

Her first credited professional screen role was in Casualty in 2004.

What was Imogen Poots's breakthrough movie?

28 Weeks Later is generally identified with her early breakthrough. The film gave her a major international audience and led to a British Independent Film Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.

What awards has Imogen Poots won?

Among her verified wins are the 2013 British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Look of Love, the 2019 Sitges Best Actress award for Vivarium and the 2025 Denver Film Festival Excellence in Acting Award for The Chronology of Water.

What is Imogen Poots's latest movie?

As of September 28, 2026, her most recent major released film is The Chronology of Water, in which she plays Lidia Yuknavitch. The film received its international theatrical rollout in 2026.

What is Imogen Poots working on now?

Her immediate upcoming project is A24's Slayground, which entered its public promotional campaign in September 2026. She is also attached to The Salamander Lives Twice, which is currently listed in pre-production.

What did Imogen Poots study?

She was accepted to the Courtauld Institute of Art to study art history after achieving three A grades at A-level, but deferred the place while pursuing acting opportunities.

Did Imogen Poots work in theatre?

Yes. Her first stage production was the 2017 West End revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, followed by Belleville at the Donmar Warehouse.

References

Tatler — Imogen Poots profile and 2025 interview: Read the Tatler profile

BFI — The Chronology of Water UK release information: Read the BFI release announcement

Apple TV Press — All of You: Read Apple's official film information

Prime Video — Hedda: View the official Prime Video page

British Independent Film Awards — 2013 winners: View the BIFA records

BFI — British Independent Film Awards 2013: Read the BFI report

Sitges Film Festival — 2019 winners: View the official winners list

Girls on Film — 2026 nominations and winners: View the 2026 awards list

Official London Theatre — Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Read the theatre production information

Playbill — Belleville: Read the Playbill report

The Independent — Imogen Poots and James Norton's former engagement: Read the report

The Guardian — James Norton interview discussing the 2023 split: Read the interview

Embankment Films — The Salamander Lives Twice: View the production company's current listings

A24 / current reporting — Slayground: Recent September 2026 reporting confirms A24's promotional campaign, Poots's casting and the film's fall release positioning, while noting that a precise official release date had not been announced as of the September 28 cutoff.