Phyllida Lloyd

PHYLLIDA LLOYD

Date of Birth: June 17, 1957

Born and raised in Bristol, Great Britain, Phyllida Lloyd is best known for her contribution to theater and the dramatic arts. Having aspired to get into acting while growing up, she quickly changed goals after graduating from Birmingham University in 1979 and subsequently spent five years working for BBC television.

Working closely with directors at BBC sparked Lloyd's interest in taking charge behind the action. She promptly accepted an Associate Director position at the Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Bristol's Old Vic, and then went on to direct several productions at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. But it wasn't until 1991, when she made her directorial debut at the Royal Shakespeare Company, that Lloyd's talent garnered critical acclaim.

In 2000, Lloyd had her first taste of film directing when she stepped behind the camera for the made-for-TV film adaptation of Gloriana, which won her an International Emmy and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award—she also directed the operatic version to highly regarded reviews.

Hot off the success of Gloriana, Lloyd was offered the opportunity to direct the hit ABBA musical, Mamma Mia!. Lloyd was the obvious choice when looking for someone to direct the film adaptation, and she jumped at the opportunity to make her feature film debut.