Rose Leslie is a Scottish actress who gained a lot of attention for her portrayal of Gwen Dawson, a housemaid, in the first season of the ITV television drama Downton Abbey. She played Rhian in the television film New Town, for which she won the Scottish BAFTA for Best Acting Performance. The actress is also known for her role as Wildling Ygritte in the second, third, and fourth seasons of the critically acclaimed fantasy television series, Game of Thrones. Her other acting credits include Morgan, Death of the Nile, The Great Fire, The Good Fight, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Miss Austen. She is married to fellow actor Kit Harington with whom she has two children. Here’s everything you need to know about the Scottish actress Rose Leslie.
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Rose Leslie Biography
Rose Leslie was born on the 9th of February 1987, in Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. According to her birthday, she is 37 years old, as of 2024.
| Birth Name | Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie |
| Nickname | Rose |
| Date of Birth | February 9, 1987 |
| Place of Birth | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Age | 37 years old |
| Sun Sign | Aquarius |
| Profession | Actress |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Ethnicity | Scottish, English, Mexican, Irish and French Huguenot |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Kit Harington |
| Children | 2 |
| Net Worth | $4 Million |
Early Life: Family and Education
Rose’s father Sebastian Arbuthnot-Leslie is the Aberdeenshire Chieftain of Clan Leslie, and her mother, Candida Mary Sibyl “Candy” Leslie (née Weld) of Clan Fraser. Her mother was the Great-granddaughter of Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lova, and a descendant of King Charles II.
Her great-great-grandfather was Don Guillermo de Landa y Escandon, who served as Mayor of Mexico City. She is cousin-in-law to the British historian, William Dalrymple (FRAS). Leslie’s ancestors include French Huguenot Ambrose Lisle March Phillipps De Lisle, politician Charles March-Phillipps, and MP James Grimston, 3rd Earl of Verulam.
She has four siblings – William Arbuthnot-Leslie (born 1982) (Elder Brother), Sofia (born 1984) (Elder Sister), Portia (born 1990) (Younger Sister), John Arbuthnot-Leslie (born 1989) (Younger Brother). She has Scottish, English, Mexican, Irish, and French Huguenot ancestry.
Rose attended Rayne North Primary School in Aberdeenshire, and then the private school Millfield in Street in Somerset. After graduation, she enrolled at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), graduating in 2008.
Rose Leslie Husband and Kids
Leslie met Kit Harington on the sets of Game of Thrones and they fell in love with each other soon after. They started dating in 2011, broke up after two years, and reconciled a year later. They made their relationship official in 2016 and moved in together in 2017.
Rose and Kit got engaged in September 2017 and married on June 23, 2018, at Rayne Church in the village of Kirkton of Rayne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. As of September 2020, the star couple is expecting their first child. She debuted her baby bump for the September issue of U.K.’s Make Magazine. The couple’s first child, a son was born in 2021. They welcomed their daughter in July 2023.
Physical Statistics
| Height | Feet – 5 feet 6 inches Centimeters – 168 cm Meters – 1.68 m |
| Weight | Kilograms – 53 kg Pounds – 117 lbs |
| Body Build | Slim |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Red |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Shoe Size | 7 (US) |
| Dress Size | 6 (US) |
| Distinctive Features | Red hair |
Professional Statistics
Debut Film
She debuted in the 2009 television film New Town portraying the role of Rhian. She was awarded the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Acting Performance – New Talent.
Television Debut
She made her first appearance in the television series Locked Up Abroad for her role as Kim in an episode titled “Lima.”
Best Known For
Leslie was best known for portraying the roles of Gwen Dawson in the first series of the ITV television drama Downton Abbey and Wildling Ygritte in the American fantasy television series, Game of Thrones.
Rose Leslie Net Worth
Rose Leslie has netted a lucrative salary figure for her roles in Game of Thrones and other television series, making her one of the richest Scottish actresses in recent times.
As of 2024, Leslie’s net worth is estimated to be $4 Million US Dollars and her salary saw a staggering growth after GOT. Leslie and Harington have purchased a £1.75 million exquisitely built 15th-century home in East Anglia with plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, a swimming pool, a tennis course, and all amenities that this lovely couple would require.
Rose Leslie Facts
Leslie is a princess in real life with roots deep in royal legacy. The actress grew up in the 15th-century Lickleyhead Castle in the Scottish countryside near Aberdeen. The castle is been with the family for over 500 years.
Her family also owns the 12th-century Warthill Castle in Aberdeenshire.
She knows lots of accents. She knows the 1912 version of Yorkshire accent, Scottish accent, English accent, American accent, Welsh accent, Irish accent, etc.
Rose Leslie once jokingly said that she had a ‘Middle child Syndrome’ and was the family’s only redhead and “the sole ‘ginger’ in a 40-mile radius at school”.
Leslie is scared of velvet because of “the sound it makes.”
She knows different dance forms like historic, ballroom, tap, flamenco, and jazz.
Rose enjoys horse riding, skiing, tennis, rock climbing, and stage combating.
Rose is a skilled archer before establishing herself as one in Game of Thrones.
She played Maia Rindell in the CBS All Access legal drama The Good Fight from 2017 to 2019.
Rose is very close with Emilia Clarke.
She is very fluent in French as well.
In 2015, she starred alongside Vin Diesel and Elijah Wood in the action fantasy film The Last Witch Hunter and played DS Emma Lane in the BBC detective drama Luther with Idris Elba in the show’s fourth season in the same year.
In 2017, Leslie voiced the female protagonist “En” in the video game Echo, a game by Copenhagen-based game developer Ultra Ultra.
Leslie has been a part of the BBC’s and World Productions’s drama series Vigil, playing the role of Kirsten Longacre alongside Suranne Jones, Shaun Evans, and Paterson Joseph.
She was cast as Isabella in the historical drama series, Miss Austen, where she co-stars alongside the likes of Keeley Hawes, Jessica Hynes, and Patsy Ferran.