This is the second of a series of posts about people unexpectedly being able to sing. Today we have Carey Mulligan, who I suppose being married to Marcus Mumford of the band Mumford and Sons might, at least, to have been expected to be musical. But it still came as a surprise that she has a wonderful voice, although she is on record as saying that she hates singing in movies. I first became aware of her as an actress when she turned up as Sally Sparrow in the now legendary Doctor Who episode ‘Blink’ (2007), where she finds herself pitted against the ‘Weeping Angels’. No singing here but worth a watch, if only for the Doctor’s use of the words ‘timey wimey’. She won the Constellation Award for Best Female Performance in a 2007 Science Fiction Television Episode for her role.
She made her professional acting debut on stage in the Kevin Elyot play Forty Winks at the Royal Court Theate in 2004. Her film debut was with a supporting role in Pride and Prejudice (2005), followed by roles in television, including Bleak House (2005). She made her Broadway debut in The Seagull in 2008, which won her an Ian Charleston Commendation Award. Since when she has been gathering awards regularly including an Oscar nomination for her performance in An Education (2009).
Her first public venture into music was when she voiced the Belle and Sebastien track ‘Write About Love’ for the movie ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’. Her first song on screen is an amazingly soulful rendition of the jazz standard ‘New York, New York’ from the film ‘Shame’ (2011).
In 2015, Mulligan was praised for her role in the acclaimed film adaption of Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd with Michael Sheen with whom she sings a duet. Her version of ‘Let No Man Steal Your Thyme’ is wonderfully appropraite for the period.
Our third extract is from the 2013, Coen’s brother’s black comedy ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ alongside Oscar Isaac and Justin Timberlake. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews. She sings the folk standard 500 Miles with Timberlake.
