The Rose: Painfully English without ever being painful to watchful, Thompson IS England – she's adapted so many adored tomes for the screen that seeing her in modern day attire is still something of a shock to the system.

The Awesome: Despite costume dramas being predisposed to a stuffy air, Thompson works well in them because she takes the rule of Austin (sly humour behind the frantic fan wafts) and applies it brilliantly. See: Thompson's entire CV.

American Equivalent: Thompson is so quintessentially English it’s difficult to find her an American counterpart. But if we’re looking at her as a purveyor of British period dramas, Doris Day was best-known for getting trussed up in historical garb for American yarns – and then, alright, warbling her heart out.