# Margo Stilley

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**Margo Stilley** (born November 20, 1982) is an American actress, having had roles in *[How to Lose Friends & Alienate People](/source/How_to_Lose_Friends_%26_Alienate_People_(film))* (2008), *[Marple: Murder Is Easy](/source/Agatha_Christie's_Marple#Series_Four_(2009–10))* and *[Hippie Hippie Shake](/source/Hippie_Hippie_Shake)* (2009), *[The Trip](/source/The_Trip_(2010_TV_series))* (2010), and *[The Royals](/source/The_Royals_(TV_series))* (2016). She is most remembered for appearing in her debut film *[9 Songs](/source/9_Songs)* (2004), which has been described as the most sexually explicit mainstream film ever produced in the United Kingdom.

## Early life and education

Stilley was born in [Conway, South Carolina](/source/Conway,_South_Carolina),[1] and grew up between there and [Swansboro, North Carolina](/source/Swansboro,_North_Carolina). She was raised in a strict [Baptist](/source/Baptist) household. The day she turned 16 years of age, she moved out of her family home and lived on her own.[2] She put herself through high school working as a [telemarketer](/source/Telemarketing) and a [lifeguard](/source/Lifeguard) until she graduated a year early from [Conway High School](/source/Conway_High_School_(South_Carolina)) with honors in art and history.[2] She was voted "The Funniest" in the class of 2000. Stilley has been a long time supporter of hands-on charitable acts. In high school, she volunteered at local nursing homes feeding and reading to the elderly.[3] She was offered a full scholarship to [Savannah College of Art and Design](/source/Savannah_College_of_Art_and_Design), which she declined.

## Career

She left the rural [South](/source/Southern_United_States) as a teenager to begin working briefly as a model in [Milan](/source/Milan) with [Elite Model Management](/source/Elite_Model_Management) in February 2001, before moving to London by the end of the year, at the age of 18, to pursue her acting career.

Her first acting job was to star as Lisa, the lead actress in the controversial 2004 British film *[9 Songs](/source/9_Songs)*, directed by [Michael Winterbottom](/source/Michael_Winterbottom). Her interest in art as a platform led to her decision to accept the role. According to the *[Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*, *9 Songs* was the most sexually explicit mainstream film to date, largely because it includes several scenes of real sexual acts between Stilley and her co-star, actor [Kieran O'Brien](/source/Kieran_O'Brien). Her role is highly unusual in that she had unsimulated and very graphic [sex](/source/Sexual_intercourse) with O'Brien, including genital [fondling](/source/Physical_intimacy), [female masturbation](/source/Female_masturbation), with and without a [vibrator](/source/Vibrator_(sex_toy)), [penetrative](/source/Sexual_penetration) [vaginal sex](/source/Penile%E2%80%93vaginal_intercourse), [cunnilingus](/source/Cunnilingus), [footjob](/source/Footjob) and [fellatio](/source/Fellatio). During a scene in which Stilley stimulates his penis with her hand after performing fellatio on him, he became the only mainstream British actor who has been shown [ejaculating](/source/Ejaculating) in a mainstream UK-produced feature.[4] The film screened in [Cannes Film Festival](/source/Cannes_Film_Festival) and [Sundance Film Festival](/source/Sundance_Film_Festival) and had a worldwide theatrical release. Stilley asked that director Michael Winterbottom refer to her simply by her character's name in interviews about the film at the beginning to protect the artistic integrity of the film.[5]

Her second credit was a role in the first episode of the satirical comedy *[Nathan Barley](/source/Nathan_Barley)* directed by [Chris Morris](/source/Chris_Morris_(satirist)) for British television.

Stilley has since appeared in 19 American and British productions, including *[How to Lose Friends & Alienate People](/source/How_to_Lose_Friends_%26_Alienate_People_(film))*, with [Simon Pegg](/source/Simon_Pegg) and [Jeff Bridges](/source/Jeff_Bridges), and *[Agatha Christie's Marple](/source/Agatha_Christie's_Marple)* (*[Murder Is Easy](/source/Murder_Is_Easy)*), with [Benedict Cumberbatch](/source/Benedict_Cumberbatch), and has worked again with Winterbottom on a BBC Two comedy *[The Trip](/source/The_Trip_(2011_film))*, with [Steve Coogan](/source/Steve_Coogan) and [Rob Brydon](/source/Rob_Brydon).[6]

She appeared as a model in feature articles in *[Vogue](/source/Vogue_(magazine))*, *[In Style UK](/source/In_Style_UK)*, *[The Face](/source/The_Face_(magazine))*, *[Harper's Bazaar](/source/Harper's_Bazaar)*, *[Black Book Magazine](/source/Black_Book_Magazine)* and [*Elle*](/source/Elle_(magazine)). She has been a presenter at award shows, handing a Fashion Awards to [Giles Deacon](/source/Giles_Deacon)[7] at the 2006 [Elle Style Awards](/source/Elle_Style_Awards) and presenting the New Designer Award to [Christopher Kane](/source/Christopher_Kane) at the 2007 [British Fashion Awards](/source/British_Fashion_Awards).[8][7]

In 2010, she signed on to play [Lady Furness](/source/Thelma_Furness,_Viscountess_Furness) in Madonna's film *[WE](/source/W.E._(film))*, but renounced the role because of artistic differences.[9]

In 2026, Stilley joined the cast of the reality television series *[Ladies of London: The New Reign](/source/Ladies_of_London)*, which premiered on [Bravo](/source/Bravo_(American_TV_network)) on March 5, 2026.[10]

## Personal life

Stilley had strong ties to the Children's Charity [Dramatic Need](/source/Dramatic_Need). In 2009, she travelled on her own to [Johannesburg](/source/Johannesburg) and the greater [Gauteng province](/source/Gauteng_province) in South Africa to teach drama in some of the country's most challenged communities for three months. She has never publicized her charitable contributions.[3]

## Selected filmography

- *[9 Songs](/source/9_Songs)* (2004) ... Lisa
- *[Mayo](/source/Mayo_(TV_series))* (1 episode, 2006) ... Roma Sheraton
- *Reverb* (2007) ... Nicky
- *[How to Lose Friends & Alienate People](/source/How_to_Lose_Friends_%26_Alienate_People_(film))* (2008) ... Ingrid
- *[Marple: Murder Is Easy](/source/Agatha_Christie's_Marple#Series_Four_(2009–10))* (2009) (TV) ... Bridget Conway
- *[Goal! 3](/source/Goal!_3)* (2009) ... Tamsin
- *[Hippie Hippie Shake](/source/Hippie_Hippie_Shake)* (2009) ... [Cynthia Plaster Caster](/source/Cynthia_Plaster_Caster)
- *14 Days with Victor* (2010) ... Anna
- *[The Trip](/source/The_Trip_(2010_TV_series))* (2010) ... Mischa
- *Across Time I Cry* (2014) ... Lisabet
- *Darknet Delivery: A Silk Road Story* (2015) ... Anna
- *Still Waters* (2015) ... Bradbury
- *Everything Carries Me to You* ... Vicki
- *[The Royals](/source/The_Royals_(TV_series))* (2016) ... Harper
- *[The Trip to Spain](/source/The_Trip_(2010_TV_series))* (series 3 of *The Trip*) (2017) ... Mischa
- *[The Host](/source/The_Host_(2020_film))* (2020) ... Sarah

## References

1. Stilley, Margo (November 2008). "Hello Chaps". *Esquire*

1. ["Times article"](http://www.margo-stilley.com/pdf/times_article.pdf). margo-stilley.com. Retrieved February 11, 2021.

1. ["Facebook"](https://www.facebook.com/margo.stilley/media_set?set=a.49694649484.57313.513704484&type=3%7B%7BPrimary+source+inline%7Cdate=April+2020%7D%7D). *facebook.com*

1. [Cannes screening for most sexually explicit British film](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/may/17/cannes2004.film) at *The Guardian*

1. Cavendish, Lucy (November 2, 2008). ["Margo Stilley: songs of innocence and of experience"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3562787/Margo-Stilley-songs-of-innocence-and-of-experience.html). *The Telegraph*

1. ["Biography"](http://www.margo-stilley.com/biography.html). *Margo Stilley's Site*

1. ["Giles Deacon and actress Margo Stilley pose in the awards room with..."](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/giles-deacon-and-actress-margo-stilley-pose-in-the-awards-news-photo/73307101). *Getty Images*. February 13, 2007.

1. ["Stella McCartney and Agyness Deyn were among the biggest fashion winners last night"](http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090717103645/http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=48845). *Vogue*. November 28, 2007. Archived from [the original](http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=48845) on July 17, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2015.

1. Eden, Richard (July 3, 2010). ["Madonna casts Natalie Dormer to portray the 'game-playing' Queen Mother"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100707060315/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/madonna/7870311/Madonna-casts-Natalie-Dormer-to-portray-the-game-playing-Queen-Mother.html). *The Telegraph*. Archived from [the original](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/madonna/7870311/Madonna-casts-Natalie-Dormer-to-portray-the-game-playing-Queen-Mother.html) on July 7, 2010.

1. [Who is Ladies of London's Margo Stilley? Meet the American with a “Notorious” Claim to Fame](https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/who-is-ladies-of-london-margo-stilley-career-relationships-family-life-details-exclusive)

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.margo-stilley.com)
- [Margo Stilley](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1626256/) at IMDb

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Margo Stilley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margo_Stilley) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margo_Stilley?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.