Beef Season 2: The Evolution of Carey Mulligan
From Dickensian Debuts to the Feud of the Year
While Carey Mulligan is currently dominating Netflix in Season 2 of Beef, her journey to becoming “Lindsay Crane-Martin” was paved with high-stakes period dramas and gritty British procedurals. If you only know her from An Education or Maestro, you’ve missed some of her most fascinating—and occasionally bizarre—performances.
The British TV Beginnings (2005–2007)
Long before her Oscar nominations, Mulligan was a staple of the BBC.
Bleak House (2005): Her television debut. Playing Ada Clare, she held her own against heavyweights like Charles Dance and Gillian Anderson.
Waking the Dead (2007): In a classic “before they were famous” moment, she played a young nun in a two-part crime arc.
The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006): In a rare comedic/rebellious turn, she played the daughter of a fictional PM and famously projected a naked image of herself onto the Houses of Parliament.
The “Almost” Hollywood Breakthroughs
Before An Education changed everything, Mulligan was navigating blockbusters and indie darlings.
Public Enemies (2009): She played a coat-check girl linked to Johnny Depp’s John Dillinger. Interestingly, her kissing scenes with Depp were cut because she was so visibly nervous on camera.
Northanger Abbey (2007): She played Isabella Thorpe. While she is often the hero, here she showcased an early talent for playing the “manipulative friend.”
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The Modern Mastery (2018–2024)
Her recent work shows the range that led Netflix to cast her in the high-intensity world of Beef.
Wildlife (2018): Opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, this is widely considered her most “robbed” performance. She plays a woman unravelling in the 1960s—a spiritual precursor to her Beef character.
Spaceman (2024): A surreal sci-fi where she played Adam Sandler’s wife. In a charming piece of trivia, her real-life newborn’s cries were used in the film’s post-production.
Carey Mulligan’s “Beef” Era: Quick Facts
Character: Lindsay Crane-Martin
Co-Star: Oscar Isaac
The Plot: A middle-class couple enters a toxic feud with their employees at a country club.
Availability: Now streaming on Netflix.