Why does Cory's mom in The Morning Show look familiar? Here’s where you have seen the actress before

In The Morning Show, Cory’s mother, Martha Ellison, is portrayed by the legendary actress Lindsay Duncan. Season 4, episode 8, titled The Parent Trap, premiered on November 5, 2025, and delivers a gut-punching exit for Martha Ellison. Fans are already spiraling about where else they have seen the actress.

Lindsay Duncan was Adelaide Brooke in Doctor Who: “The Waters of Mars.” She was the courageous base commander who defied the Doctor’s god complex in the series. Moreover, she also shared credits in films like Birdman and About Time (2013). Read on to know more about the actress and her role in The Morning Show.

Why does Cory's mom in The Morning Show look familiar? Notable projects explored

Cory's mother in The Morning Show, named Martha Ellison, is played by Lindsay Duncan, the Scottish actress with an extraordinary career spanning theatre, film, and television. The episode that dropped recently showed Ellison exiting the show, and this has made fans curious about where they know the actress from.

Duncan is one of Britain's most acclaimed actresses, with a history of performing on both stage and screen. You've almost certainly seen her in something before. Some of her standout work includes Servilia of the Junii in Rome (HBO), a TV show where she played Caesar's former lover and Brutus' mother.

She also appeared in the Doctor Who series as the base commander, and in BBC's Sherlock as Lady Smallwood, a high-ranking British official and occasional ally. The Honourable Woman also featured the talented actress as Anjelica Hayden, the intelligence chief opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal, among others.

In film, Birdman was indeed a notable contribution. Then came About Time, where she played Lindsay, the wise and affectionate family friend in the romantic dramedy. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) featured her as Katherine, the neighbour who helps Diane Lane's character rediscover joy. Not only this, but she was also part of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), where she played TC-14, the droid who greets the Jedi in a brief but fun sci-fi appearance.

What happens with Martha Ellison in The Morning Show?

In the recent episodes, we see Martha's declining health and growing disillusionment with dependency. Martha decides to take control over her death. She contacts a “Death With Dignity” group and acquires the medication to end her life peacefully.

In episode 6 of The Morning Show, Cory learns about her plan, and he is terrified. He pleads with her not to do it, but his insistence holds no power. He never truly processes what it means for his mother to want autonomy in dying. In episode 8, Martha calls him, tells him she is going through with it, and delivers a simple but devastating line:

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"I love you, Cory."

She was introduced as a refined and fiercely intelligent woman, and she chooses dignity while dying, struggling with her health. Her death becomes the most heartbreaking moment of the season and forces Cory to confront something he cannot manage or manipulate: loss.

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