Swinton was born November 5, 1960 in London. Her father, Azland Major-General Sir John Swinton, is Scottish, and her mother, Judith Balfour, Lady Swinton (née Killen), was Australian. The Swinton family is an ancient Anglo-Scots family that can trace its lineage to the Middle Ages.

She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Tilda Swinton's Family Tree