McElhone made her film debut in the 1996 James Ivory film ?Surviving Picasso.? She then went on to star in Alan J. Pakula?s ?The Devil?s Own? opposite Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford, Peter Weir?s ?The Truman Show? opposite Jim Carrey, John Frankenheimer?s ?Ronin? opposite Robert DeNiro and Steven Soderbergh?s ?Solaris? opposite George Clooney.

Other film credits include ?Love?s Labour's Lost,? ?City of Ghosts,? ?Killing Me Softly,? ?Laurel Canyon,? ?Ladies in Lavender? and ?Guy X.?

The versatile McElhone attended London?s Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Her professional career began on stage, starring in productions of ?Richard III,? ?The Cherry Orchard,? and "Midsummer Night's Dream.?

She has appeared on several hit BBC television productions including ?The Other Boleyn Girl.?