Hayley Atwell is an actress.
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell ( born 5 April 1982 ) is a British-American actress , She is known for her work in stage productions such as A View from the Bridge , and onscreen , she is often cast in period pieces , such as the 2007 thriller Cassandra 's Dream , the 2008 drama The Duchess , the 2010 historical drama miniseries The Pillars of the Earth . She is best known for her portrayal of Peggy Carter in various films and television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , including the ABC action-adventure series Agent Carter . The Pillars of the Earth is an eight-part 2010 TV miniseries , adapted from Ken Follett 's novel of the same name . In 2011 , the series was nominated for 3 Golden Globes , including Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television , Ian McShane for Best Actor and Hayley Atwell for Best Actress at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards .