Claim: Hayley Atwell acts for a living.

Hayley Elizabeth Atwell -LRB- born 5 April 1982 -RRB- 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 .