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Jessica Hynes
Born · October 30, 1972 (52 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Lewisham, London, England, UK
Bio
Jessica Hynes (née Stevenson) (born 30 October 1972) is a British actress, director and writer. Best known as a comedy actress, she has played Cheryl in The Royle Family (1998–2010), Siobhan Sharpe in Twenty Twelve (2011–2012) and W1A (2014–2017) and Emily Yates in There She Goes (2018–2023). She was also one of the stars, creators and writers of Spaced (1999–2001). She has also had starring roles in television film Tomorrow La Scala! and BBC dramas Years and Years (2019) and Miss Austen (2025). In film, Hynes has appeared in the Bridget Jones (2004–2016), Nativity (2012–2018) and Paddington (2017–2024) film series. Hynes has been nominated for two International Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, five BAFTAs (winning two), three Royal Television Society Awards (winning two) and three British Comedy Awards (winning two). Hynes was born in Lewisham, London, and grew up in Brighton, where she attended St Luke's Infant and Junior Schools and Dorothy Stringer High School. After her parents split up, she was raised by her mother. She moved back to London as a young adult. Her maternal grandmother came from the village of Llanelian, north Wales, where her uncle also ran a farm. Her mother is a fluent Welsh speaker who later moved back to north Wales. In 2023, Hynes took part in the S4C series Iaith ar Daith where she began to learn the Welsh language; she cited being able to speak Welsh to her mother as a reason why she wanted to take part in the programme. Early in her career, Hynes teamed up with future Spaced co-star Katy Carmichael in a comedy double-act called the Liz Hurleys, appeared in two productions at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, and acted for television shows including Staying Alive, Six Pairs of Pants, (Un)natural Acts, and Asylum (on which the Spaced team of Hynes, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright first assembled). From 1998 to 2000, she played the supporting role of Cheryl in the hit sitcom The Royle Family; she reprised the role for special episodes in 2006, 2009 and 2010. In 1999, she co-wrote and starred in Spaced, for which she won two comedy awards and was nominated for an International Emmy and a Bafta for writing and creating the show alongside Simon Pegg. In 2017 , she directed her first feature film, The Fight, produced by Jamie Adams and Unstoppable media. In 2018, she played the role of a mother in the BBC Four programme There She Goes. She stars alongside David Tennant, raising a daughter with a severe learning disability. It is based on the real life of writer Shaun Pye and his wife Sarah Crawford whose daughter was born with a chromosomal disorder. She won a Bafta for her role in the series and was nominated for an International Emmy for her role in '414' the special made in 2023. In 2019, she starred in the BBC and HBO production Years and Years for which she won a Royal Television Society award.
Death of a Unicorn
Shaw
6.5
2025
Paddington in Peru
Miss Kitts
6.8
2024
Seize Them!
Leofwine
5.2
2024
A Brush With Comedy
Self
8.0
2023
Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel
Herself
7.8
2021
Catching the Bus
Marion
9.0
2021
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
Sofie Dahl
5.9
2020
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
Self
6.3
2020
Seagull
Janet
0.0
2019
Hollywood's Dark Secret
Self
0.0
2019
The Fight
Tina Bell
5.7
2019
Nativity Rocks!
Angel Matthews
3.8
2018
Songbird
Sara
4.8
2018
Paddington 2
Miss Kitts
7.5
2017
Shelter
Wendie
7.0
2017
Bridget Jones's Baby
Magda
6.4
2016
We Love Sitcom
0.0
2016
Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book
Self
8.0
2016
Swallows and Amazons
Mrs. Jackson
6.3
2016
Cider with Rosie
Crabby
5.7
2015
Winter
Claudia
6.7
2015
Pudsey the Dog: The Movie
Gail
5.3
2014
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!
Angel Matthews
5.3
2012
Chalet Girl
Interviewer 2
6.4
2011
Joe's Crackers
Cheryl
7.2
2010
The Angina Monologues
Herself/Sarah
0.0
2010
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Self
8.4
2010
Burke & Hare
Lucky
6.1
2010
The Lost Explorer
0.0
2010
Lizzie and Sarah
Sarah/Ellie
7.4
2010
The Golden Egg Cup
Cheryl Carroll
8.0
2009
Faintheart
Cath
6.3
2009
Learners
Beverley
6.0
2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Mafalda Hopkirk (voice)
7.7
2007
Magicians
Linda Jones
5.9
2007
Son of Rambow
Mary Proudfoot
6.7
2007
Four Last Songs
Miranda
5.8
2007
The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Self
6.7
2006
Confetti
Sam (as Jessica Stevenson)
5.5
2006
Pinochet in Suburbia
WPC Broughton
6.0
2006
Doctor Who Confidential
(2 episodes)
8.1
2005
Comic Aid
Herself - Presenter
5.0
2005
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Magda
6.2
2004
Spaced: Skip to the End
Self
6.1
2004
Shaun of the Dead
Yvonne
7.5
2004
Rapture
0.0
Miss Austen
Mary Austen · (4 episodes)
6.3
2025
The Franchise
Steph Mundun · (8 episodes)
6.6
2024
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
The Reddlehag · (1 episode)
6.4
2024
Life After Life
Mrs Glover · (4 episodes)
6.9
2022
The Witchfinder
Old Myers · (6 episodes)
6.6
2022
Mood
Laura · (4 episodes)
4.4
2022
David Mitchell's Outsiders
Self · (6 episodes)
6.3
2021
The Ranganation
Self · (1 episode)
6.8
2019
Years and Years
Edith Lyons · (6 episodes)
7.6
2019
There She Goes
Emily · (10 episodes)
8.5
2018
Hang Ups
Katherine Pitt · (2 episodes)
6.4
2018
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
7.5
2018
All Star Musicals
Self - Performer · (1 episode)
8.0
2017
Hooten & The Lady
Ella Bond · (8 episodes)
7.2
2016
Jack and Dean of All Trades
Marv (voice) · (12 episodes)
10.0
2016
Insert Name Here
Self - Panelist · (1 episode)
6.7
2016
Travel Man: 48 Hours in...
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
6.7
2015
Artsnight
Self · (1 episode)
0.0
2015
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
Self · (1 episode)
0.0
2014
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
Self · (3 episodes)
7.1
2014
W1A
Siobhan Sharpe · (14 episodes)
7.8
2014
Duck Quacks Don't Echo
(1 episode)
5.7
2014
Inside No. 9
Helen · (1 episode)
8.0
2014
Up the Women
Margaret · (9 episodes)
6.3
2013
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
(2 episodes)
7.2
2013
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Herself · (1 episode)
7.2
2013
The Last Leg
Self · (4 episodes)
5.3
2013
Blandings
Lady Daphne Littlewood · (1 episode)
7.2
2013
Gadget Man
(1 episode)
7.0
2012
Dara O Briain's Science Club
Herself · (1 episode)
8.3
2012
One Night
Carol · (4 episodes)
7.9
2012
World's Most Dangerous Roads
(1 episode)
7.1
2011
Twenty Twelve
Siobhan Sharpe · (13 episodes)
7.3
2011
Justin Lee Collins: Good Times
Self · (1 episode)
0.0
2010
British Film Forever
Narrator · (7 episodes)
5.5
2007
Would I Lie to You?
Self · (1 episode)
7.7
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
7.2
2007
8 Out of 10 Cats
Self · (1 episode)
7.1
2005
Doctor Who
Joan Redfern · (2 episodes)
7.5
2005
According to Bex
(8 episodes)
5.0
2005
Bosom Pals
(2 episodes)
0.0
2004
QI
Self · (1 episode)
7.9
2003
Tomorrow La Scala!
Victoria
0.0
2002
Pure
Paramedic (as Jessica Stevenson)
6.2
2002
Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime
The Good Fairy (as Jessica Stevenson)
6.0
2002
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Self · (1 episode)
5.8
2001
Bob & Rose
Holly Vance · (6 episodes)
6.3
2001
Black Books
Eva · (1 episode)
8.1
2000
Born Romantic
Libby
6.1
2000
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
(2 episodes)
6.1
2000
Spaced
Daisy Steiner · (14 episodes)
7.9
1999
People Like Us
Sarah · (1 episode)
7.9
1999
The Royle Family
Cheryl Carroll · (20 episodes)
7.6
1998
Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round
(1 episode)
7.0
1998
Unnatural Acts
(6 episodes)
7.3
1998
Midsomer Murders
Judith Lessiter · (1 episode)
7.5
1997
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Self · (1 episode)
7.0
1996
Mash and Peas
(9 episodes)
6.0
1996
Asylum
Martha · (6 episodes)
5.9
1996
Six Pairs of Pants
(3 episodes)
3.0
1995
Tears Before Bedtime
Maggie · (4 episodes)
0.0
1995
Room 101
Self · (1 episode)
6.3
1994
The Baby of Mâcon
The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)
7.0
1993
Swing Kids
Helga
6.7
1993
The House of Eliott
Charlotte Parker · (1 episode)
6.2
1991