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Jessica Hynes

Acting
Known For

52 Years Old

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.

Born

Lewisham, London, England, UK on 30th October 1972

All Credits

QI Image
QI
Self
Would I Lie to You? Image
Would I Lie to You?
Self
Midsomer Murders Image
Midsomer Murders
Judith Lessiter
The Graham Norton Show Image
The Graham Norton Show
Self
Doctor Who Image
Doctor Who
Joan Redfern
The Last Leg Image
The Last Leg
Self
Skins Image
Skins
Crystal
The Royle Family Image
The Royle Family
Cheryl Carroll
Inside No. 9 Image
Inside No. 9
Helen
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Image
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Self
Room 101 Image
Room 101
Self
8 Out of 10 Cats Image
8 Out of 10 Cats
Self
Never Mind the Buzzcocks Image
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Self
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Image
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Herself
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Image
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Duck Quacks Don't Echo Image
Duck Quacks Don't Echo
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer Image
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer
Self - Guest
Doctor Who Confidential Image
Doctor Who Confidential
Death of a Unicorn Image
Death of a Unicorn
Shaw
Travel Man: 48 Hours in... Image
Travel Man: 48 Hours in...
Self - Guest
World's Most Dangerous Roads Image
World's Most Dangerous Roads
Black Books Image
Black Books
Eva
Years and Years Image
Years and Years
Edith Lyons
Insert Name Here Image
Insert Name Here
Self - Panelist
Hooten & The Lady Image
Hooten & The Lady
Ella Bond
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Image
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Mafalda Hopkirk (voice)
David Mitchell's Outsiders Image
David Mitchell's Outsiders
Self
The Franchise Image
The Franchise
Steph Mundun
Justin Lee Collins: Good Times Image
Justin Lee Collins: Good Times
Self
W1A Image
W1A
Siobhan Sharpe
Life After Life Image
Life After Life
Mrs Glover
Gadget Man Image
Gadget Man
The Witchfinder Image
The Witchfinder
Old Myers
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Image
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
The Reddlehag
Up the Women Image
Up the Women
Margaret
Asylum Image
Asylum
Martha
The House of Eliott Image
The House of Eliott
Charlotte Parker
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled Image
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
Self
Paddington in Peru Image
Paddington in Peru
Miss Kitts
One Night Image
One Night
Carol
Miss Austen Image
Miss Austen
Mary Austen
People Like Us Image
People Like Us
Sarah
Dara O Briain's Science Club Image
Dara O Briain's Science Club
Herself
No Image
According to Bex
Hang Ups Image
Hang Ups
Katherine Pitt
Bob & Rose Image
Bob & Rose
Holly Vance
No Image
Mash and Peas
Twenty Twelve Image
Twenty Twelve
Siobhan Sharpe
Mood Image
Mood
Laura
Blandings Image
Blandings
Lady Daphne Littlewood
Jack and Dean of All Trades Image
Jack and Dean of All Trades
Marv (voice)
Shaun of the Dead Image
Shaun of the Dead
Yvonne
The Ranganation Image
The Ranganation
Self
Paddington 2 Image
Paddington 2
Miss Kitts
There She Goes Image
There She Goes
Emily
British Film Forever Image
British Film Forever
Narrator
Spaced Image
Spaced
Daisy Steiner
Bridget Jones's Baby Image
Bridget Jones's Baby
Magda
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Image
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Magda
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Image
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Swing Kids Image
Swing Kids
Helga
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly) Image
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
Self
Seize Them! Image
Seize Them!
Leofwine
No Image
Artsnight
Self
Burke & Hare Image
Burke & Hare
Lucky
Son of Rambow Image
Son of Rambow
Mary Proudfoot
Confetti Image
Confetti
Sam (as Jessica Stevenson)
Chalet Girl Image
Chalet Girl
Interviewer 2
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration Image
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
Self
The Baby of Mâcon Image
The Baby of Mâcon
The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)
No Image
All Star Musicals
Self - Performer
No Image
Tears Before Bedtime
Maggie
Pudsey the Dog: The Movie Image
Pudsey the Dog: The Movie
Gail
Swallows and Amazons Image
Swallows and Amazons
Mrs. Jackson
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse Image
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
Sofie Dahl
Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round Image
Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round
No Image
Six Pairs of Pants
No Image
Crown Prosecutor
Jackie South
Cider with Rosie Image
Cider with Rosie
Crabby
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! Image
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!
Angel Matthews
Magicians Image
Magicians
Linda Jones
Unnatural Acts Image
Unnatural Acts
Pure Image
Pure
Paramedic (as Jessica Stevenson)
Songbird Image
Songbird
Sara
Born Romantic Image
Born Romantic
Libby
Four Last Songs Image
Four Last Songs
Miranda
Learners Image
Learners
Beverley
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa Image
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Self
No Image
Bosom Pals
Nativity Rocks! Image
Nativity Rocks!
Angel Matthews
No Image
The Angina Monologues
Herself/Sarah
The Fight Image
The Fight
Tina Bell
Spaced: Skip to the End Image
Spaced: Skip to the End
Self
Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel Image
Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel
Herself
Winter Image
Winter
Claudia
No Image
Comic Aid
Herself - Presenter
Faintheart Image
Faintheart
Cath
No Image
The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Self
No Image
We Love Sitcom
Hollywood's Dark Secret Image
Hollywood's Dark Secret
Self
Pinochet in Suburbia Image
Pinochet in Suburbia
WPC Broughton
Joe's Crackers Image
Joe's Crackers
Cheryl
The Golden Egg Cup Image
The Golden Egg Cup
Cheryl Carroll
Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book Image
Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book
Self
Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime Image
Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime
The Good Fairy (as Jessica Stevenson)
Tomorrow La Scala! Image
Tomorrow La Scala!
Victoria (as Jessica Stevenson)
Shelter Image
Shelter
Wendie
Lizzie and Sarah Image
Lizzie and Sarah
Sarah/Ellie
No Image
Rapture
A Brush With Comedy Image
A Brush With Comedy
Self
Seagull Image
Seagull
Janet
The Lost Explorer Image
The Lost Explorer
Catching the Bus Image
Catching the Bus
Marion