Katherine Parkinson
Katherine Parkinson | |
---|---|
![]() Parkinson in 2016 | |
Born | Katherine Parkinson 1977 or 1978 (age 46–47)[1] |
Education | St Hilda's College, Oxford London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2001–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 2[2] |
Katherine Parkinson (born 1977 or 1978[1]) is an English actress and comedian. She appeared in Channel 4's The IT Crowd comedy series as Jen Barber, for which she received a British Comedy Best TV Actress Award in 2009 and 2014, and was nominated twice for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance, winning in 2014.[3] Parkinson studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and has appeared on stage in the plays The Seagull (2007), Cock (2009), and Home, I'm Darling (2018), for which she was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Play.
Parkinson was also a main cast member of the series Doc Martin for three series (2005–2009). She co-starred in all three series of Humans, a science-fiction drama on AMC/Channel 4, which aired from 2015 until 2018. She has also appeared in the films The Boat That Rocked (2009) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018).
Early life
[edit]Parkinson was born in Hounslow, London, to an English mother and Northern Irish father, the historian Alan Parkinson.[1] She grew up in Tolworth and Surbiton,[4] and studied at Tiffin Girls' School[5] before reading classics at St Hilda's College, Oxford.[6][7] She then studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, although she left before graduating in order to star in the play The Age of Consent, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2001.[8]
Career
[edit]From 2005 until 2009, Parkinson played Pauline Lamb, a doctor's receptionist and later phlebotomist, in series two to four of the long-running ITV comedy-drama series Doc Martin.
While working on Doc Martin, she was asked by her LAMDA friend Chris O'Dowd to audition for the comedy series The IT Crowd as the show was having trouble casting a female lead.[7] In an interview with The Independent, Parkinson said that the show's creator Graham Linehan originally wanted Jen to be "likeable" but that "I know what he wanted now – he wanted her to be the more normal person people could relate to." The IT Crowd premiered in 2006 and ran for four series, ending in 2014. While the character served as a straight man to the two main male characters, Parkinson's performance was well received by critics and audiences, with her being nominated for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2011. She went on to win the award in 2014.[3]
In 2007, she appeared in a new production of Chekhov's The Seagull at London's Royal Court Theatre, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Mackenzie Crook, for which she received positive reviews.[9]
She also contributed sketch characters to Katy Brand's ITV2 show Katy Brand's Big Ass Show (2007-2009), having been friends with Brand since their time at university.[10] At the end of 2009, she appeared in the Olivier award winning[11] play Cock at the Royal Court Theatre with Ben Whishaw and Andrew Scott.
She has performed several times on BBC Radio 4, including on Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking; Mouth Trap,[12] which she also co-wrote with Brand; and The Odd Half Hour.[13] She also featured in television advertisements for Maltesers alongside fellow actress and comedian Amanda Abbington.
Parkinson played Sophie, one of the lead roles along with Mark Heap in BBC Four's three-part comedy series The Great Outdoors (2010).[14] In 2010 and 2011, she appeared in two plays: Season's Greetings at the National Theatre; and as Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal at the Barbican Centre. That same year, she appeared in The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, which premiered on BBC Two in 2011; and in 2012 she made a guest appearance as Kitty Riley in "The Reichenbach Fall", the second series finale of the series Sherlock.
In 2012 and 2013, she played the roles of Diana in Absent Friends at the Harold Pinter Theatre, and Laura in Before the Party at the Almeida Theatre, respectively. In 2014, Parkinson appeared in "Sardines", the first episode of the anthology series Inside No. 9, alongside Ben Willbond, as well as the miniseries The Honourable Woman, which aired in the UK on BBC Two and in the USA on SundanceTV.
In 2015, she starred in the BBC One comedy series The Kennedys, written by Emma Kennedy about growing up on a Stevenage estate in the 1970s.[15] She also played one of the lead roles in all three series of the British-American science fiction series Humans, which aired on Channel 4 and AMC between 2015 and 2018.
In 2016, Parkinson performed in the stage play Dead Funny at the Vaudeville Theatre. In 2018 and 2019, she performed in Home, I'm Darling, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award,[16] as well as in Defending the Guilty, a legal sitcom which aired for one series on BBC Two and was subsequently renewed for a second,[17] before being cancelled due to coronavirus.[18]
She played Emma Jeanne Desfosses in Marjane Satrapi's film adaptation of Lauren Redniss's Radioactive in 2019, detailing the life of Marie Curie.
In 2019, Parkinson's debut work as a playwright, Sitting, had its London premiere, following a month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe.[19] The play was well reviewed, with The Guardian[20] writing "Parkinson delicately reveals connections that, by the end, give the play a wistful emotional weight." Parkinson adapted the play for BBC Four in early 2021.[21]
Parkinson appeared in series 10 of Taskmaster in 2020.[22] Parkinson won the second episode but was behind in total points for the majority of the series, and ended up in last place.[23]
In 2022, Katherine played Nell Taylor in the film The Nan Movie.
Personal life
[edit]![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2022) |
Parkinson is married to actor Harry Peacock,[24] and is the daughter-in-law of the late Trevor Peacock.[25] She has two daughters.[2]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Hard to Swallow | Katie | Short film |
2008 | Easy Virtue | Marion Whittaker | |
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People | PR Woman | ||
2009 | The Boat That Rocked | Felicity | |
St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold | Physics Teacher | ||
2010 | Cooked | Lucy (voice) | Short films |
2011 | The Bride of Vernon | Mary Mae (voice) | |
2014 | Off the Page: Britain Isn't Eating | Marion / Sarah | |
2016 | The Complete Walk: Much Ado About Nothing | Beatrice | |
2018 | The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Isola Pribby | |
2019 | Radioactive | Emma Jeanne Desfosses | |
How to Fake a War | Kate Hemmings | ||
2021 | Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break | Clemmie | |
2022 | The Nan Movie | Nell Taylor | |
2024 | That Christmas | Mrs. Forrest (voice) | Upcoming animated fantasy comedy |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Ahead of the Class | Vicky Foley | Television film |
Casualty | Helen Gibbons | Episode: "The Long Goodbye" (uncredited role) | |
Extras | Woman in Queue | Episode: "Ross Kemp & Vinnie Jones" | |
2005–2009 | Doc Martin | Pauline Lamb | Series 2-4 & Christmas special, 24 episodes |
2006 | Comedy Lab | Various roles | Episode: "Slap" |
2006–2010,
2013 |
The IT Crowd | Jen Barber | British Comedy Award for Best Television Comedy Actress[26] Nominated – BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance[27] Winner of BAFTA award Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme 2014[3] |
2007 | Fear, Stress & Anger | Gemma | 5 episodes |
Love Triangle | Patty (voice) | Television short film | |
Christmas at the Riviera | Vanessa | Television film | |
2007–2009 | Katy Brand's Big Ass Show | Various characters | 18 episodes |
2009 | Jonathan Creek | Nicola | Episode: "The Grinning Man" |
2009–2010 | The Old Guys | Amber | 8 episodes |
2010 | The Great Outdoors | Sophie | 3 episodes |
Whites | Caroline[28] | 6 episodes | |
2011 | Psychoville | Fiona | Episode: "The Hunt" |
Comedy Showcase | Pip | Episode: "Coma Girl" | |
2011–2012 | The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff | Conceptiva | 4 episodes |
2011, 2015 | Would I Lie to You? | Herself - Panellist | Series 5, Episode 3
Series 9, Episode 2 |
2012 | Sherlock | Kitty Riley[29] | Episode: "The Reichenbach Fall" |
2013 | Love Matters | Jo Pepper | Episode: "Officially Special" |
2014 | Cardinal Burns | Super Computer (voice) | Series 2, Episode 4 |
The Honourable Woman | Rachel Stein | Mini-series; 8 episodes | |
Inside No. 9 | Rebecca | Episode: "Sardines" | |
Crackanory | Herself - Storyteller | Series 2, Episode 3: "The Crisis Plan" | |
2014–2016 | In the Club | Kim Hall | 12 episodes |
2015 | Horizon | Herself - Narrator | Episode: "Which Universe Are We In?" |
The Kennedys | Brenda Kennedy | Lead role; 6 episodes | |
2015–2018 | Humans | Laura Hawkins | Lead role; 24 episodes |
2017 | Urban Myths | Ange | Episode: "Bob Dylan: Knockin' on Dave's Door" |
2018 | Hang Ups | Karen Muller | 6 episodes |
2018–2019 | Defending the Guilty | Caroline Bratt | Lead role; 7 episodes |
2020 | Unprecedented | Liz | Series 1, Episode 3 |
Taskmaster | Herself - Contestant | Series 10, 10 episodes | |
Pandemonium | Rachel Jessop | One-off BBC One comedy (pilot episode of Here We Go)[30] | |
2021 | Sitting | Mary | TV adaption of Parkinson's 2018 stage play for BBC Four[21] |
Spreadsheet | Lauren | Lead role; 8 episodes | |
Hitmen | Kat Gaitskill | 5 episodes | |
2022 | Travel Man | Herself | Travel documentary[31] |
2022–present | Here We Go | Rachel Jessop | Lead role; 13 episodes[32] |
2023 | Significant Other | Anna | 6 episodes |
2024 | Inside No. 9 | Herself | Series 9, Episode: "Plodding On" |
TBA | Rivals | Lizzie Vereker | Post-production; 8 episodes[33] |
Radio
[edit]Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2004 | A Certain Smile | Catherine |
Good Times Role | Patient | |
2008 | The Odd Half Hour | |
Mouth Trap | Writer, performer | |
2010 | Sarah Millican's Support Group | Kim |
2011 | The Lost Weekend | |
The Drover of Clissold Common | ||
The One and Only | Layla | |
Souvenirs | Samantha | |
2011–2015 | Don't Start | Kim |
2012 | Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully | Katrina |
Diary of a Nobody | Carrie Pooter | |
The Bat Man | Colette | |
The Lady from the Sea | Bolette | |
2013 | Start/Stop | Alice |
2019 | Date Night | Maddy |
Stage
[edit]Video games
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Worms Clan Wars | Ms. Tara Pinkle | Narrator |
2014 | Worms Battlegrounds |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Katherine Parkinson interview: Sherlock actress on likeability and". Independent.co.uk. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ a b Youngs, Ian (27 June 2018). "IT Crowd star Katherine Parkinson on the 'responsibility' to be a working mum". BBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ a b c "Winner Katherine Parkinson – The IT Crowd". BAFTA Television Awards. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ^ "Katherine Parkinson: interview". The Telegraph. 29 March 2013.
- ^ Bruce Dessau (28 December 2007). "Big in 2008: Comedy". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ "Katherine Parkinson – Classics, 1996". St Hilda's College University of Oxford. University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ^ a b "Katherine Parkinson Interview". Channel 4. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "Controversy of consent". 8 August 2001. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ a b Michael Billington (26 January 2007). "The Seagull, Royal Court, London". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Harries, Rhiannon (20 December 2009). "How We Met: Katherine Parkinson & Katy Brand". The Independent. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ "The Royal Court's Olivier award-winning play Cock by Mike Bartlett to open off-Broadway Spring 2012". Royal Court. 7 October 2011.
- ^ "Mouth trap". BBC Radio 4. 20 May 2008.
- ^ "The Odd Half Hour". BBC Radio 4.
- ^ "The Great Outdoors". BBC Four.
- ^ "BBC One announces the cast for brand new family comedy The Kennedys". BBC. 6 March 2015.
- ^ Haynes, Natalie (4 July 2018). "Home, I'm Darling review – cupcakes, cocktails and fetishising wifeliness". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ "BBC Two commissions Defending the Guilty for a second series". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Defending the Guilty's second series cancelled because of coronavirus - News". British Comedy Guide. 30 March 2021.
- ^ Paskett, Zoe (14 March 2019). "Katherine Parkinson's debut play Sitting will have London premiere at the Arcola Theatre". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ Fisher, Mark (8 August 2018). "Sitting review – art models reveal all in Katherine Parkinson's smart debut". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ a b Richardson, Jay (21 February 2021). "Katherine Parkinson creates BBC Four comedy drama Sitting". www.comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ Griffin, Louise (29 October 2020). "Taskmaster's Katherine Parkinson descends into madness in bizarre shoe task". Metro. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Dog Meat Trifle". Taskmaster. Season 10. 17 December 2020. Channel 4.
- ^ Belotti, Alex (14 March 2013). "Hollywood's lure doesn't work on laughter-loving Katherine Parkinson". Hampstead & Highgate Express. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Soundtrack Of My Life: Katherine Parkinson". NME. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "The Winners – 2009". British Comedy Awards. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ "Female Performance in a Comedy Programme 2010". British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
- ^ "Whites". BBC Two.
- ^ "Sherlock". BBC One.
- ^ "Pandemonium". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ "Travel Man". channel4.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Here We Go: Meet the cast of the new BBC comedy series". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ "Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Turner star in adaptation of racy Jilly Cooper novel". Independent.ie. 21 March 2023.
- ^ Gibbons, Fiachra (7 August 2001). "The Age of Consent". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Age of Consent". UK Theatre Archive. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "Frame 312 (Play) archive". UK Theatre Web. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Johann Hari (12 August 2002). "Edinburgh festival – Sex and violence". New Statesman. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "Archive for Camille at Lyric Theatre Hammersmith". UK Theatre Web. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "The Riot Act (play) archive". UK Theatre Web. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ John Highfield (1 November 2004). "The Unthinkable". The Stage. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "Archive for Cigarettes and Chocolate/Hang up at the Kings Head Theatre". UK Theatre Web. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Aleks Sierz (26 April 2004). "Flush". The Stage. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Michael Billington (20 February 2006). "Other Hands, Soho Theatre, London". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "The Lightning Play". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "Cock at the Royal Court". Royal Court. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Ian Shuttleworth (13 December 2010). "Season's Greetings, National Theatre (Lyttelton), London". Theatre and Dance. FT.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "The School for Scandal". Barbican Centre. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "66 – Sixty Six Books". Bush Theatre. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Charles Spencer (10 February 2012). "Absent Friends, Harold Pinter Theatre, Review". The Telegraph.
- ^ "Before the Party – cast". Almeida Theatre. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Dominic Cavendish (29 March 2013). "Before the Party, Almeida Theatre, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ "Home Im Darling | National Theatre". www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. 11 April 2018.
- ^ Akbar, Arifa (31 July 2019). "Uncle Vanya review – Rupert Everett is flamboyant in Hare's comic Chekhov". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Shoe Lady". Royal Court.
External links
[edit]- Katherine Parkinson at IMDb
- Dan Collacott & Imran Mirza (22 August 2010). "Interview with comedy siren Katherine Parkinson". liberationfrequency.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- "Agency profile: Katherine Parkinson". curtisbrown.co.uk.
- "Katherine Parkinson Interview". The IT Crowd. Channel 4. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- "Katherine Parkinson". United Agents. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- 21st-century English actresses
- Living people
- Actresses from London
- Alumni of St Hilda's College, Oxford
- Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
- Best Female Comedy Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners
- English film actresses
- English radio actresses
- English stage actresses
- English television actresses
- People educated at the Tiffin Girls' School
- Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow
- Peacock family
- English women comedians
- Comedians from the London Borough of Hounslow
- 1970s births
- People from Hounslow