Jessica Hynes
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 30, 1972 (age 54)
- Birthplace
- Lewisham, London, England, UK
Biography
Jessica Hynes (née Stevenson) 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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
INTERTIDAL
Movie · as Joanna / Catherine
Death of a Unicorn
Movie · as Shaw
Miss Austen
TV · as Mary Austen · 4 eps
Patience
TV · as DI Frankie Monroe · 8 eps
Seize Them!
Movie · as Leofwine
Paddington in Peru
Movie · as Miss Kitts
The Franchise
TV · as Steph Mundun · 8 eps
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
TV · as The Reddlehag · 1 ep
A Brush with Comedy
Movie · as Self
Rapture
Movie
The Witchfinder
TV · as Old Myers · 6 eps
Life After Life
TV · as Mrs Glover · 4 eps
Mood
TV · as Laura · 4 eps
Catching the Bus
Movie · as Marion
Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel
Movie · as Self
David Mitchell's Outsiders
TV · as Self · 6 eps
Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Dreaming Whilst Black
TV · as Drew · 4 eps
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
Movie · as Self
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
Movie · as Sofie Dahl
Hollywood's Dark Secret
Movie · as Self
The Fight
Movie · as Tina Bell
Seagull
Movie · as Janet
The Ranganation
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Years and Years
TV · as Edith Lyons · 6 eps
Songbird
Movie · as Sara
Nativity Rocks!
Movie · as Angel Matthews
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
There She Goes
TV · as Emily · 10 eps
Hang Ups
TV · as Katherine Pitt · 2 eps
Shelter
Movie · as Wendie
Paddington 2
Movie · as Miss Kitts
All Star Musicals
TV · as Self - Performer · 1 ep
Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book
Movie · as Self
Swallows and Amazons
Movie · as Mrs. Jackson
Bridget Jones's Baby
Movie · as Magda
We Love Sitcom
Movie
Jack and Dean of All Trades
TV · as Marv (voice) · 12 eps
Hooten & The Lady
TV · as Ella Bond · 8 eps
Insert Name Here
TV · as Self - Panelist · 1 ep
Celebrity Advice Bureau
TV · as Self · 3 eps
Cider with Rosie
Movie · as Crabby
Winter
Movie · as Claudia
Artsnight
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Travel Man: 48 Hours in...
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Pudsey the Dog: The Movie
Movie · as Gail
W1A
TV · as Siobhan Sharpe · 14 eps
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
TV · as Self · 3 eps
Duck Quacks Don't Echo
TV · 1 ep
Inside No. 9
TV · as Helen · 1 ep
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Up the Women
TV · as Margaret · 9 eps
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
TV · as Self · 3 eps
Blandings
TV · as Lady Daphne Littlewood · 1 ep
The Last Leg
TV · as Self · 4 eps
Crackanory
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!
Movie · as Angel Matthews
One Night
TV · as Carol · 4 eps
Gadget Man
TV · 1 ep
Dara O Briain's Science Club
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Chalet Girl
Movie · as Interviewer 2
Twenty Twelve
TV · as Siobhan Sharpe · 13 eps
World's Most Dangerous Roads
TV · 1 ep
Burke & Hare
Movie · as Lucky
The Lost Explorer
Movie
Lizzie and Sarah
Movie · as Sarah/Ellie
The Angina Monologues
Movie · as Self/Sarah
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
Movie · as Cheryl
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Movie · as Self
Justin Lee Collins: Good Times
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Little Crackers
TV · as Dawn · 1 ep
Faintheart
Movie · as Cath
The Golden Egg Cup
Movie · as Cheryl Carroll
The Mighty Boosh: A Journey Through Time and Space
Movie · as Self
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Movie · as Mafalda Hopkirk (voice)
Magicians
Movie · as Linda Jones
Son of Rambow
Movie · as Mary Proudfoot
Learners
Movie · as Beverley
Four Last Songs
Movie · as Miranda
British Film Forever
TV · as Narrator · 7 eps
Would I Lie to You?
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Graham Norton Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Skins
TV · as Crystal · 1 ep
Confetti
Movie · as Sam (as Jessica Stevenson)
Pinochet in Suburbia
Movie · as WPC Broughton
The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Movie · as Self
Comic Aid
Movie · as Self - Presenter
Doctor Who Confidential
TV · 2 eps
8 Out of 10 Cats
TV · as Self · 1 ep
According to Bex
TV · 8 eps
Doctor Who
TV · as Joan Redfern · 2 eps
The F Word
TV · 1 ep
Shaun of the Dead
Movie · as Yvonne
Spaced: Skip to the End
Movie · as Self
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Movie · as Magda
Bosom Pals
TV · 2 eps
QI
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Celebrity Mastermind
TV · 1 ep
Tomorrow La Scala!
Movie · as Victoria (as Jessica Stevenson)
Pure
Movie · as Paramedic (as Jessica Stevenson)
Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime
Movie · as The Good Fairy (as Jessica Stevenson)
Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy
TV · as Self (as Jessica Stevenson) · 3 eps
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Bob & Rose
TV · as Holly Vance · 6 eps
Born Romantic
Movie · as Libby
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
TV · 2 eps
Black Books
TV · as Eva · 1 ep
Spaced
TV · as Daisy Steiner · 14 eps
People Like Us
TV · as Sarah · 1 ep
Unnatural Acts
TV · 6 eps
The Royle Family
TV · as Cheryl Carroll · 10 eps
Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round
TV · 1 ep
Midsomer Murders
TV · as Judith Lessiter · 1 ep
Asylum
TV · as Martha · 6 eps
Mash and Peas
TV · 9 eps
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Staying Alive
TV · as Alice Timpson · 12 eps
Six Pairs of Pants
TV · 3 eps
Tears Before Bedtime
TV · as Maggie · 4 eps
Crown Prosecutor
TV · as Jackie South · 10 eps
Room 101
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Baby of Mâcon
Movie · as The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)
Swing Kids
Movie · as Helga
The House of Eliott
TV · as Charlotte Parker · 1 ep