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Tessa Peake-Jones (born 9 May 1957) is an English actress who has appeared in The Danedyke Mystery (1979), Pride and Prejudice (1980), When We Are Married (1987), Up the Garden Path (1990–1993), So Haunt Me (1992–1994), The Demon Headmaster (1996–1998), The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (1997), Summer in the Suburbs (2000), Poppy Shakespeare (2008), Doctors (2009–2011) and Unforgotten (2015).
Tessa Peake-Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 May 1957 Hammersmith, London, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Television | Only Fools and Horses (1988–2003), The Animals of Farthing Wood (1993-1995), Grantchester (2014-2023). |
| Partner | Douglas Hodge (1984–2013)[1] |
| Children | 2 |
Peake-Jones may be best known for her role as Raquel in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, between 1988 and 2003, Tawny Owl in the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood and as Mrs. Chapman in Grantchester (2014–2024).
Peake-Jones was born on 9 May 1957[2] in London, to her mother Mary.[3] She was raised in Hammersmith[4] and educated at Kenmore Park Junior School, Harrow and Downer Grammar School[2] (now known as Canons High School), leaving in 1973,[2] before training at the Central School of Speech and Drama.[5]
Peake-Jones is best known for playing Raquel Turner, the longtime partner of main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter (played by David Jason) in the television comedy Only Fools and Horses from 1988 to 1993, 1996 and 2001–2003.[5] She voiced Tawny Owl in the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood.
She had a costarring role in the 1999 television series Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Her other television appearances include Bergerac, The Demon Headmaster,[5] Midsomer Murders, Casualty,[5] Holby City, The Bill,[5] Up the Garden Path and So Haunt Me.[5]
Peake-Jones appeared in the BBC adaptation of Iris Murdoch's The Bell (1982). She also played the role of the bookish sister Mary Bennet in the BBC serial adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (1980).[5] In March 2008, she appeared as a member of staff in the Channel 4 psychiatric hospital drama Poppy Shakespeare.[5]
In both 2009 and 2011, Peake-Jones played Sue Bond in the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors.[5] In 2013, she appeared in the Doctor Who Christmas episode "The Time of the Doctor" playing a character called Marta. Since 2014, Peake-Jones has appeared in Grantchester as Sylvia Maguire, the vicar's religious and cantankerous housekeeper.[5]
In 2019, Peake-Jones appeared on the ITV show All Star Musicals, singing "Mamma Mia" from the musical Mamma Mia!.[6]
Peake-Jones' former partner is actor Douglas Hodge,[1] from whom she separated in February 2013 after 29 years together.[1] They have two children, Charlie and Molly-Rose.[4]
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Fallen Hero | Sonia Jackson | Episode: "1.4" |
| 1979 | Telford's Change | Elizabeth Cowley | TV series |
| 1979 | The Danedyke Mystery | Angela Horton | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1980 | Pride and Prejudice | Mary Bennet | TV miniseries |
| 1981, 1988–1996, 2001–2003 | Only Fools and Horses | Raquel Turner | Extra: series 1, episode 1 main cast 1988 onwards |
| 1982 | The Bell | Dora Greenfield | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1983 | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | Julia | TV film |
| 1983 | Bergerac | Reporter | TV series, Episode: “Come Out Fighting” |
| 1984 | Cockles | Annette Smith | Episode: "Flotsam and Jetsam" |
| 1984 | Strangers and Brothers | Irene Eliot | Episodes: "1.8", "1.9" |
| 1985 | Charters & Caldicott | Jenny | TV miniseries |
| 1986 | The Oldest Goose in the Business | Lorna | TV film |
| 1987 | Tickets for the Titanic | Penelope | Episode: "Keeping Score" |
| 1987 | Screen Two | Anita | Episode: "Quartermaine's Terms" |
| 1987 | When We Are Married | Nancy Holmes | TV film |
| 1987 | Theatre Night | Geraldine Barclay | Episode: "What the Butler Saw" |
| 1988 | Rockliffe | Mrs. Cunningham | Episode: "Lie of the Land" |
| 1988 | The Bill | S.O.C.O Sue | Episode: “Digging up the Past”, “A Fair Appraisal” |
| 1989 | Hard Cases | Mary Milverton | Episodes: "2.1", "2.4" |
| 1989 | Anything More Would Be Greedy | Jonquil Vickery | TV miniseries |
| 1990, 1995, 2010 | Casualty | Esther Macauley, Jenny Hodges, Tina Flannery | Episodes: "Big Boys Don't Cry", "Trials & Tribulations", "A Better Past" |
| 1990–1993 | Up the Garden Path | Maria Shadwell | Main role |
| 1992–1994 | So Haunt Me | Sally Rokeby | Main role |
| 1993–1995 | The Animals of Farthing Wood | Tawny Owl | Voice role |
| 1996–1998 | The Demon Headmaster | Mrs. Hunter | Regular role |
| 1997 | The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling | Bridget Allworthy | TV miniseries |
| 1998, 2016 | Midsomer Murders | Sarah Lawton, Mary Appleton | Episodes: "Faithful unto Death", "Breaking the Chain" |
| 1999 | Births, Marriages and Deaths | Molly | TV series |
| 2000 | Summer in the Suburbs | Sandra Lyle | TV film |
| 2000 | Fish | Catherine Manby | Episode: "Another Shade of White" |
| 2001 | The Bill | Sharon Munson | Episode: "Happy and Glorious" |
| 2001 | Waking the Dead | Fiona Maitland | Episodes: "Every Breath You Take: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2001 | The Lost World | Hilda Summerlee | TV film |
| 2001 | Holby City | Maggie Latham | Episodes: "Runaway", "Winner Takes All" |
| 2005 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Emma Collins | Episodes: "Dust Thou Art: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2008 | Poppy Shakespeare | Rhona | TV film |
| 2008 | Heartbeat | Jocelyn Middleton | Episode: "Hey Hey LBJ" |
| 2009 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Val Bland | Episode: "The Clocks" |
| 2009–2011 | Doctors | Sue Bond | Recurring role |
| 2010 | The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister | Mrs. Rawson | TV film |
| 2011 | Marchlands | Evelyn Bowen | TV miniseries |
| 2012, 2016 | Holby City | Imelda Cousins | Recurring role (series 15), guest (series 19), 9 episodes |
| 2013 | Legacy | Joyce Thoroughgood | TV film |
| 2013 | Doctor Who | Marta | Episode: "The Time of the Doctor" |
| 2014–present | Grantchester | Mrs. Maguire | Main role |
| 2015 | Unforgotten | Sheila | Episodes: "1.1", "1.2", "1.4", "1.5" |
| 2019 | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators | Cynthia Sly | Episode: "No More Cakes and Ale" |
| 2025 | The Feud | Barbara | Filming [7] |
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