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Suzanne Packer
Welsh actress (born 1962) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Suzanne Packer (born Suzanne Jackson on 26 November 1962)[1] is a Welsh actress, known for playing the role of Tess Bateman in the BBC medical drama Casualty from September 2003 to August 2015. She later returned to the series as a guest for the 30th-anniversary episodes. Since departing from Casualty, she has appeared in various television series including Bang, In My Skin and The Pembrokeshire Murders.
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Early life
Packer is the daughter of Jamaican and Panamanian immigrant parents who moved to Abergavenny, Wales, where her mother worked as a nurse. She is the elder sister of the hurdler Colin Jackson.[2][3]
While studying at Llanedeyrn High School in Cardiff, she showed an interest in acting, playing the lead in school plays including Oklahoma and The King and I.[4] Packer attended the National Youth Theatre of Wales before earning a BA in theatre and drama at the University of Warwick. She then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[5] Prior to acting professionally, Packer worked as a drama supply teacher. After working at one particular school for three months, she was offered a permanent contract, which she declined due to wanting to pursue acting full-time.[6]
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Career
In 1991, Packer co-founded BiBi Crew, Britain's first comedy theatre troupe made up entirely of Black women.[7] After she gained an audition for the BBC drama Casualty and was cast as Tess Bateman, she began appearing onscreen from September 2003.[8] On 22 August 2015, she announced her decision to leave Casualty after playing the character of Tess for over 11 years.[9]
Packer appeared with her brother Colin on the first series of Pointless Celebrities on 6 July 2011. They were eliminated in the first round.[10] In 2018, she began portraying the role of Nurse Digby in the BBC Three series In My Skin.[11] On 4 November 2018, Packer played Eve Cicero in the Doctor Who episode, "The Tsuranga Conundrum".[12] In 2021, she starred in the ITV miniseries The Pembrokeshire Murders.[13]
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Personal life
Packer met American actor Jesse Newman while on a tour in Europe, and the pair later married, and had a son together.[14] The pair divorced.[2]
Filmography
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References
External links
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