Jessica Hynes
Biography
Jessica Hynes, also known as Jessica Stevenson, is a British actress, director, and writer. Born on October 30, 1972, in Lewisham, London, England, UK, she is known as a comedy actress and has one hundred twenty-one known acting credits. Her television roles include playing Cheryl in The Royle Family from 1998 to 2010, Siobhan Sharpe in Twenty Twelve from 2011 to 2012 and W1A from 2014 to 2017, and Emily Yates in There She Goes from 2018 to 2023. She was also one of the stars, creators, and writers of Spaced from 1999 to 2001, and starred in the television film Tomorrow La Scala! as well as the BBC dramas Years and Years in 2019 and Miss Austen in 2025. In film, Hynes has appeared in the Bridget Jones, Nativity, and Paddington film series.
Career overview
Jessica Hynes, also known as Jessica Stevenson, is a British actress, director, and writer. Born on October 30, 1972, in Lewisham, London, England, United Kingdom, she is recognized primarily as a comedy actress with numerous acting credits across television and film.
In television, Hynes has portrayed Cheryl in The Royle Family from 1998 to 2010 and Siobhan Sharpe in Twenty Twelve from 2011 to 2012, a role she reprised in W1A from 2014 to 2017. She also played Emily Yates in There She Goes from 2018 to 2023. Additionally, she was a star, creator, and writer of Spaced from 1999 to 2001. Her television work further includes starring roles in the television film Tomorrow La Scala! as well as the BBC dramas Years and Years in 2019 and Miss Austen in 2025.
Within film, Hynes has appeared in multiple entries of the Bridget Jones series spanning 2004 to 2016, the Nativity series from 2012 to 2018, and the Paddington series from 2017 to 2024. Over the course of her career, Hynes has received nominations for two International Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Laurence Olivier Award.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Jessica Hynes.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Patience (2025) as DI Frankie Monroe
- Death of a Unicorn (2025) as Shaw
- Miss Austen (2025) as Mary Austen
- The Franchise (2024) as Steph Mundun
- Paddington in Peru (2024) as Miss Kitts
- The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (2024) as The Reddlehag
- Seize Them! (2024) as Leofwine
- A Brush with Comedy (2023) as Self
- Rapture (2023)
- Mood (2022) as Laura
- The Witchfinder (2022) as Old Myers
- Life After Life (2022) as Mrs Glover
- Dreaming Whilst Black (2021) as Drew
- David Mitchell's Outsiders (2021) as Self
- Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig (2021) as Self
- Catching the Bus (2021) as Marion
- Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel (2021) as Self
- Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse (2020) as Sofie Dahl
- Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration (2020) as Self
- Years and Years (2019) as Edith Lyons
- The Ranganation (2019) as Self
- Seagull (2019) as Janet
- The Fight (2019) as Tina Bell
- The Fight (2019) Director
- The Fight (2019) Writer
- Hollywood's Dark Secret (2019) as Self
- The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (2018) as Self - Guest
- Hang Ups (2018) as Katherine Pitt
- There She Goes (2018) as Emily
- Songbird (2018) as Sara
- Nativity Rocks! (2018) as Angel Matthews
- Paddington 2 (2017) as Miss Kitts
- All Star Musicals (2017) as Self - Performer
- Shelter (2017) as Wendie
- Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) as Magda
- Hooten & The Lady (2016) as Ella Bond
- Insert Name Here (2016) as Self - Panelist
- Swallows and Amazons (2016) as Mrs. Jackson
- Celebrity Advice Bureau (2016) as Self
- Jack and Dean of All Trades (2016) as Marv (voice)
- We Love Sitcom (2016)
- Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book (2016) as Self
- Travel Man: 48 Hours in... (2015) as Self - Guest
- Artsnight (2015) as Self
- Cider with Rosie (2015) as Crabby
- Winter (2015) as Claudia
- Inside No. 9 (2014) as Helen
- Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled (2014) as Self
- Duck Quacks Don't Echo (2014)
- W1A (2014) as Siobhan Sharpe
- Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly) (2014) as Self
- Pudsey the Dog: The Movie (2014) as Gail
- The Last Leg (2013) as Self
- 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (2013) as Self
- Blandings (2013) as Lady Daphne Littlewood
- Crackanory (2013) as Self
- Up the Women (2013) as Margaret
- Up the Women (2013) Writer
- Up the Women (2013) Creator
- Gadget Man (2012)
- One Night (2012) as Carol
- Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (2012) as Angel Matthews
- Dara O Briain's Science Club (2012) as Herself
- Twenty Twelve (2011) as Siobhan Sharpe
- World's Most Dangerous Roads (2011)
- Chalet Girl (2011) as Interviewer 2
- Justin Lee Collins: Good Times (2010) as Self
- The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers (2010) as Cheryl
- Burke & Hare (2010) as Lucky
- The Angina Monologues (2010) as Herself/Sarah
- The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa (2010) as Self
- The Lost Explorer (2010)
- Lizzie and Sarah (2010) as Sarah/Ellie
- Lizzie and Sarah (2010) Writer
- Faintheart (2009) as Cath
- The Golden Egg Cup (2009) as Cheryl Carroll
- Phoo Action (2008) Writer
- The Mighty Boosh: A Journey Through Time and Space (2008) as Herself
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- Skins (2007) as Crystal
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) as Mafalda Hopkirk (voice)
- Would I Lie to You? (2007) as Self
- British Film Forever (2007) as Narrator
- Son of Rambow (2007) as Mary Proudfoot
- Magicians (2007) as Linda Jones
- Four Last Songs (2007) as Miranda
- Learners (2007) as Beverley
- Learners (2007) Writer
- Confetti (2006) as Sam (as Jessica Stevenson)
- Pinochet in Suburbia (2006) as WPC Broughton
- The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall (2006) as Self
- Doctor Who (2005) as Joan Redfern
- 8 Out of 10 Cats (2005) as Self
- Doctor Who Confidential (2005)
- According to Bex (2005)
- Comic Aid (2005) as Herself - Presenter
- Shaun of the Dead (2004) as Yvonne
- Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) as Magda
- Spaced: Skip to the End (2004) as Self
- Bosom Pals (2004)
- QI (2003) as Self
- Celebrity Mastermind (2003)
- Pure (2002) as Paramedic (as Jessica Stevenson)
- Tomorrow La Scala! (2002) as Victoria (as Jessica Stevenson)
- Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime (2002) as The Good Fairy (as Jessica Stevenson)
- Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (2001) as Self
- Bob & Rose (2001) as Holly Vance
- Black Books (2000) as Eva
- Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) (2000)
- Born Romantic (2000) as Libby
- Spaced (1999) as Daisy Steiner
- Spaced (1999) Writer
- Spaced (1999) Creator
- People Like Us (1999) as Sarah
- The Royle Family (1998) as Cheryl Carroll
- Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round (1998)
- Unnatural Acts (1998)
- Midsomer Murders (1997) as Judith Lessiter
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks (1996) as Self
- Asylum (1996) as Martha
- Asylum (1996) Writer
- Mash and Peas (1996)
- Crown Prosecutor (1995) as Jackie South
- Tears Before Bedtime (1995) as Maggie
- Six Pairs of Pants (1995)
- Six Pairs of Pants (1995) Writer
- Six Pairs of Pants (1995) Additional Writing
- Room 101 (1994) as Self
- Swing Kids (1993) as Helga
- The Baby of Mâcon (1993) as The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)
- The House of Eliott (1991) as Charlotte Parker