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Maxine Peake

Acting Born Jul 14, 1974 Westhoughton, Lancashire, England, UK 24 credits

Biography

Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English stage, radio, film and television actress, playwright, producer, director and political activist, who made her name as Twinkle in Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies. She has since played Veronica in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless, barrister Martha Costello in the BBC legal drama Silk and Grace Middleton in The Village. She is also an accomplished stage actress, having played the title role in Hamlet, and had a role in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything. In 2018 she played the lead in the film Funny Cow and had a starring role in Mike Leigh's epic Peterloo, a film very close to her heart.

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Known for

The Graham Norton Show

as Self

Black Mirror

as Bella
Film

Starship Troopers: Invasion

as Kalina Kalfus (voice)

Silk

as Martha Costello QC

Inside No. 9

as Nadia
Film

I Swear

as Dottie

The Hollow Crown

as Doll Tearsheet
Film

The Theory of Everything

as Elaine Mason

Full filmography

  • The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
  • Black Mirror (2011) as Bella
  • Star Wars: Visions (2021) as Kalina Kalfus (voice)
  • The One Show (2006) as Self - Guest
  • Silk (2011) as Martha Costello QC
  • Shameless (2004) as Veronica Fisher
  • Inside No. 9 (2014) as Nadia
  • I Swear (2025) as Dottie
  • The Alan Titchmarsh Show (2007) as Self
  • Jonathan Creek (1997) as Marion Cretiss
  • The Hollow Crown (2012) as Doll Tearsheet
  • Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996) as Photocopy Assistant
  • Bait (2026) as Helen
  • The Theory of Everything (2014) as Elaine Mason
  • Say Nothing (2024) as Older Dolours Price
  • The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (2018) as Self - Guest
  • ChuckleVision (1987)
  • Timeshift (2002) as Self - Narrator
  • The Street (2006)
  • Little Dorrit (2008) as Miss Wade
  • The Village (2013) as Grace Middleton
  • Clocking Off (2000) as Marie Leach
  • Criminal Justice (2008) as Juliet Miller
  • Mandy (2020) as Susan Blower