Katherine Parkinson
| Katherine Parkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Laura Katherine Parkinson 9 March 1978 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England [1] |
| Alma mater | St Hilda's College, University of Oxford |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2005–present |
Laura Katherine Parkinson (born 9 March 1978 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire) is an English actress and comedienne, who is known for playing the part of Jen Barber in the Channel 4 comedy series The IT Crowd for which she received a BAFTA TV Award nomination in 2011. Parkinson was also a main cast member of the UK series Doc Martin, playing his receptionist, Pauline, from series 2-4. She is also starring in the 'Malteaster advert' 2013.
Parkinson has also contributed sketches for Katy Brand, her friend since studying at Oxford.
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Career [edit]
Katherine Parkinson studied at Tiffin Girls' School[2] in Kingston upon Thames, London and then read Classics at St Hilda's College, Oxford[3] before moving to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she met Chris O'Dowd, fellow The IT Crowd lead, for the first time.[4]
During her studies she left the course to star in the play The Age of Consent. Her subsequent career has seen her star alongside British actors such as Martin Clunes in Doc Martin and Julie Walters. In 2007, she appeared in a new translation of Chekhov's The Seagull at the Royal Court Theatre in London, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Mackenzie Crook.
In 2008 Katherine played Danika Meanwhile in the Doctor Who audio "The Death Collectors" alongside Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor.
On New Year's Day 2009, she appeared in a feature-length episode of Jonathan Creek, called "The Grinning Man", which was broadcast in the UK. In 2009, for the third series of The IT Crowd, Parkinson became one of the highest paid actresses on Channel 4. She also contributed sketch characters to Katy Brand's ITV2 show, having been friends with Brand since Oxford.[5] At the end of 2009 she appeared in the acclaimed Cock at the Royal Court Theatre.
She has appeared several times on BBC Radio 4, including on Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking, Mouth Trap,[6] again with Brand, and in The Odd Half Hour.[7] She also starred in a television advertisement for Maltesers alongside fellow actress and comedian Amanda Abbington, and provided her voice for a Herbal Essences shampoo advertising campaign in 2010.
Parkinson is one of the main cast in BBC Four's three-part comedy series The Great Outdoors, which first aired on 28 July 2010.[8] In 2010–2011 she appeared in Season's Greetings at the Royal National Theatre and in 2011 as Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal (directed by Deborah Warner) at the Barbican Centre.
Having played the doctor's receptionist, and later phlebotomist, in Series 2-4 of Doc Martin opposite Martin Clunes, while in Series 5 her character was replaced by a new receptionist.
Parkinson starred in The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, a four-part BBC comedy series which premiered on BBC Two on 19 December 2011.
Parkinson next appeared in series 2 episode 3 of Sherlock, "The Reichenbach Fall", as journalist Kitty Riley in January 2012.
Personal life [edit]
Her mother taught English at James Allen's Girls' School[citation needed] until retiring to Cornwall in 2009.
Parkinson is married to comedian Harry Peacock, and gave birth to a daughter in 2012.[9]
Filmography [edit]
Film [edit]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Hard to Swallow | Katie |
| 2007 | Christmas at the Riviera | Vanessa |
| 2008 | Easy Virtue | Marion Whittaker |
| 2008 | How to Lose Friends & Alienate People | PR woman |
| 2009 | The Boat That Rocked | Felicity |
| 2009 | St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold | Physics teacher |
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Ahead of the Class | Vicky Foley | |
| 2005 | Casualty | Helen Gibbons | Series 19, Episode 41: "The Long Goodbye" |
| 2005 | Extras | Woman in queue | Series 1, Episode 2: "Ross Kemp and Vinnie Jones" |
| 2005–2009 | Doc Martin | Pauline Lamb | Series 2–4 |
| 2006–2010 | The IT Crowd | Jen Barber | British Comedy Award for Best Television Comedy Actress[10] Nominated – BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance[11] |
| 2007 | Fear, Stress & Anger | Gemma | |
| 2007–2009 | Katy Brand's Big Ass Show | Various characters | Series 1–3 |
| 2009 | Jonathan Creek | Nicola | Episode: "The Grinning Man" |
| 2009 | The Old Guys | Amber | |
| 2010 | The Great Outdoors | Sophie | |
| 2010 | Whites | Caroline[12] | |
| 2011 | Psychoville | Fiona | Series 2, Episode 5 |
| 2011 | Comedy Showcase: Coma Girl | Pip | Series 3, Episode 2 |
| 2011 | The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff | Conceptiva | |
| 2012 | Sherlock | Kitty Riley[13] | Series 2, Episode 3: "The Reichenbach Fall" |
| 2013 | Love Matters | Jo Pepper | Series 1, Episode 2: Officially Special |
Radio [edit]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011-2012 | Don't Start | Kim |
| 2012 | Diary of a Nobody | Carrie Pooter |
| 2012 | Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully | Katrina |
References [edit]
- ^ "Fully indexed birth records: 1837-2006". findmypast.co.uk.
- ^ Bruce Dessau (2007-12-28). "Big in 2008: Comedy". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ St Hilda's College - Annual Report 2008-9
- ^ Dowling, Tim (2007-09-13). "In with the IT crowd". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ Harries, Rhiannon (2009-12-20). "How We Met: Katherine Parkinson & Katy Brand". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ "Mouth trap". BBC Radio 4. 2008-05-20.
- ^ "The Odd Half Hour". BBC Radio 4.
- ^ "The Great Outdoors". BBC Four.
- ^ Belotti, Alex (2013-03-14). "Hollywood’s lure doesn’t work on laughter-loving Katherine Parkinson". Hampstead and Highgate Express.
- ^ "The Winners - 2009". British Comedy Awards. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ "Female Performance in a Comedy Programme 2010". British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
- ^ "Whites". BBC Two.
- ^ "Sherlock". BBC One.
External links [edit]
- Katherine Parkinson at the Internet Movie Database
- Dan Collacott & Imran Mirza (2010-08-22). "Interview with comedy siren Katherine Parkinson". liberationfrequency.co.uk.
- "Agency profile: Katherine Parkinson". curtisbrown.co.uk.
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