Caroline Quentin
Caroline Quentin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Caroline Jones 11 July 1960 Reigate, Surrey, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, comedienne |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) | Paul Merton (m. 1990–1998; divorced) Sam Farmer (m. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
Caroline Quentin (born Caroline Jones; 11 July 1960[1]) is an English actress. Quentin became known for her television appearances: portraying Dorothy in Men Behaving Badly (1992–1998), Maddie Magellan in Jonathan Creek (1997–2000), and DCI Janine Lewis in Blue Murder (2003–2009).
Early life
Quentin was born in Reigate, Surrey,[2] to Kathleen and Fred Jones, a Royal Air Force pilot.[3] She has three older sisters.[3] She was educated at the independent Arts Educational School, in Tring, Hertfordshire,[4] and appeared locally in the Pendley Open Air Shakespeare Festival.[citation needed]
Career
Quentin received an Ian Charleson Award commendation for her Masha in The Seagull at the Oxford Theatre Company in 1991.[5] Her early stage work had also included appearing in the chorus of the original English production of the musical Les Misérables in 1985.
In July 1996, Quentin released a single, a cover of the Exciters' hit "Tell Him", with her Men Behaving Badly co-star Leslie Ash under the name of "Quentin and Ash". The single reached number 25 in the UK Singles Chart and spent 3 weeks in that listing.[6] From 1997 until 2000 Quentin starred alongside Alan Davies in Jonathan Creek playing investigative journalist Maddie Magellan, who uses Jonathan's mind to solve murder mysteries.
Quentin appeared in the 2001 telefilm Hot Money, which was based on the true story of the theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds from the Bank of England. In 1998 she starred in the first sitcom that was specifically built around her: Kiss Me Kate. At the British Comedy Awards in 2004, Quentin won the "Best Comedy Actress" award for her performance in Von Trapped; that year she started the major role of Maggie Mee in the popular drama Life Begins, which returned for a third series in 2006.
ITV has produced five series of the police drama Blue Murder, in which Quentin plays against type in the main role DCI Janine Lewis. The pilot aired in the UK on 18 May 2003.[7][8]
Quentin has appeared in Whose Line Is It Anyway?; in a pre-Men Behaving Badly role as a traffic warden in the Mr. Bean episode The Trouble with Mr. Bean in 1991; Room 101; Have I Got News for You; and the 2009–10 BBC comedy series Life of Riley, a sitcom about a dysfunctional blended family; and in the BBC Radio 4 improvisational comedy series The Masterson Inheritance and the popular BBC Radio 2 sitcom On the Blog.
On 11 January 2009, Quentin stated on the show Something for the Weekend that she would return to Jonathan Creek in the future if the offer came.
She appeared as Heather Babcock in an episode of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, in 2010. Also in 2010 she started appearing in Marks and Spencer's revamped food range advertisements.[9]
In March 2011, a documentary entitled Caroline Quentin: A Passage Through India aired on ITV in the UK. The documentary followed Quentin as she traveled from the North of India to the South.[10]
Quentin presents Restoration Home on BBC Two. The programme looks into the history and families of the UK's derelict mansion houses which are being restored by their private owners.[11][12]
In 2012 Quentin began working on another documentary series, Cornwall with Caroline Quentin, which shows her travelling across Cornwall. She returned to present a second series of the show in 2013.
In 2013, she hosted another documentary series, Caroline Quentin’s National Parks for one series.[13]
In 2013, Quentin starred in the Comedy Central series Big Bad World where she played the role of Jan, the mother of the main character Ben (Blake Harrison).
In 2015, she played the role of Angela Sim in an episode of Doc Martin. She played the role of Mrs Bumble in Dickensian (2015–2016).
Personal life
Quentin was married to comic Paul Merton from 1990 until their 1998 divorce.[14] She met Sam Farmer in 1999 on the set of Jonathan Creek, where he was a runner.[15] They have two children, Emily (born 1999) and William (born 2003).[16] In 2006, she married Farmer in Tiverton, Devon. They lived in Morebath Manor near the village of Morebath, Devon, close to Tiverton,[15] briefly before moving to a smaller farm nearby.
Quentin suffers from coeliac disease and is the current patron of Coeliac UK.[17][18]
Works
Film and television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Squad | Vicky Banks | Episode: 'Recruits' |
| 1983 | Party Party | Shirley | |
| 1983 | Video Stars | Fritzie Lang | Television film |
| 1984 | Dream Stuffing | Brenda | 3 episodes |
| 1984 | Play for Today | Receptionist | Episode: 'The Groundling and the Kite' |
| 1987 | Up Line | Patti Technology | Television film |
| 1987 | Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire | ||
| 1988 | This is David Lander | Tricia Worthington | Episode: 'Not a Pretty Site' |
| 1989 | Shadow of the Noose | Mary Bennett | Television mini-series episode: 'Beside the Seaside' |
| 1989 | Casualty | Jane Locke | Episode: 'Banking for Beginners' |
| 1990 | Hale and Pace | Series 3, episode 1 | |
| 1990 | Harry Enfield's Television Programme | Various characters | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Josie | Series 1, episode 3 | |
| 1991 | The Bill | Ruth Otley | Episode: 'Breakout' (series 7 finale) |
| 1991–1993 | Paul Merton: The Series | Dr. Gillespie/Frank's Wife | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | Mr. Bean | Traffic Warden | Episode: 'The Trouble with Mr. Bean' |
| 1992 | Don't Tell Father | Kate Bancroft | 6 episodes |
| 1992–1998 | Men Behaving Badly | Dorothy | 42 episodes — British Comedy Award for Top TV Comedy Actress — Nominated: British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress |
| 1993 | All or Nothing at All | Rebecca | Television mini-series episode 3 |
| 1994 | An Evening with Gary Lineker | Monica Despacos | Television film |
| 1994 | Entertainment Cops | Miss Pennyfarthing | Television film |
| 1995 | Jeremy Hardy Gives Good Sex | Short film | |
| 1996 | Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... | Caroline | Episode: 'The Missing Page' |
| 1996 | ITV Chart Show | Interviewee | 1 episode |
| 1997–2000 | Jonathan Creek | Maddy Magellan | 18 episodes |
| 1998–2001 | Kiss Me Kate | Kate Salinger | 22 episodes — Nominated: National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performer (1998) |
| 1999 | Hooves of Fire | Vixen | Voice, Television short |
| 1999 | The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything | Marcia Bournemouth | Television film |
| 2001 | The Innocent | Beth Pastorov | Television film |
| 2001 | Goodbye Mr. Steadman | Gina Ravelli | Television film |
| 2001 | Hot Money | Bridget Watmore | Television film |
| 2002 | Blood Strangers | Lin Beresford | Television film |
| 2002–2003 | Living Famously | Narrator | 9 episodes; voice |
| 2003–2009 | Blue Murder | DCI Janine Lewis | 19 episodes — Nominated: National Television Award for Most Popular Actress (2005) |
| 2004 | Von Trapped | Maria Moogan | Television film — British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress |
| 2004–2006 | Life Begins | Maggie Mee | Leading role — British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress (2004) — Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (2005) — Nominated: National Television Award for Most Popular Actress (2004, 2005) — Nominated: TV Quick Award for Best Actress (2005) |
| 2005 | Footprints in the Snow | Julie Hill | Television film |
| 2009–2011 | Life of Riley | Maddy Riley | Leading role; 20 episodes |
| 2010 | Agatha Christie's Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side | Heather Badcock | Television film |
| 2010 | Just William | Mrs. Bott | 2 episode |
| 2012–2013 | Cornwall with Caroline Quentin | Presenter | 2 series (18 episodes) |
| 2012 | In Love with Wilde | Duchess of Berwick | |
| 2012 | Dead Boss | Virna | Series 1, episode 5 |
| 2012 | Switch | Gloria | Series 1, Episodes 1 and 6 |
| 2013 | Dancing on the Edge | Deirdre | 5 episodes |
| 2013 | Caroline Quentin's National Parks | Presenter | 1 series |
| 2013 | Big Bad World | Jan | |
| 2015 | Doc Martin | Angela Sim | Guest role; 1 episode |
| 2015–2016 | Dickensian | Mrs Bumble | 1 series |
Awards
- 1995, Best TV Comedy Actress (Men Behaving Badly, as Dorothy)
- 2004, Top TV Comedy Actress (Von Trapped, as Maria Moogan; Life Begins, as Maggie Mee)
- 2004, Special Recognition Award
- Other
- 2012 Specsavers National Book Awards, Audiobook of the Year, winner as narrator of The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend[19]
See also
References
- ^ "Spotlight on... Caroline Quentin". Western Mail. 4 May 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
Early life: Born Caroline Jones in Reigate, Surrey, on July 11, 1960.
- ^ Griffin, Susan (25 July 2013). "At home with Restoration Woman". The Lady. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ a b Farndale, Nigel (10 February 2002). "Behaving gladly". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ Sturges, Fiona (12 March 2010). "Caroline Quentin: 'I'm canny, but not very bright'". The Independent. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ Lees, Caroline. "Classic recipes for success". Sunday Times. 9 February 1992.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 445. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Blue Murder (2003–2009)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "ITV.com". ITV.com. 4 July 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ "Marks & Spencer | Investors | Press releases | Product | Marks & Spencer Unveils New Advertising Strategy". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Caroline Quentin on India | Entertainment | Daybreak". ITV.com. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ "BBC Two – Restoration Home, Series 1". Bbc.co.uk. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors". RICS. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ Tweedie, Neil (7 May 2013). "Caroline Quentin's ramble in Britain's National Parks". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Barber, Lynn (29 October 2000). "Paul Merton interview: fears of a clown". The Observer. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ a b Sarah Vine. "Life | The Times". Women.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ Benyon, Lucy (29 November 2013). "Five things I can't live without: Caroline Quentin". Daily Express. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ "Watch our Patron Caroline Quentin on ITV's This Morning". Coeliac UK. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ "Caroline Quentin announced as Patron of Coeliac UK". Coeliac UK. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ Alison Flood (5 December 2012). "EL James comes out on top at National Book awards". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 December 2012.