Jessica Hynes
Jessica Hynes
Biography
Jessica Hynes (née Stevenson) (born 30 October 1972) is a British actress, director and writer. Best known as a comedy actress, she has played Cheryl in The Royle Family (1998–2010), Siobhan Sharpe in Twenty Twelve (2011–2012) and W1A (2014–2017) and Emily Yates in There She Goes (2018–2023). She was also one of the stars, creators and writers of Spaced (1999–2001). She has also had starring roles in television film Tomorrow La Scala! and BBC dramas Years and Years (2019) and Miss Austen (2025). In film, Hynes has appeared in the Bridget Jones (2004–2016), Nativity (2012–2018) and Paddington (2017–2024) film series. Hynes has been nominated for two International Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, five BAFTAs (winning two), three Royal Television Society Awards (winning two) and three British Comedy Awards (winning two). Hynes was born in Lewisham, London, and grew up in Brighton, where she attended St Luke's Infant and Junior Schools and Dorothy Stringer High School. After her parents split up, she was raised by her mother. She moved back to London as a young adult. Her maternal grandmother came from the village of Llanelian, north Wales, where her uncle also ran a farm. Her mother is a fluent Welsh speaker who later moved back to north Wales. In 2023, Hynes took part in the S4C series Iaith ar Daith where she began to learn the Welsh language; she cited being able to speak Welsh to her mother as a reason why she wanted to take part in the programme. Early in her career, Hynes teamed up with future Spaced co-star Katy Carmichael in a comedy double-act called the Liz Hurleys, appeared in two productions at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, and acted for television shows including Staying Alive, Six Pairs of Pants, (Un)natural Acts, and Asylum (on which the Spaced team of Hynes, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright first assembled). From 1998 to 2000, she played the supporting role of Cheryl in the hit sitcom The Royle Family; she reprised the role for special episodes in 2006, 2009 and 2010. In 1999, she co-wrote and starred in Spaced, for which she won two comedy awards and was nominated for an International Emmy and a Bafta for writing and creating the show alongside Simon Pegg. In 2017 , she directed her first feature film, The Fight, produced by Jamie Adams and Unstoppable media. In 2018, she played the role of a mother in the BBC Four programme There She Goes. She stars alongside David Tennant, raising a daughter with a severe learning disability. It is based on the real life of writer Shaun Pye and his wife Sarah Crawford whose daughter was born with a chromosomal disorder. She won a Bafta for her role in the series and was nominated for an International Emmy for her role in '414' the special made in 2023. In 2019, she starred in the BBC and HBO production Years and Years for which she won a Royal Television Society award.
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
125
Gender
Female
Birthday
1972-10-30 (52 years old)
Place of Birth
Lewisham, London, England, UK
Acting

2025

Death of a Unicorn as Shaw

2025

Miss Austen as Mary Austen

2024

The Franchise as Steph Mundun

2024

Paddington in Peru as Miss Kitts

2024

Seize Them! as Leofwine

2023

A Brush With Comedy as Self

2023

Rapture as Not available

2022

The Witchfinder as Old Myers

2022

Life After Life as Mrs Glover

2022

Mood as Laura

2021

Catching the Bus as Marion

2019

Years and Years as Edith Lyons

2019

The Ranganation as Self

2019

The Fight as Tina Bell

2019

Seagull as Janet

2018

Hang Ups as Katherine Pitt

2018

There She Goes as Emily

2018

Songbird as Sara

2018

Nativity Rocks! as Angel Matthews

2017

Paddington 2 as Miss Kitts

2017

All Star Musicals as Self - Performer

2017

Shelter as Wendie

2016

Hooten & The Lady as Ella Bond

2016

Jack and Dean of All Trades as Marv (voice)

2016

Insert Name Here as Self - Panelist

2016

Bridget Jones's Baby as Magda

2016

Swallows and Amazons as Mrs. Jackson

2016

We Love Sitcom as Not available

2015

Travel Man: 48 Hours in... as Self - Guest

2015

Artsnight as Self

2015

Cider with Rosie as Crabby

2015

Winter as Claudia

2014

Inside No. 9 as Helen

2014

Duck Quacks Don't Echo as Not available

2014

W1A as Siobhan Sharpe

2013

The Last Leg as Self

2013

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown as Not available

2013

Up the Women as Margaret

2013

Blandings as Lady Daphne Littlewood

2012

Gadget Man as Not available

2012

One Night as Carol

2012

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! as Angel Matthews

2011

World's Most Dangerous Roads as Not available

2011

Twenty Twelve as Siobhan Sharpe

2011

Chalet Girl as Interviewer 2

2010

Burke & Hare as Lucky

2010

The Angina Monologues as Herself/Sarah

2010

Joe's Crackers as Cheryl

2010

Lizzie and Sarah as Sarah/Ellie

2010

The Lost Explorer as Not available

2009

Faintheart as Cath

2009

The Golden Egg Cup as Cheryl Carroll

2007

Skins as Crystal

2007

Would I Lie to You? as Self

2007

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as Mafalda Hopkirk (voice)

2007

British Film Forever as Narrator

2007

Son of Rambow as Mary Proudfoot

2007

Magicians as Linda Jones

2007

Four Last Songs as Miranda

2007

Learners as Beverley

2006

Confetti as Sam (as Jessica Stevenson)

2006

Pinochet in Suburbia as WPC Broughton

2005

Doctor Who as Joan Redfern

2005

8 Out of 10 Cats as Self

2005

Doctor Who Confidential as Not available

2005

According to Bex as Not available

2005

Comic Aid as Herself - Presenter

2004

Shaun of the Dead as Yvonne

2004

Bosom Pals as Not available

2003

QI as Self

2002

Pure as Paramedic (as Jessica Stevenson)

2002

Tomorrow La Scala! as Victoria (as Jessica Stevenson)

2002

Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime as The Good Fairy (as Jessica Stevenson)

2001

Bob & Rose as Holly Vance

2000

Black Books as Eva

2000

Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) as Not available

2000

Born Romantic as Libby

1999

People Like Us as Sarah

1999

Spaced as Daisy Steiner

1998

The Royle Family as Cheryl Carroll

1998

Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round as Not available

1998

Unnatural Acts as Not available

1997

Midsomer Murders as Judith Lessiter

1996

Asylum as Martha

1996

Mash and Peas as Not available

1995

Tears Before Bedtime as Maggie

1995

Six Pairs of Pants as Not available

1995

Crown Prosecutor as Jackie South

1994

Room 101 as Self

1993

Swing Kids as Helga

1993

The Baby of Mâcon as The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)

1991

The House of Eliott as Charlotte Parker
Crew

2019

The Fight Director

2019

The Fight Writer

2013

Up the Women Writer

2013

Up the Women Creator

2010

Lizzie and Sarah Writer

2008

Phoo Action Writer

2007

Learners Writer

1999

Spaced Writer

1999

Spaced Creator

1996

Asylum Writer

1995

Six Pairs of Pants Writer

1995

Six Pairs of Pants Additional Writing