Ellen Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Thomas in 2016 | |
| Born | 3 February 1964 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Teachers EastEnders Mount Pleasant |
Ellen Thomas (born 3 February 1964) [1] is a Sierra Leonean-British actress, known for her roles as Liz Webbe in the Channel 4 sitcom Teachers and Claudette Hubbard in the BBC soap opera EastEnders . She is also known for her recent voice role in the Netflix animated show Arcane as Noxian warlord, Ambessa Medarda.
In Teachers , Thomas played Liz Webbe, a school secretary, and appeared in all four series, from 2001 to 2004. She was a regular cast member in BBC Radio 4's Clare in the Community and in BBC Three's Coming of Age , in which she portrayed the principal. For her role in Rev , she was nominated for "Best TV Comedy Performance" at the Black International Film Festival and Music Video & Screen Awards. [2] In 2010, she had a minor role in Come Fly with Me , as Mrs Mbutu. [3]
Thomas is known for the number of characters she has portrayed in the BBC soap opera EastEnders . She initially played Pearl Chadwick in 1990, Estella Hulton in 2002, Grace Olubunmi from 2010 to 2011, and most notably Claudette Hubbard from 2015 to 2016. [4] [5] [6] From 2018 to 2019, Thomas appeared in the medical drama by the BBC Casualty , in the recurring role of Omo Masters. [7] In 2020, she appeared in an episode of Death in Paradise . [8] In 2021 she appeared in the first season of Netflix's Arcane, [9] voicing Ambessa Medarda and reprised the role for season 2 in 2024. In 2023, she appeared in The Madame Blanc Mysteries . [10] In 2024, she appeared in two episodes of the BBC crime drama Silent Witness . [11]
On stage Thomas made her debut in July 1981, London playing Madam Irma in the ground breaking multi-racial performance of jean Genet's revolutionary The Balcony presented by Internationalist Theatre [12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Gentle Touch | Laura | Series 5, Episode 4 |
| 1981 | Sunday Night Thriller | Assistant | 1 episode |
| 1982 | O.T.T. | Herself, various | 12 episodes |
| 1983 | Don't Wait Up | Receptionist | Series 1, Episode 5 |
| 1984 | Shroud for a Nightingale | Staff Nurse | 3 episodes |
| 1987 | The Lenny Henry Show | Rose | Series 1, Episode 1–6 |
| 1988 | French and Saunders | Various characters | Christmas special |
| The Lenny Henry Show | Rose | Series 2, Episode 1–6 | |
| 1989 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Mrs. Holmes | Series 3, Episode 10 "Outpost" |
| 1990 | Hallelujah Anyhow | Unnamed Character | |
| EastEnders | Pearl Chadwick | 3 episodes | |
| 1991 | Grange Hill | Pregnancy Advisor | Series 14, Episode 14 |
| 1993 | Screenplay | Aunt Mafe | 1 episode |
| 1994–1996 | Cardiac Arrest | Sister Jackie Landers | 14 episodes |
| 1994 | The Bill | Iris Davareux | "Lesson to Be Learned" |
| Home Away from Home | Miriam | ||
| 1995 | London Bridge | Diane Symmons | Series 2, Episode 1–2 |
| 1996 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Laurette Akande | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Holding On | Florrie | Series 1 Episode 1–8 |
| Kavanagh QC | Chief Usher | Series 3, Episode 1 "Mute of Malice" | |
| 1998 | Ultraviolet | Maria | Series 1, Episode 5 "Terra Incognita" |
| 2000 | The Bill | Mrs. Okin | "White Lies" |
| In Defence | Mrs. Hope | Series 1, Episode 1 | |
| Where There's Smoke | Counsellor Edwards | ||
| Never Never | Brenda | Short drama | |
| 2001–2004 | Teachers | Liz Webb | Series 1–4 (39 episodes) |
| 2002 | Doctors | Mrs. Foster | 1 episode |
| The Bill | Aisha Danvers | ||
| Holby City | Marcia Lyme | 1 episode | |
| The Jury | Ruby Thomas | Series 1, Episode 1–4 | |
| EastEnders | Estella Hulton | 1 episode | |
| 2003 | Strange | Mrs. Andoh | Series 1, Episode 2 "Kaa-Jinn" |
| Lenny Henry in Pieces | Unnamed Character | Series 2, Episode 2 | |
| Good Food Live | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | Casualty | Stephanie Mellor | Episode: "Aftermath" |
| William and Mary | Mrs. Morris | Series 3, Episode 2 | |
| 2006 | Doctor Who | Clockwork Woman | Series 2, Episode 4 "The Girl in the Fireplace" |
| Little Miss Jocelyn | Unnamed Character | Series 1, Episode 1 and 3 | |
| Trial & Retribution | Judge Joyce Addo | "Sins Of The Father" | |
| Doctors | Marie Crossley | Series 7, Episode 140 "Ashes to Ashes" | |
| The Play's the Thing | Herself | Series 1, Episode 2 | |
| 2007 | Outnumbered | Jehovah's Witness | Series 1, Episode 4 |
| One of Us? | Mum | Short film | |
| 2008 | Coming of Age | The Principal | All episodes since series 1, episode 3 |
| New Tricks | Cora Trimble | Series 5, Episode 8 "Mad Dogs" | |
| 2009 | Off the Hook | Angela | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Doctor Who | Carmen | Easter 2009 special; "Planet of the Dead" | |
| Moses Jones | Libby Jones | Series 1, Episodes 2 and 3 | |
| 2010–2011 | EastEnders | Grace Olubunmi | Recurring role |
| 2010-2014 | Rev. | Adoha Onyeka | All episodes |
| 2011 | Come Fly with Me | Mrs. Mbutu | Episode 2 |
| EastEnders: E20 | Grace Olubunmi | ||
| 2012 | Doctors | Mrs Francelle Ndebele | "Paradise Lost" |
| Casualty | Florence Asike | 2 episodes | |
| 2015–2016 | EastEnders | Claudette Hubbard | Regular role |
| 2015 | Humans | Lindsey Kiwanuka | Episode 1–2 |
| 2015–2017 | Mount Pleasant | Nana Miller | Regular role |
| 2016 | New Blood | Joan Philips | Episode 1 |
| 2018–2019 | Casualty | Omo Masters | Recurring role |
| 2018–2019 | In the Long Run | Mama | 5 episodes (voice role), 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Midsomer Murders | Ruth Crane | 1 episode |
| The Queen and I | Philomena Troussaint | Television film | |
| 2019 | Doctors | Liz Maberry | 1 episode |
| Dark Money | Maggie Mensah | Main role | |
| 2020 | Death in Paradise | Georgine Perault | Series 9, Episode 7 |
| 2021–2024 | Arcane | Ambessa Medarda | Voice, 9 episodes |
| 2022 | A Birthday Party | Aunty Fatou | Short film |
| Say Nothing | Ms Araali Mabele | Short film | |
| Murder, They Hope | Nanny | Episode: "A Midsummer Night's Scream" | |
| A Birthday Party | Aunty Fatou | Short film | |
| 2023 | Such A Lovely Day | Claude | Short film |
| 2024 | The Madame Blanc Mysteries | Reme Benson | Episode: "Kidnap" |
| Silent Witness | Esther Daniels | 2 episodes | |
| The Cleaner | Jennifer | Episode: "The Committee" [13] | |
| TBA | Finding Forever | ||
| Sources: [14] [15] | |||
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | South West 9 | Mrs. Ashware | |
| Buried Treasure | Martha | ||
| 2002 | Jeffrey Archer: The Truth | First Judge | |
| 2006 | Basic Instinct 2 | Prosecutor | |
| Losing It | Paula | ||
| Breaking and Entering | Judge | ||
| 2008 | Clubbed | Mrs. Smith | |
| 2010 | The Future Wags of Great Britain | Auntie Deborah | |
| The Santa Trap | Tooth Fairy | ||
| 2011 | Johnny English Reborn | Colin Tucker's mother | |
| 2016 | Golden Years | Thelma | |
| 2022 | Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris | Vi Butterfield | |
| The Pay Day | Ms Boomer | ||
| Sources: [16] [17] | |||
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The British Soap Awards | Villain of the Year | Nominated | [18] |
| 2016 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Bad Girl | Longlisted | [19] |
