Lucy Punch

Last updated

Lucy Punch
Lucy Punch 2011 Shankbone.JPG
Punch in April 2011
Born
Lucy Alice T. Punch [1]

(1977-12-30) 30 December 1977 (age 46)
Hammersmith, London, England
Education
OccupationActress
Years active1998–present
Children1

Lucy Punch (born Lucy Alice T. Punch; 30 December 1977) [1] [2] is a British actress. She has appeared in the films Ella Enchanted (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger , Dinner for Schmucks, (both 2010) and Into the Woods (2014). She is also known for her role as Amy in Bad Teacher (2011), Amanda in the BBC series Motherland and Esmé Squalor in the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events .

Contents

Early life

Punch was born Lucy Alice T. Punch [1] on 30 December 1977 in Hammersmith, London, the daughter of Johanna and Michael Punch, who ran a market research company. [3] She was educated privately at Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith, London. [4] She performed with the National Youth Theatre from 1993 to 1997, and began a course at University College London before dropping out to become an actress. [5]

Career

Punch (left) with the cast of You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger in 2010 Bel et sombre Cannes 2010.jpg
Punch (left) with the cast of You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger in 2010

Punch made her acting debut in a 1998 episode of The New Adventures of Robin Hood . [6] Her other TV credits include the naive daughter of Alison Steadman's character in the short-lived series Let Them Eat Cake which starred French and Saunders. She starred as a football player in the children's TV show Renford Rejects , and played the role of the victim Melissa Townsend in the 19th episode of Midsomer Murders .

In 2000, Punch appeared in the film Greenfingers. She made her stage debut as Elaine in Terry Johnson's West End adaptation of The Graduate (1967). [7] She has worked at the Royal Court and Bush theatres, both in London. [8]

In 2004, Punch played the receptionist Elaine Denham in Doc Martin . She left the television show The Class after appearing in 11 of the first 12 episodes. [9]

In 2006, she won the Best Actress award at the Monaco International Film Festival for her performance in Are You Ready for Love? [10] She played the murder victim and actress Eve Draper in Edgar Wright's film Hot Fuzz (2007).

Punch starred in Woody Allen's film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010). [11] In August 2010, she appeared in BBC Two's three part police comedy-drama Vexed . In 2011, Punch appeared in Bad Teacher , portraying the sanctimonious school teacher Amy Squirrel. [12]

Punch was cast as Deena Pilgrim, the female lead in the TV pilot Powers , [13] but the role was recast.

From 2016, Punch played Amanda, leader of the "Alpha mums", in the BBC comedy series Motherland . In May 2024, it was announced that Punch will reprise her role as Amanda in the spin-off Amandaland, with Philippa Dunne and Joanna Lumley reprising their roles of Anne and Amanda's mother Felicity respectively. [14]

In 2017, Punch was cast in the role of Esmé Squalor in the second season of the Netflix comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events , [15] a role that continued through the show's third and final season.

In December 2022, Punch reprised her role of Amanda in the Motherland Christmas special. [16] [17]

Personal life

Punch dated James D’Arcy for about three years after they met during filming of Come Together in 2002. [18] She gave birth to her first child, a son, in July 2015, [19] refusing to name the father. [18]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000 Greenfingers Holly
2001It's Not Me, It's YouRose
2004 Ella Enchanted Hattie
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Lead stewardess
Being Julia Avice Crichton
2005 Festival Nicky Romanowski
2006 Are You Ready for Love? Melanie Monaco International Film Festival – Angel Award for Best Actress
StingrayLucy
2007 Hot Fuzz Eve Draper
Grindhouse Blonde in Don't trailerUncredited
St Trinian's Verity Thwaites
2009Big BreaksAlexis
(Untitled) The Clarinet
2010 Elektra Luxx Dolores
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Charmaine
Dinner for Schmucks Darla
2011 A Little Bit of Heaven Sarah Walker
Take Me Home Tonight Shelly
Bad Teacher Amy Squirrel
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy Kate
2012 The Giant Mechanical Man Pauline
The Wedding Video Saskia
Yellow Amanda
Stars in Shorts Julie
Stand Up Guys Wendy
2013 Cottage Country Masha
2014 Someone Marry Barry Melanie Miller
Into the Woods Lucinda
She's Funny That Way Prostitute
Cake Nurse Gayle
2016 The Meddler Emily
2017 The Female Brain Lexi
2018 You, Me and Him Olivia
2019 How to Build a Girl Sylvia Plath
2021 With/In: Volume 1 LucySegment: "Leap"
Silent Night Bella
2022 Book of Love Jen Spencer
Confess, Fletch Tatiana Tasserly

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998 The New Adventures of Robin Hood Queen StephanieEpisode: "Orphans"
1999 Renford Rejects Sue WhiteMain role (series 2)
Days Like These Helen Foreman3 episodes
Let Them Eat Cake Eveline4 episodes
1999–2001Big Bad WorldMelissa4 episodes
2000 Cinderella ReganTelevision film
The 10th Kingdom Sally Peep3 episodes
2001 People Like Us KateEpisode: "The Actor"
Midsomer Murders Melissa TownsendEpisode: "Tainted Fruit"
Goodbye, Mr SteadmanLinda MortimerTelevision film
2002Come TogetherAmyTelevision film
I Saw YouEstherEpisode: "Episode 1.1"
2003 Second Nature Car Rental GirlTelevision film
Dinotopia ShaynaEpisode: "Night of the Wartosa"
2004 My Family SarahEpisode: "Luck Be a Lady Tonight"
Doc Martin Elaine DenhamMain role (series 1)
2005SurvivorsJuliet SavageEpisode: "In Deep Water"
2006 Agatha Christie's Poirot Susannah HendersonEpisode: "After the Funeral"
2007 The Class Holly EllenbogenMain role
Comedy Showcase: Ladies and Gentlemen AlicePilot
The Sarah Silverman Program SallyEpisode: "Ah, Men"
The Omid Djalili Show Miss Fanny DashettEpisode 1.2
Two FamiliesIreneTelevision film
2008 Fairy Tales Fenola GayEpisode: "Cinderella"
Wainy Days AngelEpisode: "Angel"
1%CandaceTelevision film
2010 Vexed DI Kate Bishop3 episodes
2012–2013 Ben and Kate Beatrice Joan "BJ" HarrisonMain role
2013 Hello Ladies MotherEpisode: "The Wedding"
2014 Kroll Show VioletEpisode: "Cake Train"
Robot Chicken Daenerys Targaryen/Arya Stark/Janice Rand (voice)Episode: "Rebel Appliance"
2016 New Girl Genevieve2 episodes
2016–2022 Motherland Amanda20 episodes
2018–2019 A Series of Unfortunate Events Esmé SqualorMain role
2019 The Conners Kyle's momEpisode: "Preemies, Weed and Infidelity"
2020 What We Do in the Shadows LilithEpisode: "Witches"
2021 The Prince Kate Middleton (voice)Main role
Gossip Girl Saskia BatesEpisode: "Once Upon a Time in the Upper West"
2021–2022 Bloods JoMain role
2022 Avenue 5 Dawn Djopi2 Episodes
TBAAmandalandAmandaUpcoming series [20]

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000 The Graduate ElaineGielgud Theatre
2001Boy Gets GirlHarrietRoyal Court Theatre [21]
2002A Carpet, A Pony and A MonkeyKateBush Theatre [22]
2014 Great Britain Paige Britain Theatre Royal Haymarket [23]

Awards

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References

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  2. "Lucy Punch, celebrity". TV Guide . Retrieved 27 August 2016.
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  4. White, Adam (29 April 2022). "Lucy Punch: 'I moved to the States because I kept getting cast as posh idiots'". independent.co.uk. The Independent . Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  5. Smiley, Tavis (16 June 2011). "Actress Lucy Punch". PBS. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  6. "Lucy Punch". Hollywood . Retrieved 27 August 2016.
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  8. Clapp, Susannah (11 November 2001). "Eric and Ernie for ever". The Observer. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
    - Koenig, Rhoda (27 May 2002). "A Carpet, a Pony and a Monkey, Bush Theatre, London". The Independent. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  9. Adalian, Joseph (11 January 2007). "'Class' to air on Net first". Variety. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  10. 1 2 "ANGEL FILM AWARDS". Monaco International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  11. Jay A. Fernandez (29 May 2009). "Woody Allen welcomes Brit Lucy Punch". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  12. "Lucy Punch cast in Bad Teacher". Reuters. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  13. "'Powers' TV Series Casts Deena Pilgrim" Archived 24 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine , 21 June 2011, MTV
  14. "BBC Comedy Motherland spin-off Amandaland announced for BBC One and iPlayer". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  15. Petski, Denise (9 June 2017). "'Series of Unfortunate Events': Nathan Fillion, Tony Hale, Sara Rue, Lucy Punch & Roger Bart Join Season 2 Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  16. Seale, Jack (23 December 2022). "Motherland Christmas special review – you'll laugh, gasp in shock ... then punch the air". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  17. Sigee, Rachael (23 December 2022). "Motherland, BBC One, review: As chaotic and emotional as a family Christmas". iNews. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  18. 1 2 Fear, Helen (16 March 2022). "Lucy Punch: From Motherland's Amanda to Bloods' Jo". entertainmentdailyuk.com. Digitalbox Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  19. "Lucy Punch on How She Named Her Baby Boy". TeamCoco. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  20. "BBC Comedy Motherland spin-off Amandaland announced for BBC One and iPlayer". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  21. Boy Gets Girl review by Timothy Ramsden, 24 November Archived 10 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine , at reviewsgate.com
  22. A Carpet, A Pony and A Monkey, "Lucy Punch in a bravura performance of comic verve" by Amanda Hodges at londontheatre.co.uk
  23. "Lucy Punch stars in West End Great Britain". Whats on Stage. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.