Tessa Peake-Jones

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Tessa Peake-Jones
Born (1957-05-09) 9 May 1957 (age 67)
Hammersmith, London, England
Alma mater Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1978–present
Television Only Fools and Horses (1988–2003), The Animals of Farthing Wood (1993-1995), Grantchester (2014-2023).
Partner Douglas Hodge (1984–2013) [1]
Children2

Tessa Peake-Jones (born 9 May 1957) is an English actress who has appeared in The Danedyke Mystery (1979), Pride and Prejudice (1980), When We Are Married (1987), Up the Garden Path (1990–1993), So Haunt Me (1992–1994), The Demon Headmaster (1996–1998), The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling (1997), Summer in the Suburbs (2000), Poppy Shakespeare (2008), Doctors (2009–2011) and Unforgotten (2015).

Contents

Peake-Jones may be best known for her role as Raquel in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses , between 1988 and 2003, Tawny Owl in the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood and as Mrs. Chapman in Grantchester (2014–2024).

Early life and education

Peake-Jones was born on 9 May 1957 [2] in London, to her mother Mary. [3] She was raised in Hammersmith [4] and educated at Kenmore Park Junior School, Harrow and Downer Grammar School [2] (now known as Canons High School), leaving in 1973, [2] before training at the Central School of Speech and Drama. [5]

Career

Peake-Jones is best known for playing Raquel Turner, the longtime partner of main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter (played by David Jason) in the television comedy Only Fools and Horses from 1988 to 1993, 1996 and 2001–2003. [5] She voiced Tawny Owl in the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood .

She had a costarring role in the 1999 television series Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Her other television appearances include Bergerac , The Demon Headmaster , [5] Midsomer Murders , Casualty , [5] Holby City , The Bill , [5] Up the Garden Path and So Haunt Me . [5]

Peake-Jones appeared in the BBC adaptation of Iris Murdoch's The Bell (1982). She also played the role of the bookish sister Mary Bennet in the BBC serial adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (1980). [5] In March 2008, she appeared as a member of staff in the Channel 4 psychiatric hospital drama Poppy Shakespeare . [5]

In both 2009 and 2011, Peake-Jones played Sue Bond in the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors . [5] In 2013, she appeared in the Doctor Who Christmas episode "The Time of the Doctor" playing a character called Marta. Since 2014, Peake-Jones has appeared in Grantchester as Sylvia Maguire, the vicar's religious and cantankerous housekeeper. [5]

In 2019, Peake-Jones appeared on the ITV show All Star Musicals, singing "Mamma Mia" from the musical Mamma Mia!. [6]

Personal life

Peake-Jones' former partner is actor Douglas Hodge, [1] from whom she separated in February 2013 after 29 years together. [1] They have two children, Charlie and Molly-Rose. [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005The UndertakerWidowShort
2010 1st Night Mrs. Hammond
2010The Long Lonely WalkNurseShort
2014 Bonobo Judith
2019The Devil Went Down to IslingtonMrs. RobertsonCompleted
2019After LouiseBryonyCompleted

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978 Fallen Hero Sonia JacksonEpisode: "1.4"
1979 Telford's Change Elizabeth CowleyTV series
1979 The Danedyke Mystery Angela HortonTV series, 6 episodes
1980 Pride and Prejudice Mary BennetTV miniseries
1981, 1988–1996, 2001–2003 Only Fools and Horses Raquel Turner Extra: series 1, episode 1
main cast 1988 onwards
1982 The Bell Dora GreenfieldTV series, 4 episodes
1983 The Two Gentlemen of Verona JuliaTV film
1983BergeracReporterTV series, Episode: “Come Out Fighting”
1984 Cockles Annette SmithEpisode: "Flotsam and Jetsam"
1984 Strangers and Brothers Irene EliotEpisodes: "1.8", "1.9"
1985 Charters & Caldicott JennyTV miniseries
1986The Oldest Goose in the BusinessLornaTV film
1987 Tickets for the Titanic PenelopeEpisode: "Keeping Score"
1987 Screen Two AnitaEpisode: "Quartermaine's Terms"
1987 When We Are Married Nancy HolmesTV film
1987 Theatre Night Geraldine BarclayEpisode: "What the Butler Saw"
1988 Rockliffe Mrs. CunninghamEpisode: "Lie of the Land"
1988 The Bill S.O.C.O SueEpisode: “Digging up the Past”, “A Fair Appraisal”
1989 Hard Cases Mary MilvertonEpisodes: "2.1", "2.4"
1989 Anything More Would Be Greedy Jonquil VickeryTV miniseries
1990, 1995, 2010 Casualty Esther Macauley, Jenny Hodges, Tina FlanneryEpisodes: "Big Boys Don't Cry", "Trials & Tribulations", "A Better Past"
1990–1993 Up the Garden Path Maria ShadwellMain role
1992–1994 So Haunt Me Sally RokebyMain role
1993–1995 The Animals of Farthing Wood Tawny OwlVoice role
1996–1998 The Demon Headmaster Mrs. HunterRegular role
1997 The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling Bridget AllworthyTV miniseries
1998, 2016 Midsomer Murders Sarah Lawton, Mary AppletonEpisodes: "Faithful unto Death", "Breaking the Chain"
1999Births, Marriages and DeathsMollyTV series
2000 Summer in the Suburbs Sandra LyleTV film
2000 Fish Catherine ManbyEpisode: "Another Shade of White"
2001 The Bill Sharon MunsonEpisode: "Happy and Glorious"
2001 Waking the Dead Fiona MaitlandEpisodes: "Every Breath You Take: Parts 1 & 2"
2001 The Lost World Hilda SummerleeTV film
2001 Holby City Maggie LathamEpisodes: "Runaway", "Winner Takes All"
2005 Dalziel and Pascoe Emma CollinsEpisodes: "Dust Thou Art: Parts 1 & 2"
2008 Poppy Shakespeare RhonaTV film
2008 Heartbeat Jocelyn MiddletonEpisode: "Hey Hey LBJ"
2009 Agatha Christie's Poirot Val BlandEpisode: "The Clocks"
2009–2011 Doctors Sue BondRecurring role
2010 The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister Mrs. RawsonTV film
2011 Marchlands Evelyn BowenTV miniseries
2012, 2016 Holby City Imelda CousinsRecurring role (series 15), guest (series 19), 9 episodes
2013 Legacy Joyce ThoroughgoodTV film
2013 Doctor Who MartaEpisode: "The Time of the Doctor"
2014–present Grantchester Mrs. MaguireMain role
2015 Unforgotten SheilaEpisodes: "1.1", "1.2", "1.4", "1.5"
2019 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Cynthia SlyEpisode: "No More Cakes and Ale"
2025 The Feud BarbaraFilming [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Only Fools And Horses actors Tessa Peake-Jones and Douglas Hodge split". Independent.co.uk . 6 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mr Whittington by Tessa Peake-Jones". tes.com. 27 April 2018.
  3. "Tessa Peake-Jones". saga.co.uk. 20 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Grantchester: Tessa Peake-Jones' rise to fame, life after Only Fools and Horses". mylondon.news. 17 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Tessa Peake-Jones". independenttalent.com. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  6. Kimberley Bond (17 March 2019). "Meet the celebrities taking part in All Star Musicals 2019". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  7. Duke, Simon. "Channel 5 drama The Feud takes over Jarrow as Jill Halfpenny and Derry Girls star spotted". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 13 May 2024.