Acting
Jessica Hynes
Jessica Hynes (née Stevenson) 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.
Filmography
Death of a Unicorn
Film · 2025
Miss Austen
Series · 2025
Patience
Series · 2025
Seize Them!
Film · 2024
Paddington in Peru
Film · 2024
The Franchise
Series · 2024
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
Series · 2024
A Brush with Comedy
Film · 2023
Rapture
Film · 2023
The Witchfinder
Series · 2022
Life After Life
Series · 2022
Mood
Series · 2022
Catching the Bus
Film · 2021
Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel
Film · 2021
David Mitchell's Outsiders
Series · 2021
Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig
Series · 2021
Dreaming Whilst Black
Series · 2021
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration
Film · 2020
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
Film · 2020
Hollywood's Dark Secret
Film · 2019
The Fight
Film · 2019
Seagull
Film · 2019
The Ranganation
Series · 2019
Years and Years
Series · 2019
Songbird
Film · 2018
Nativity Rocks!
Film · 2018
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer
Series · 2018
There She Goes
Series · 2018
Hang Ups
Series · 2018
Shelter
Film · 2017
Paddington 2
Film · 2017
All Star Musicals
Series · 2017
Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book
Film · 2016
Swallows and Amazons
Film · 2016
Bridget Jones's Baby
Film · 2016
We Love Sitcom
Film · 2016
Jack and Dean of All Trades
Series · 2016
Hooten & The Lady
Series · 2016
Insert Name Here
Series · 2016
Celebrity Advice Bureau
Series · 2016
Cider with Rosie
Film · 2015
Winter
Film · 2015
Artsnight
Series · 2015
Travel Man: 48 Hours in...
Series · 2015
Pudsey the Dog: The Movie
Film · 2014
W1A
Series · 2014
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
Series · 2014
Duck Quacks Don't Echo
Series · 2014
Inside No. 9
Series · 2014
Monty Python's Best Bits (Mostly)
Series · 2014
Up the Women
Series · 2013
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Series · 2013
Blandings
Series · 2013
The Last Leg
Series · 2013
Crackanory
Series · 2013
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!
Film · 2012
One Night
Series · 2012
Gadget Man
Series · 2012
Dara O Briain's Science Club
Series · 2012
Chalet Girl
Film · 2011
Twenty Twelve
Series · 2011
World's Most Dangerous Roads
Series · 2011
Burke & Hare
Film · 2010
The Lost Explorer
Film · 2010
Lizzie and Sarah
Film · 2010
The Angina Monologues
Film · 2010
The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers
Film · 2010
The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
Film · 2010
Justin Lee Collins: Good Times
Series · 2010
Little Crackers
Series · 2010
Faintheart
Film · 2009
The Golden Egg Cup
Film · 2009
The Mighty Boosh: A Journey Through Time and Space
Film · 2008
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Film · 2007
Magicians
Film · 2007
Son of Rambow
Film · 2007
Learners
Film · 2007
Four Last Songs
Film · 2007
British Film Forever
Series · 2007
Would I Lie to You?
Series · 2007
The Graham Norton Show
Series · 2007
Skins
Series · 2007
Confetti
Film · 2006
Pinochet in Suburbia
Film · 2006
The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Film · 2006
Comic Aid
Film · 2005
Doctor Who Confidential
Series · 2005
8 Out of 10 Cats
Series · 2005
According to Bex
Series · 2005
Doctor Who
Series · 2005
The F Word
Series · 2005
Shaun of the Dead
Film · 2004
Spaced: Skip to the End
Film · 2004
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Film · 2004
Bosom Pals
Series · 2004
QI
Series · 2003
Celebrity Mastermind
Series · 2003
Tomorrow La Scala!
Film · 2002
Pure
Film · 2002
Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime
Film · 2002
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Series · 2001
Bob & Rose
Series · 2001
Born Romantic
Film · 2000
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)
Series · 2000
Black Books
Series · 2000
Spaced
Series · 1999
People Like Us
Series · 1999
Unnatural Acts
Series · 1998
The Royle Family
Series · 1998
Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round
Series · 1998
Midsomer Murders
Series · 1997
Asylum
Series · 1996
Mash and Peas
Series · 1996
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Series · 1996
Staying Alive
Series · 1996
Six Pairs of Pants
Series · 1995
Tears Before Bedtime
Series · 1995
Crown Prosecutor
Series · 1995
Room 101
Series · 1994
The Baby of Mâcon
Film · 1993
Swing Kids
Film · 1993
The House of Eliott
Series · 1991