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.
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In modern-day London, three men (Craig Ferguson, Jimi Mistry and David Morrissey) and three women (O...
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A feature documentary about the making of and influence of the British television series Spaced. It ...
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Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, abov...
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Bridget Jones is still dating her new love, barrister Mark Darcy, for a perfect six weeks. However, ...
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The rebirth of Amnesty International's legendary SECRET POLICEMAN'S BALL at the Royal Albert Hall on...
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A comic drama set on a Mediterranean island, where a motley collection of characters is seeking musi...
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Will is looking for an escape from his family when he encounters Lee, the school bully. Armed with a...
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Returning for his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry is stunned to find that his warnings about the retur...
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A romantic comedy set in the world of battle re-enactments, about an irresponsible guy who has to sh...
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Lizzie and Sarah are two fiftysomething suburban housewives, perpetually mistreated and ignored by u...
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Two 19th-century opportunists become serial killers so that they can maintain their profitable busin...
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While working a job at an exclusive ski resort to support her Dad, Kim learns to snowboard and is so...
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This sequel to the popular British comedy sees a new teacher (David Tennant) take over. When he ente...
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After breaking up, Bridget Jones' happily-ever-after hasn't quite gone according to plan. Fortysomet...
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Four children dream of escaping the tedium of a summer holiday with their mother. When finally given...
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Paddington, now happily settled with the Browns, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect pr...
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The staff and students at St. Bernadette's Primary School audition for a coveted place in a spectacu...
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Miranda Hart and the cast of her sitcom come together to celebrate the show's tenth anniversary with...
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Roald & Beatrix, the tail of the curious mouse, a heart-warming Christmas film inspired by the true ...
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With exclusive interviews and outtakes, this anniversary special celebrates a decade of Robert Poppe...
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Paddington travels to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired B...
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An arrogant queen becomes a fugitive in her own land after being overthrown by a charismatic revolut...
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A father and daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where...
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| # | Name | Character | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death of a Unicorn (2025) | Shaw | 6.9 | |
| 2 | Paddington in Peru (2024) | Miss Kitts | 7.3 | |
| 3 | Seize Them! (2024) | Leofwine | - | - |
| 4 | Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years and a Lovely Bit of Squirrel (2021) | Self | 8 | |
| 5 | Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration (2020) | Self | - | - |
| 6 | Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse (2020) | Sofie Dahl | 7 | |
| 7 | The Fight (2019) | Director / Writer | 8 | |
| 8 | Nativity Rocks! (2018) | Angel Matthews | - | - |
| 9 | Paddington 2 (2017) | Miss Kitts | 8 | |
| 10 | Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) | Magda | 6.7 | |
| 11 | Swallows and Amazons (2016) | Mrs. Jackson | 6.5 | |
| 12 | Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (2012) | Angel Matthews | 6 | |
| 13 | Chalet Girl (2011) | Interviewer 2 | 6 | |
| 14 | Lizzie and Sarah (2010) | Director / Writer | - | - |
| 15 | Burke & Hare (2010) | Lucky | 6.1 | |
| 16 | Faintheart (2009) | Cath | 6 | |
| 17 | Four Last Songs (2007) | Miranda | - | - |
| 18 | Learners (2007) | Director / Writer | - | - |
| 19 | Son of Rambow (2007) | Mary Proudfoot | 6.7 | |
| 20 | Magicians (2007) | Linda Jones | 7.3 | |
| 21 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) | Mafalda Hopkirk (voice) | 7.7 | |
| 22 | The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall (2006) | Self | - | - |
| 23 | Confetti (2006) | Sam (as Jessica Stevenson) | 3 | |
| 24 | Spaced: Skip to the End (2004) | Self | 4 | |
| 25 | Shaun of the Dead (2004) | Yvonne | 8 | |
| 26 | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) | Magda | 6.4 | |
| 27 | Pure (2002) | Paramedic (as Jessica Stevenson) | - | - |
| 28 | Born Romantic (2000) | Libby | - | - |
| 29 | Swing Kids (1993) | Helga | 1 |

