Lorraine Ashbourne

Biography

Lorraine Ashbourne (born 1961 in Manchester) is an English stage, film and television actress. She attended Wilbraham High School, when living in Fallowfield. She joined Stretford Children's Theatre. She took part in the University of Manchester Stage Society and Manchester Youth Theatre. She joined the Webber Drama School on 19 April 1982. Ashbourne has appeared on British series and television films, including: Playing the Field (1998), Unforgotten (2017), Grantchester (2017), Maigret in Montmartre (2017), Midsomer Murders (2018), The Street, and Jericho.

As a stage actor, Lorraine regularly appeared at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, portraying roles such as Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer and Emilia in Othello, acting in both of these alongside her husband Andy Serkis.

In 2019, she starred as Barbara Castle in The Crown (2019), and from 2020, she starred as Mrs. Varley in Bridgerton. She played Joan Nuthall in Alma's Not Normal (2020), and was Daphne Sparrow in Sherwood (2022). She played Karen in I Hate Suzie (2024), and appeared in After the Flood (2024)

Known For

Peak Practice

Tina Greaves

New Tricks

Moira Wright

Unforgotten

DI Tessa Nixon

Midsomer Murders

Daniella Bellini

Vera

Barbara Tullman

The Bill

Silent Witness

Michelle Lafferty

Moving On

Treena

Filmography

Year	Movie	Role
2025	Animal Farm	Mrs. Jones (voice)
2024	The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim	Olwyn (voice)
2024	National Theatre Live: Till The Stars Come Down	Aunty Carol
2024	Hitpig!	Big Bertha (voice)
2023	Allelujah	Mrs Earnshaw
2022	I Used to Be Famous	Cheryl
2020	A Christmas Carol	Mrs Cratchit (voice)
2019	The Bind	Ruth
2019	Blinded by the Light	Kathy
2018	The Queen and I	Violet
2017	Breathe	First Woman
2016	Bunny and Clive	Bunny
2016	Adult Life Skills	Marion
2016	A Street Cat Named Bob	Local Housing Officer
2015	Child 44	Anna
2014	Emotional Fusebox	Marion
2013	The Selfish Giant	Mary
2010	Oranges and Sunshine	Nicky
2010	Thorne: Scaredycat	Ruth Brigstocke
2009	Victoria Wood: What Larks! Or... What I Did on My Holidays	Athlete
2009	Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas
2008	A Bunch of Amateurs	Jane Jarvis
2006	Housewife, 49	Dot
2005	King Kong	Theatre Actor
2001	The Martins	Lil
2000	A Christmas Carol	Sue Cratchett
1997	Fever Pitch	Paul's Mum
1995	Jack & Sarah	Jackie
1993	Fighting for Gemma
1989	Resurrected	Reeva
1988	Distant Voices, Still Lives	Maisie
1988	The Dressmaker	Factory Girl
	Twenty	Dianna

Year	TV Show	Role
2024	After the Flood	Molly Marshall
2022	Sherwood	Daphne Sparrow
2020	Alma's Not Normal	Joan
2020	Bridgerton	Mrs. Varley
2020	I Hate Suzie	Karen
2019	Cheat	Angela Shadley
2016	Jericho	Lace Polly
2016	The Crown	Barbara Castle
2015	The Interceptor	Valerie
2015	London Spy	Mrs Turner
2015	London Spy	Mrs. Turner
2015	Unforgotten	DI Tessa Nixon
2014	Inside No. 9	Carol
2014	Happy Birthday BBC Two	Narrator
2012	Public Enemies	Marion Sharmer
2011	Vera	Barbara Tullman
2010	Little Crackers	Miss Meadowcroft
2009	Law & Order: UK
2009	Murderland	Rachel
2009	Moving On	Treena
2008	Lark Rise to Candleford
2007	True Dare Kiss	Beth Sweeney
2006	Jane Eyre	Mrs. Fairfax
2004	New Tricks	Moira Wright
2000	Clocking Off
1998	Playing the Field	Geraldine Powell
1998	City Central
1997	Midsomer Murders	Daniella Bellini
1996	Silent Witness	Michelle Lafferty
1995	Chiller	Susan Taylor
1994	Pie in the Sky	Maeve Cormack
1993	Peak Practice	Tina Greaves
1993	Mr. Wroe's Virgins	Anne
1991	Rich Tea And Sympathy
1987	Rafferty's Rules	Woman No. 1
1986	Casualty	Sandy
1984	The Bill
	Riot Women	Jess