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).

Tessa Peake-Jones
Born (1957-05-09) 9 May 1957 (age 66)
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1978–present
TelevisionOnly Fools and Horses (1988–2003), The Animals of Farthing Wood (1993-1995), Grantchester (2014-2023).
PartnerDouglas Hodge (1984–2013)[1]
Children2

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. Maguire in Grantchester (2014-2022).

Early life and education edit

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 edit

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 1988–1993, 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 edit

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 edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
2005 The Undertaker Widow Short
2010 1st Night Mrs. Hammond
2010 The Long Lonely Walk Nurse Short
2014 Bonobo Judith
2019 The Devil Went Down to Islington Mrs. Robertson Completed
2019 After Louise Bryony Completed

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1978 Fallen Hero Sonia Jackson Episode: "1.4"
1979 Telford's Change Elizabeth Cowley TV series
1979 The Danedyke Mystery Angela Horton TV series, 6 episodes
1980 Pride and Prejudice Mary Bennet TV 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 Greenfield TV series, 4 episodes
1983 The Two Gentlemen of Verona Julia TV film
1983 Bergerac Reporter TV series, Episode: “Come Out Fighting”
1984 Cockles Annette Smith Episode: "Flotsam and Jetsam"
1984 Strangers and Brothers Irene Eliot Episodes: "1.8", "1.9"
1985 Charters & Caldicott Jenny TV miniseries
1986 The Oldest Goose in the Business Lorna TV film
1987 Tickets for the Titanic Penelope Episode: "Keeping Score"
1987 Screen Two Anita Episode: "Quartermaine's Terms"
1987 When We Are Married Nancy Holmes TV film
1987 Theatre Night Geraldine Barclay Episode: "What the Butler Saw"
1988 Rockliffe Mrs. Cunningham Episode: "Lie of the Land"
1988 The Bill S.O.C.O Sue Episode: “Digging up the Past”, “A Fair Appraisal”
1989 Hard Cases Mary Milverton Episodes: "2.1", "2.4"
1989 Anything More Would Be Greedy Jonquil Vickery TV miniseries
1990, 1995, 2010 Casualty Esther Macauley, Jenny Hodges, Tina Flannery Episodes: "Big Boys Don't Cry", "Trials & Tribulations", "A Better Past"
1990–1993 Up the Garden Path Maria Shadwell Main role
1992–1994 So Haunt Me Sally Rokeby Main role
1993–1995 The Animals of Farthing Wood Tawny Owl Voice role
1996–1998 The Demon Headmaster Mrs. Hunter Regular role
1997 The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling Bridget Allworthy TV miniseries
1998, 2016 Midsomer Murders Sarah Lawton, Mary Appleton Episodes: "Faithful unto Death", "Breaking the Chain"
1999 Births, Marriages and Deaths Molly TV series
2000 Summer in the Suburbs Sandra Lyle TV film
2000 Fish Catherine Manby Episode: "Another Shade of White"
2001 The Bill Sharon Munson Episode: "Happy and Glorious"
2001 Waking the Dead Fiona Maitland Episodes: "Every Breath You Take: Parts 1 & 2"
2001 The Lost World Hilda Summerlee TV film
2001 Holby City Maggie Latham Episodes: "Runaway", "Winner Takes All"
2005 Dalziel and Pascoe Emma Collins Episodes: "Dust Thou Art: Parts 1 & 2"
2008 Poppy Shakespeare Rhona TV film
2008 Heartbeat Jocelyn Middleton Episode: "Hey Hey LBJ"
2009 Agatha Christie's Poirot Val Bland Episode: "The Clocks"
2009–2011 Doctors Sue Bond Recurring role
2010 The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister Mrs. Rawson TV film
2011 Marchlands Evelyn Bowen TV miniseries
2012, 2016 Holby City Imelda Cousins Recurring role (series 15), guest (series 19), 9 episodes
2013 Legacy Joyce Thoroughgood TV film
2013 Doctor Who Marta Episode: "The Time of the Doctor"
2014–present Grantchester Mrs. Maguire Main role
2015 Unforgotten Sheila Episodes: "1.1", "1.2", "1.4", "1.5"
2019 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Cynthia Sly Episode: "No More Cakes and Ale"

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Only Fools And Horses actors Tessa Peake-Jones and Douglas Hodge split". Independent.co.uk. 6 February 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Mr Whittington by Tessa Peake-Jones". tes.com. 27 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Tessa Peake-Jones". saga.co.uk. 20 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Grantchester: Tessa Peake-Jones' rise to fame, life after Only Fools and Horses". mylondon.news. 17 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "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.

External links edit