Maxine Peake
Born: 1974-07-14 in Westhoughton, Lancashire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English stage, radio, film and television actress, playwright, producer, director and political activist, who made her name as Twinkle in Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies. She has since played Veronica in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless, barrister Martha Costello in the BBC legal drama Silk and Grace Middleton in The Village. She is also an accomplished stage actress, having played the title role in Hamlet, and had a role in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything. In 2018 she played the lead in the film Funny Cow and had a starring role in Mike Leigh's epic Peterloo, a film very close to her heart.
Filmography
2026
- Last Seen
- Bait as Helen
- Becoming Victoria Wood as Self
2025
- I Swear as Dottie
- Words of War as Anna Politkovskaya
- Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough as Narrator
- The Occupant of the Room as The Englishwoman (voice)
- Laundreams
- Quiet on Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry? as Self
2024
- Say Nothing as Older Dolours Price
- Art Matters as Self
- Secret Life of the Safari Park as Narrator
- Woken as Helen
- The Haunted Season as The Englishwoman (voice)
2023
- Dance First as Barbara
- Choked Up as Fiona Lacey
- Tish as Tish Murtha (voice)
2022
- Anne as Anne Williams
- Wendell & Wild as Irmgard Klaxon (voice)
- Art That Made Us as Self - Actrice (Rules of the Game, Anne)
- Rules of the Game as Sam Thompson
- Something Out of Nothing
- Incompatible ... (Director)
- Inner Polar Bear as Narrator (voice)
- Lapushka! as Scoot Piccolo
- The Real Anne: Unfinished Business as Self- Presenter
2021
- Star Wars: Visions as Kalina Kalfus (voice)
- Doughnut ... (Thanks)
- Where We Used to Meet
2020
- Mandy as Susan Blower
- Alan Bennett's Talking Heads as Miss Fozzard
- It's Me as Miriam
- Surfaces as Alix
- The Great Mountain Sheep Gather as Self - Narrator
2019
- Fanny Lye Deliver'd as Fanny Lye
- Judy as Judy
- Be Still My Beating Heart
2018
- The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer as Self - Guest
- The Bisexual as Sadie
- Dinnerladies Diaries as Self
- Funny Cow as Funny Cow
- Peterloo as Nellie
- Wonders of the Moon as Narrator (voice)
- Gwen as Elen
- The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca as Self
- Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels as Friedrich Engels (voice)
2017
- Three Girls as Sara Rowbotham
- We Have Been Watching as Self
- Unseen as Emma
- The Priest
- Men Who Sleep in Cars as Sarah
- Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods as Self (archive footage)
- Cake
- Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle as Narrator
2016
- Red Top as Rebekah Brooks
- A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania
- Generation '66 as Narrator
- I Wish For You as Grown Up Mia
2015
- The Falling as Eileen Lamont
- Artsnight as Self - Presenter
- Hamlet as Hamlet
- Strange Weather as Jane
- The Shuttleworths as Helen Bach
2014
- Inside No. 9 as Nadia
- The Theory of Everything as Elaine Mason
- Run & Jump as Vanetia
- Keeping Rosy as Charlotte
2013
- The Village as Grace Middleton
- Svengali as Angie
- Keeping Up with the Joneses as Celia
- The Heart Fails Without Warning as Mother
2012
- The Hollow Crown as Doll Tearsheet
- Room at the Top as Alice Aisgill
- Private Peaceful as Hazel Peaceful
- Best Laid Plans as Isabel
2011
- Black Mirror as Bella
- Silk as Martha Costello QC
- DeafBlind as Maggie
2010
- The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister as Anne Lister
- Edge as Elly
- Imaginary Friend as Pauline
2009
- Red Riding
- Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980 as Helen Marshall
2008
- Criminal Justice as Juliet Miller
- Little Dorrit as Miss Wade
- The Devil's Whore as Elizabeth Lilburne
- Fairy Tales as Cindy Mellor
- Clubbed as Angela
- Hancock & Joan as Joan Le Mesurier
- Bike Squad as WPC Kate McFay
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- The Alan Titchmarsh Show as Self
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- I Am Bob as Marilyn Monroe Lookalike/Compere's Assistant
- Would Like To Meet as George's Mum
- Confessions of a Diary Secretary as Tracey Temple
2006
- The One Show as Self - Guest
- The Street
- See No Evil: The Moors Murders as Myra Hindley
- The Fear of Trilogy
- The Madness of the Dance
2004
- Shameless as Veronica Fisher
- Christmas Lights as Pauline
2003
- Early Doors as Janice
- Comedy Connections
2002
- Timeshift as Self - Narrator
- All or Nothing as Party girl
- Hamilton Mattress as Lulu (voice)
2001
- Messiah as DS Vickie Clarke
- Linda Green as Receptionist
2000
- Clocking Off as Marie Leach
- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings as Self
1999
- Sunburn as Sue
1998
- dinnerladies as Twinkle
- Girls' Night as Sharon
1997
- Jonathan Creek as Marion Cretiss
1996
- Hetty Wainthropp Investigates as Photocopy Assistant