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
- Bait as Helen
- Last Seen as Jenna Reid
- Becoming Victoria Wood as Self
2025
- I Swear as Dottie
- Words of War as Anna Politkovskaya
- Laundreams
- Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough as Narrator
- The Occupant of the Room as The Englishwoman (voice)
- Quiet on Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry? as Self
2024
- Say Nothing as Older Dolours Price
- Secret Life of the Safari Park as Narrator
- Woken as Helen
- The Haunted Season as The Englishwoman (voice)
- Art Matters as Self
2023
- Dance First as Barbara
- Tish as Tish Murtha (voice)
- Choked Up as Fiona Lacey
2022
- Wendell & Wild as Irmgard Klaxon (voice)
- Anne as Anne Williams
- Art That Made Us as Self - Actrice (Rules of the Game, Anne)
- Rules of the Game as Sam Thompson
- The Real Anne: Unfinished Business as Self- Presenter
- Incompatible ... (Director)
- Inner Polar Bear as Narrator (voice)
- Lapushka! as Scoot Piccolo
- Something Out of Nothing
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
- Surfaces as Alix
- It's Me as Miriam
- The Great Mountain Sheep Gather as Self - Narrator
2019
- Fanny Lye Deliver'd as Fanny Lye
- Be Still My Beating Heart
- Judy as Judy
2018
- The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer as Self - Guest
- The Bisexual as Sadie
- Dinnerladies Diaries as Self
- Peterloo as Nellie
- Funny Cow as Funny Cow
- 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
- Cake
- Unseen as Emma
- Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle as Narrator
- Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods as Self (archive footage)
- Men Who Sleep in Cars as Sarah
- The Priest
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
- Artsnight as Self - Presenter
- The Falling as Eileen Lamont
- 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
- Imaginary Friend as Pauline
- Edge as Elly
2009
- Red Riding
- Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980 as Helen Marshall
2008
- Fairy Tales as Cindy Mellor
- Little Dorrit as Miss Wade
- Criminal Justice as Juliet Miller
- The Devil's Whore as Elizabeth Lilburne
- 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
- Confessions of a Diary Secretary as Tracey Temple
- I Am Bob as Marilyn Monroe Lookalike/Compere's Assistant
- Would Like To Meet as George's Mum
2006
- The One Show as Self - Guest
- The Street
- The Madness of the Dance
- The Fear of Trilogy
- See No Evil: The Moors Murders as Myra Hindley
2004
- Shameless as Veronica Fisher
- Christmas Lights as Pauline
2003
- Comedy Connections
- Early Doors as Janice
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
- Dalziel and Pascoe as Dr Allison Laurie
- Hetty Wainthropp Investigates as Photocopy Assistant