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
- Becoming Victoria Wood as Self
2025
- I Swear as Dottie
- Words of War as Anna Politkovskaya
- Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough as Narrator
- Quiet on Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry? as Self
- The Occupant of the Room as The Englishwoman (voice)
2024
- Say Nothing as Older Dolours Price
- Woken as Helen
- The Haunted Season as The Englishwoman (voice)
- Art Matters as Self
- Secret Life of the Safari Park as Narrator
2023
- Dance First as Barbara
- Tish as Tish Murtha (voice)
- Choked Up as Fiona Lacey
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
- The Real Anne: Unfinished Business as Self- Presenter
- Lapushka! as Scoot Piccolo
- Incompatible ... (Director)
- Inner Polar Bear as Narrator (voice)
- 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
- 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
- Peterloo as Nellie
- Dinnerladies Diaries as Self
- Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels as Friedrich Engels (voice)
- Gwen as Elen
- Funny Cow as Funny Cow
- Wonders of the Moon as Narrator (voice)
- The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca as Self
2017
- Three Girls as Sara Rowbotham
- We Have Been Watching as Self
- Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods as Self (archive footage)
- The Priest
- Unseen as Emma
- Cake
- Men Who Sleep in Cars as Sarah
- Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle as Narrator
2016
- A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania
- Red Top as Rebekah Brooks
- 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
- The Heart Fails Without Warning as Mother
- Keeping Up with the Joneses as Celia
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
- Fairy Tales as Cindy Mellor
- 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 Fear of Trilogy
- See No Evil: The Moors Murders as Myra Hindley
- 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