Lisa Palfrey
Palfrey in 1987
Born (1967-02-09) 9 February 1967 (age 56)
Wales, United Kingdom
OccupationActress
Years active1987–present
Children1

Lisa Palfrey (born 9 February 1967) is a Welsh actress. She is known for playing the roles of Gwenny in House of America (1997), Mrs Nice in Guest House Paradiso (1999), Maureen in Pride (2014), Mrs Dai Bread 1 in Under Milk Wood (2015), Cynthia in the Netflix original television series Sex Education and Eleanor James in the Sky One original television series COBRA.

Early life

Palfrey was born in Wales on 9 February 1967, her mother is Eiry Palfrey, an actress and author. She attended Ysgol Garth Olwg, a Welsh language secondary school near Pontyclun.[1]

Career

Palfrey started acting at the age of 20 when she played the role of 15-year-old girl, Jane Sanderson, in the BBC One television series The District Nurse. Her first major role was in the film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain.[2] She has gone on to star in the cult film House of America,[3] and appeared as Melanie Collier in the medical drama television series Casualty as well as Inspector Tracey McAndrew in the third series of the police procedural television series Line of Duty. She played the role of Rhiannedd Frost in the Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm.[4]

Palfrey has performed in a number of plays, including the original production of David Eldridge's Festen,[5] The Iceman Cometh,[6] Under The Blue Sky,[7] and Tom Wells's The Kitchen Sink.

In 2019, Palfrey played the role of Cynthia in the Netflix original series Sex Education.

In 2020, Palfrey played the role of government minister Eleanor James in the Sky One original television drama series COBRA, written by Ben Richards and starring Robert Carlyle as British Prime Minister Robert Sutherland. She played the part of Pam Green in the BBC Drama Chloe in 2022. In 2023 she filmed the BBC television feature Men Up, about the first clinical trials for the drug Viagra that took place in Swansea in 1994.[8]

Personal life

Palfrey has a daughter, Lowri Palfrey, who is also an actress.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1995 The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain Blod Jones
1997 House of America Gwenny
The Deadness of Dad Mam Short film
1999 Guest House Paradiso Mrs Nice
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem Michelle Short film
2000 Maybe Baby Jan
2003 Y Mabinogi Arianrhod Voice role
2008 Poncho Mamgu Nel Documentary
2011 360 Psychologist
2014 Pride Maureen
2015 Under Milk Wood Mrs Dai Bread 1
Visiting Mr Keats Professor Bell Short film
2018 National Theatre Live: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Mama
2019 Make Up Shirley
2021 The Feast Mair Bowen
2022 Prey for the Devil Sister Euphemia

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 The District Nurse Jane Sanderson Episode: "A Flick of the Coin"
1993 Thicker Than Water Young Mother TV film
1996 Lord of Misrule Amy Clarke TV film
1997 Soldier Soldier Pte Diane Saltmarsh Episode: "Fit to Explode"
The Investigator Sgt Kathy Bartlett TV film
1999 Split Second Christine Montgomery TV film
2001 Mind Games DC Rebecca Longton TV film
The Bench Jules Bowen Episodes: S01 E01, S01 E03
2002 Outside the Rules Lola Davies TV series
Green-Eyed Monster DC Karen Carter TV film
Casualty Melanie Collier 8 episodes
2003 High Hopes Dominique Episode: "Pretty Woman"
2004 The Bill Fee Paterson Episode: "187: Shaken"
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Lizzie Shakespeare Episode: "If Wishes Were Horses"
2006–2007 Pobol y Cwm Rhiannedd Frost Welsh TV series
2010 Pen Talar Doctor Episode: "Part 8"
2013 Family Tree Luba Chadwick Recurring role, 4 episodes
2015 The Bastard Executioner Nia's mother Episode: "Effigy/Ddelw"
2016 Line of Duty Inspector Tracey McAndrew 3 episodes
Aberfan: The Green Hollow Edna TV movie, documentary
Hinterland Sioned Jones Episode: "Aftermath"
2019–2020 Sex Education Cynthia Main role
2019 Wild Bill Audrey Merrick Episode: "Bad Blood in the Soil"
2020 COBRA Eleanor James Main role
2021 Intergalactic Zeeda Episode: S01 E02, S01 E02
2023 Men Up Teresa Rigby Television film

Video game

References

  1. ^ "Blink - Gofidio nad oes llwyfan i addasiad Cymraeg" (in Welsh). BBC. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  2. ^ Ferguson, John (4 August 1995). "The Englishman Who Went up a Hill, but Came down a Mountain (1995)". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Rare bit of Welsh drama". The Herald. 14 August 1997. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Comedian Tudor Owen is getting serious". The Daily Post. 14 November 2009. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
  5. ^ http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8821074767902/Asher,+Lee+Miller+%26+Hardy+Celebrate+Almeida+Festen.html[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Wolf, Matt (16 April 1998). "The Iceman Cometh". Variety. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  7. ^ Eldridge, David; Williams, Roy; Stephens, Simon; Bartlett, Mike; Prebble, Lucy (2 July 2010). The Methuen Drama Book of Royal Court Plays 2000-2010: Under the Blue Sky; Fallout; Motortown; My Child; Enron. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781408123935. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  8. ^ Ritman, Alex (1 March 2023). "Viagra Trial Drama 'Men Up' Coming to BBC From Russell T. Davies, 'Industry' Writer, 'It's a Sin' Producer". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 May 2023.

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