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Maxine Peake

Maxine Peake

Acting

Born: July 14, 1974Westhoughton, Lancashire, England, UK

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.

Known For
Filmography
Becoming Victoria Wood

Becoming Victoria Wood

Self

2026
The Occupant of the Room

The Occupant of the Room

The Englishwoman (voice)

2025
Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough

Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough

Narrator

2025
I Swear

I Swear

Dottie

2025
Quiet on Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry?

Quiet on Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry?

Self

2025
Words of War

Words of War

Anna Politkovskaya

2025
Art Matters

Art Matters

Self

2024
Woken

Woken

Helen

2024
Tish

Tish

Tish Murtha (voice)

2023
Dance First

Dance First

Barbara

2023
Choked Up

Choked Up

Fiona Lacey

2023
Wendell & Wild

Wendell & Wild

Irmgard Klaxon (voice)

2022

Inner Polar Bear

Narrator (voice)

2022
Lapushka!

Lapushka!

Scoot Piccolo

2022
Something Out of Nothing

Something Out of Nothing

2022
The Real Anne: Unfinished Business

The Real Anne: Unfinished Business

Self- Presenter

2022
Where We Used to Meet

Where We Used to Meet

2021
Surfaces

Surfaces

Alix

2020
The Great Mountain Sheep Gather

The Great Mountain Sheep Gather

Self - Narrator

2020
It's Me

It's Me

Miriam

2020
Fanny Lye Deliver'd

Fanny Lye Deliver'd

Fanny Lye

2019

Be Still My Beating Heart

2019
Judy

Judy

Judy

2019
Peterloo

Peterloo

Nellie

2018
The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca

The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca

Herself

2018
Gwen

Gwen

Elen

2018
Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels

Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels

Friedrich Engels (voice)

2018
Funny Cow

Funny Cow

Funny Cow

2018
Wonders of the Moon

Wonders of the Moon

Narrator (voice)

2018
The Priest

The Priest

2017
Men Who Sleep in Cars

Men Who Sleep in Cars

Sarah

2017
Cake

Cake

2017
Unseen

Unseen

Emma

2017
Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle

Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle

Narrator

2017
Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods

Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods

Self (archive footage)

2017
Generation '66

Generation '66

Narrator

2016
A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Titania

2016
Red Top

Red Top

Rebekah Brooks

2016
I Wish For You

I Wish For You

Grown Up Mia

2016
The Falling

The Falling

Eileen Lamont

2015
Hamlet

Hamlet

Hamlet

2015
Strange Weather

Strange Weather

Jane

2015
The Shuttleworths

The Shuttleworths

Helen Bach

2015
The Theory of Everything

The Theory of Everything

Elaine Mason

2014
Keeping Rosy

Keeping Rosy

Charlotte

2014
Run & Jump

Run & Jump

Vanetia

2014
Keeping Up with the Joneses

Keeping Up with the Joneses

Celia

2013
Svengali

Svengali

Angie

2013

The Heart Fails Without Warning

Mother

2013
Private Peaceful

Private Peaceful

Hazel Peaceful

2012
Best Laid Plans

Best Laid Plans

Isabel

2012
DeafBlind

DeafBlind

Maggie

2011
Edge

Edge

Elly

2010

Imaginary Friend

Pauline

2010
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

Anne Lister

2010
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980

Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980

Helen Marshall

2009
Clubbed

Clubbed

Angela

2008
Hancock & Joan

Hancock & Joan

Joan Le Mesurier

2008
Bike Squad

Bike Squad

WPC Kate McFay

2008

Would Like To Meet

George's Mum

2007

I Am Bob

Marilyn Monroe Lookalike/Compere's Assistant

2007

Confessions of a Diary Secretary

Tracey Temple

2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas

The 50 Greatest Television Dramas

Self

2007
The Fear of Trilogy

The Fear of Trilogy

2006

The Madness of the Dance

2006
Frozen

Frozen

Ticket Attendant

2005
Faith

Faith

Linda

2005
Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights

Pauline

2004
All or Nothing

All or Nothing

Party girl

2002
Hamilton Mattress

Hamilton Mattress

Lulu (voice)

2002
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

Self

2000
Girls' Night

Girls' Night

Sharon

1998