Tamsin Greig

Her father, Eric (1906–1998), worked as a colour chemist creating dyes, and her mother, Ann (1933–2001), was enthusiastic about amateur dramatics.

There was a 27-year age gap between her parents, with her father being 60 years old when Greig was born.

Her maternal grandfather was a Polish Jew.

The family moved to Kilburn when she was three.

Tamsin Margaret Mary Greig (born 12 July 1966) is a British actress.

She is known for both dramatic and comedic roles.

She played Fran Katzenjammer in the Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, Dr Caroline Todd in the Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing, Beverly Lincoln in British-American sitcom Episodes and Jackie Goodman in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner.

She went to Malorees Junior School, followed by Camden School for Girls later graduating with a first-class BA in Drama and Theatre Arts from the University of Birmingham in 1988.

Greig has had a long-running part as Debbie Aldridge in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers since 1991.

As her other work increased, her appearances in the show decreased and her character Debbie spends most of her time living in Hungary.

Her other radio work includes narrating the Radio 4 comedy Warhorses of Letters, and guest-starring in five episodes of the second series of the radio version of Absolute Power, playing Charles Prentiss's former lover Gayle Shand, who now runs a rival firm.

After graduating, she worked at the Family Planning Association and continued doing temporary work until 1996.

She also spent some time at a secretarial college.

Greig appeared in a number of supporting parts, notably as Lamia in Neverwhere (1996) and The Mother in an episode of People Like Us (2000).

Her first major role was Fran Katzenjammer in the sitcom Black Books, which ran for three series from 2000.

Fran was a friend of the main character, Bernard, and originally owned a gift shop called "Nifty Gifty" next door to his bookshop.

In 2004, she played constantly embarrassed surgical registrar Dr Caroline Todd, the lead character in the Channel 4 comedy drama series Green Wing.

Her performance won her "Best Comedy Performance" in the 2005 Royal Television Society Awards.

She also appeared as Caroline in an appearance at The Secret Policeman's Ball.

She starred in the BBC comedy drama series Love Soup (2005), as Alice Chenery, a lovelorn woman working on a department store perfume counter, in a role specifically written for her by David Renwick, whom she met in 2003 when she appeared in an episode of Jonathan Creek.

In May 2005 she also appeared as a nurse in an episode of the BBC series Doctor Who, entitled "The Long Game".

She was nominated for Best Comedy Performance for Green Wing in 2005, and for Best Female Comedy Performance for Friday Night Dinner in 2012 and Episodes in 2015.

During 2006 and early 2007, Greig played Beatrice in a much acclaimed production of Much Ado About Nothing for which she won a Laurence Olivier Award, and Constance in King John, as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Complete Works season.

She won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2007 for Much Ado About Nothing, and was nominated in 2011 and 2015 for her roles in The Little Dog Laughed and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Greig was born in Maidstone, Kent, the second of three sisters.

Other roles include Alice Chenery in BBC One's comedy-drama series Love Soup, Debbie Aldridge in BBC Radio 4's soap opera The Archers, Miss Bates in the 2009 BBC version of Jane Austen's Emma, and Beth Hardiment in the 2010 film version of Tamara Drewe.

Greig appeared in the role of Edith Frank in the BBC's January 2009 production of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Also in 2009, she appeared as Miss Bates in the BBC serial Jane Austen's Emma.

In 2010, she played Sacharissa Cripslock in the two part mini-series Terry Pratchett's Going Postal.

In 2011, she starred in the BBC/Showtime sitcom Episodes, alongside Matt LeBlanc and Green Wing co-star Stephen Mangan.

Greig and Mangan play a husband-and-wife writing duo who travel to America to work on an adaptation of their successful series.

Greig also stars in the Channel 4 sitcom, Friday Night Dinner, as Jackie Goodman, the mother of a North London Jewish family.

She played Beth in the 2012 BBC series White Heat.

She is also the lead in The Guilty in the three-part series on ITV in 2013, playing DCI Maggie Brand who investigates the death of a young child who went missing five years previously.

In 2014, she played Sally in the Inside No. 9 episode "Last Gasp".

In 2015 the fourth season of Episodes was aired, and in 2016 a seven-episode fifth season, still starring Greig alongside Stephen Mangan and Matt LeBlanc, was filmed in London.

Greig narrated the sixth series of The Secret Life of the Zoo, taking over from Olivia Colman, in 2018.

Greig has received three BAFTA nominations for her TV work.

In 2020, Greig starred as Anne Trenchard in Julian Fellowes' ITV series Belgravia.

Greig is also a stage actress.