Sophie is a multiple-award winning TV, film and theatre actress, known for starring in a number of well-loved TV shows, major feature films and hit theatre productions. She has been nominated for an incredible 6 Olivier Awards, winning the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ‘Into The Woods’.
She had a major role in the Oscar and BAFTA winning film ‘Gosford Park’, playing the maid, Dorothy. The ensemble cast, which also included Stephen Fry, Maggie Smith, Charles Dance and Richard E. Grant, won a Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild Award. Other major film credits include ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Emma’, ‘Persuasion’, ‘Eat Pray Love’ and 'Dancing at Lughnasa', which co-starred Meryl Streep and Kathy Burke. In 2010 she played Ministry of Magic employee, Mafalda Hopkirk, in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One’.
Her most recent highlights include playing Mrs Dunn, the widowed mother of the main protagonists, in Julian Fellowes's period drama series 'Belgravia: The Next Chapter' and Valerie in sci-fi comedy film 'Time Travel is Dangerous', starring alongside Stephen Fry and due out in 2025. She is also known for playing Sheila in the BAFTA winning ‘Detectorists’, which returned in 2022 for a Christmas special and in 2023 she was seen playing a mysterious fertility expert in the Apple TV+ dystopian drama series 'Silo'. She also played Maggie's mum Liz in the 2022 BBC One adaptation of Dolly Alderton’s fictional memoir ‘Everything I Know About Love’ and in 2021 she played Frieda in the Sky Original fantasy drama ‘After Ever After’, opposite Sheridan Smith and David Walliams.
Prior to that she appeared as Lily’s mum in Series 3 of Netflix’s BAFTA winning comedy ‘Sex Education’ and also starred as part of an all star cast in Gold’s comedy drama ‘Sandylands’. She also played Maggie in Series 1 of Channel 4’s RTS winning comedy series ‘Feel Good’, alongside Mae Martin, Charlotte Ritchie and Lisa Kudrow.
Her impressive list of TV roles are too numerous to list but additional highlights include Sky One’s comedy series ‘Bounty Hunters’, Sky’s TV adaptation of David Walliams’s childrens’ book ‘Ratburger’, ‘Coronation Street’ (2018, ITV) and ITV’s Wild West drama ‘Jericho’. She also played Phil's fiance Stella Crawford in EastEnders, gaining a number of nominations at the British Soap Awards including 'Best Villain'.
Her theatre credits are extensive, with her most recent Olivier Award nomination coming in 2020 for her role in ‘Present Laughter’ at the Old Vic, with the role also winning her a WhatsOnStage Best Supporting Actress Award. Her other Olivier Award nominations were for ‘Wildest Dreams’ (1994), ‘Company’ (1996), ‘Clybourne Park’ (2011) and ‘Guys and Dolls’ (2016). In 2024 she starred as Hattie in 'The Ballad of Hattie and James' at London's Kiln Theatre.
Other career highlights include winning Celebrity Masterchef in 2014 and subsequently publishing her cookbook ‘My Family Kitchen’. She has also written two children's books 'Zoo Boy' and 'Zoo Boy and the Jewel Thieves', published by Faber and Faber.
Sophie has a Neutral accent and she switches easily into RP or London. She has strong Scottish heritage and used the accent in Present Laughter at The Old Vic. Her Northern accents are excellent, developed through a number of acting roles, and her Irish she used in the film Dancing at Lughnasa and the forthcoming 'Sisters' for RTE. She is extremley versatile in character work.
Age Range
Styles
Comedy, Warm, Recognisable, Characterful, Distinctive, Wise, Natural Reads, Animated Characters, Audiobook Experience, Delicate, Home Studio
Singing Ability
Credits
The Ballad of Hattie and James (Theatre, 2024) – 'Hattie', Kiln Theatre
Belgravia: The Next Chapter (TV, 2024) – 'Mrs Dunn', MGM+
Silo (TV, 2023) – 'Fertility expert', Apple TV+
Detectorists (TV, 2014-2017 & 2022) – 'Sheila Seymour', BBC
Everything I Know About Love (TV, 2022) – 'Liz', BBC One
The Creeping (Film, 2022) – 'Karen Marrow'
Sex Education (TV, 2021) – 'Lily's mum', Netflix, Series 3
Hansel & Gretel: After Ever After (Film, 2021) – 'Frieda', Sky Original
Sandylands (TV, 2020-2021) – 'Jeannie Swallows', Gold
Feel Good (TV, 2020-2021) – 'Maggie', Channel 4
Present Laughter (The Old Vic, 2019) (Theatre, 2019) – 'Monica Read', The Old Vic
Ghosts (TV, 2019) – 'Bunny Beg-Chetwynde', Series 1, BBC One
Tales From the Lodge (Film, 2019) – 'Emma'
The Importance of Being Earnest (Vaudeville Theatre 2018) (Theatre, 2018) – 'Lady Bracknell', Vaudeville Theatre
Coronation Street (TV, 2018) – 'Rosemary Piper', ITV
Bounty Hunters (TV, 2017) – 'Fiona Walker', Sky One
Jericho (TV, 2016) – 'Lizzie Capstick', ITV
Guys and Dolls (Savoy Theatre & Tour, 2016) (Theatre, 2016) – 'Miss Adelaide', Savoy Theatre
That Day We Sang (Film, 2014) – 'Dorothy, BBC Two
Death in Paradise (TV, 2014) – 'Angela Birkett', BBC One
Lightfields (TV, 2013) – 'Lorna Felwood', ITV
Love Life (TV, 2012) – 'Penny', ITV
Clybourne Park (Royal Court Theatre and Wyndhams Theatre, 2010-2011) (Theatre, 2010-2011) – 'Bev/Kathy', Royal Court Theatre/Wyndham's Theatre
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (Film, 2010) – 'Mafalda Hopkirk', Warner Bros
Eat Pray Love (Film, 2010) – 'Corella', Colombia Pictures
EastEnders (TV, 2006-2007) – 'Stella Crawford', BBC One
Gosford Park (Film, 2001) – 'Dorothy', EFD
Into the Woods (Donmar Warehouse 1998) (Theatre, 1998-1999) – 'The Baker's Wife', Donmar Warehouse
Emma (Film, 1996) (Film, 1996) – 'Miss Bates', Miramax/Buena Vista
Company (Donmar Warehouse & Albery Theatre, 1995-1996) (Theatre, 1995-1996) – 'Amy', Donmar Warehouse/Albery Theatre
Four Weddings and A Funeral (Film, 1994) – 'Lydia', Working Title, Polygram, Channel 4
Wildest Dreams (Pit Theatre, Barbican, 1993) (Theatre, 1993) – 'Marcie Banks', Pit Theatre, Barbican
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