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Suranne Jones

Acting 48 August 27, 1978

Chadderton, Greater Manchester, England, UK

Sarah Ann Akers, known professionally as Suranne Jones, is an English actress and producer. Known for her numerous collaborations with screenwriter Sally Wainwright, she rose to p…

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Sarah Ann Akers, known professionally as Suranne Jones, is an English actress and producer. Known for her numerous collaborations with screenwriter Sally Wainwright, she rose to prominence playing Karen McDonald on ITV's Coronation Street between 2000 and 2004. Upon leaving, she furthered her television career in drama series such as Vincent (2005–2006), Strictly Confidential (2006), Harley Street (2008), and Unforgiven (2009). Jones starred as Detective Rachel Bailey in the police procedural Scott & Bailey (2011–2016), and garnered further attention with headline roles in Single Father, Five Days (both 2010), A Touch of Cloth (2012–2014), and The Crimson Field (2014). For her portrayal of Gemma Foster—a GP who suffers personal betrayal—in Doctor Foster (2015–2017), Jones received several awards, including the 2016 British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. Subsequent credits include Save Me (2018), Vigil (2021–present), and Gentleman Jack (2019–2022). For the latter, on which she served as executive producer, Jones was again nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress. On stage, Jones has appeared in productions of A Few Good Men (2005), Blithe Spirit (2009), Top Girls (2011), Beautiful Thing (2013), Orlando (2014), and Frozen (2018). Jones was born Sarah Ann Jones in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, on 27 August 1978. She has an older brother named Gary. Jones was raised Catholic; her priest suggested to her father she be christened Sarah Ann(e) instead of Suranne, her great-grandmother's name, as Suranne was not "a proper name". She grew up in a house on Foxdenton Lane, surrounded by two farms and their fields and commented that one of her earliest memories is of "cows looking in the window as we ate our tea". As a child she was talkative, and later recounted that her priest would tell her, "I'm praying you can concentrate just a bit more". Jones was educated at Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton. Talking of her childhood, she commented, "I think I always wanted to be different and felt very stifled at school". She also said, "I was bullied at school and I let that get hold of me and withdrew into myself — I regret letting that happen." She became a member of the Oldham Theatre Workshop and completed a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts, which she felt "[wasn't] quite the same as drama school"

Filmography

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2025
Film Club
TV show Suz
2025
Frauds
TV show Roberta 'Bert' Mancini
2025
Hostage
TV show Abigail Dalton
2024
Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials
TV show Self - Presenter and Narrator
2024
Bluey Book Reads
TV show Reader
2023
Maryland
TV show Becca
2022
Christmas Carole
Movie Carole Mackay
2021
Vigil
TV show DCI Amy Silva
2019
Children In Need 2019: Got It Covered
Movie Self
2019
RuPaul's Drag Race UK
TV show Self - Guest Judge
2019
I Am...
TV show Victoria
2019
Gentleman Jack
TV show Anne Lister
2018
Grace and Goliath
Movie Claudia
2018
Gone
Movie Karen
2018
Save Me
TV show Claire McGory
2016
Life in the Air
TV show Self - Narrator (voice)