Person

Ashley Jensen

Acting 57 August 11, 1969

Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK

Ashley Jensen (born August 11, 1969) is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her roles as Maggie Jacobs in Extras (2005–2007, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award),…

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Ashley Jensen (born August 11, 1969) is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her roles as Maggie Jacobs in Extras (2005–2007, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award), Christina McKinney in Ugly Betty (2006–2010), Agatha Raisin in Agatha Raisin (2014–present), and DI Ruth Calder in Shetland (2023–present). Jensen trained in Drama at Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University. Her first significant television role was as Clare Donnelly, daughter of Glasgow criminal Jo-Jo Donnelly (played by Billy Connolly) in the 1993 BBC drama Down Among the Big Boys. In 1994, she played eccentric secretary Rosie McConnichy in the final series of BBC comedy May to December, as a replacement for the character of secretary Hilary (Rebecca Lacey), and Heather in Roughnecks, a BBC television series about workers on a North Sea oil platform. Jensen had a small role in a Dangerfield episode "Contact" as the mother of a young girl with meningitis. She then appeared as Fiona Morris in EastEnders. She also appeared in the 2003 BBC drama Two Thousand Acres of Sky. Jensen co-starred alongside Ricky Gervais in the BBC Two/HBO television programme Extras as the socially inept Maggie Jacobs. For her work on the first series, she received best television comedy actress and newcomer awards at the 2005 British Comedy Awards. In 2006, Jensen received two British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA nomination for her role in Extras. Her role in the 2007 Christmas Special earned her an Emmy Award nomination. In January 2006 she starred in the short-lived drama series Eleventh Hour on ITV. Later that year she played Steve Coogan's agent in A Cock and Bull Story. In 2007, she provided the narration for the film Taking Liberties. In 2014, she played the eponymous lead character in the television film adaptation of the M. C. Beaton novel Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death for Sky1. She also starred in the eight-part series that first aired on Sky1 on 7 June 2016. In 2017, she starred in a six-part TV series for BBC TV, Love, Lies & Records, depicting the gritty life and entwined storylines working in Leeds Registry Office. In March 2019, Jensen reunited with Gervais in the Netflix black comedy series After Life, a role she continued for all three series. In April 2019 she played Debbie Dorell in the second series of BBC TV drama Trust Me. When an injured soldier discovers patients in his hospital ward dying, he attempts to investigate the suspicious deaths. Also in 2019, she played the voice of Jacqueline in Lady and the Tramp.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

2026
The Repair Shop: Beyond The Barn
TV show Narrator
2025
Man vs Baby
TV show Janet
2025
City Lights: Pure Dead Brilliant
Movie Self - Narrator
2024
Rikki
Movie Narrator
2022
Mayflies
TV show Anna
2022
Christmas on Mistletoe Farm
Movie Ms Fletcher
2022
Dog Squad
TV show Meagaidh (voice)
2021
Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye
Movie Agatha Raisin
2021
Inside the Balmoral: Scotland's Finest Hotel
TV show Self - Narrator
2019
Lady and the Tramp
Movie Jock (voice)
2019
After Life
TV show Emma
2019
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Movie Phlegma (voice)
2018
Aliens Love Underpants and...Panta Claus
Movie
2018
Summer Camp Island
TV show Miss Mary (voice)
2018
Sherlock Gnomes
Movie Nanette (voice)
2017
Love, Lies & Records
TV show Kate Dickenson

More credits

2017
DuckTales
TV show Downy McDuck / Agnes McDuck / Danny McDuck (voice)
2017
Trust Me
TV show Debbie Dorrell
2016
The Secret Life of Kittens
TV show Narrator
2016
Agatha Raisin
TV show Agatha Raisin
2016
Facelifts and Fillers
Movie Narrator
2015
The Lobster
Movie Biscuit Woman
2015
The Legend of Barney Thomson
Movie Detective Inspector June Robertson
2015
Insane Fight Club II - This Time It’s Personal
Movie Narration
2015
Catastrophe
TV show Fran
2014
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death
Movie Agatha Raisin
2014
Small Time
Movie Gail
2013
The Escape Artist
TV show Kate Burton
2013
Love and Marriage
TV show Sarah Paradise
2013
All Stars
Movie Gina
2013
Shetland
TV show DI Ruth Calder
2012
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
Movie The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (voice)
2011
Arthur Christmas
Movie Bryony (voice)
2011
Hysteria
Movie Fanny
2011
Gnomeo & Juliet
Movie Nanette (voice)
2011
The Reckoning
TV show Sally Wilson
2010
Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention
TV show Self - Narrator
2010
How to Train Your Dragon
Movie Phlegma the Fierce (Voice)
2009
Nativity!
Movie Jennifer Lore
2009
Accidentally on Purpose
TV show Olivia