Claire Skinner

Claire Skinner (born 1965)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> is an English actress, known in the United Kingdom for her television career, particularly playing Sue Brockman from the BBC television series Outnumbered. She is also known for her collaboration with director Mike Leigh on two of his films, Life is Sweet (1990) and Naked (1993).

Early life

Claire Skinner was born and brought up in Hemel Hempstead, the youngest daughter of a shopkeeper and an Irish-born secretary, and was shy as a child.<ref name="independent_20090125">Template:Cite press release</ref> Her dream was to be an actress and she immersed herself in her ambition. She acted, neglecting school work at Cavendish School, and "barely scraped through [her] A-levels".<ref name="independent_20090125"/> She went on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Career

Her first role was in Hanky Park, by Walter Greenwood at the Oldham Repertory Theatre, which she describes as a "really traditional start". She is best known as Clare on the British television comedy Life Begins and as Lucinda, the sous chef in the first series of Chef! alongside Lenny Henry. From 2007 to 2016, she portrayed Sue Brockman in the sitcom Outnumbered. Skinner reprised her role in a one-off special that aired at Christmas 2024. For many years, she has preferred theatre to screen roles because she has been disappointed with her TV projects ("apart from Mike Leigh's stuff"), "not just when you see the final thing, but also because it hasn't taken off."<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Skinner has worked with directors including Mike Leigh – in Life Is Sweet, and Naked – Trevor Nunn, Tim Burton and Sam Mendes, but according to her, Alan Ayckbourn "was a great influence for me as he pushed me so hard, but every director you work with has a big influence in some way, they really push you."<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

She has made appearances in TV shows such as Lark Rise to Candleford where for two episodes she played Mrs Macey. She appeared in the 2011 Doctor Who Christmas special "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2019, she played Sheila in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, which ran in Trafalgar Studios in the West End from September to November.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

Skinner was previously married to director Charles Palmer, with whom she had two sons.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> Her marriage to Palmer ended in 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since 2017, she has been in a relationship with her Outnumbered co-star Hugh Dennis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2025, it was revealed that the couple had married in 2022.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	The Rachel Papers	Gloria
1990	Life Is Sweet	Natalie
1993	Naked	Sandra
1994	The Return of the Native	Thomasin	TV film
1995	I.D.	Marie
	Clockwork Mice	Fairy
1999	You're Dead	Jo
	The Escort	Patricia
	Sleepy Hollow	Beth Killian
2001	Bridget Jones's Diary	Magda
2003	The Booze Cruise	Leone Sewell	TV film
	Eroica	Josephine Deym	TV film
2004	Strings	Jhinna (voice)
2005	Class of '76	Dr. Kate Tremaine	TV film
2006	The Family Man	Natalie Simpson	TV film
2007	The Trial of Tony Blair	Nicky	TV film
	You Can Choose Your Friends	Jane Arden	TV film
	And When Did You Last See Your Father?	Gillian
2008	The Commander: Abduction	Fiona	TV film
2011	Eliminate: Archie Cookson	Camilla
2025	Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy	Magda

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	South of the Border	Laura	Episode: Season 1, Episode 7
1989	Inspector Morse	Girl Pupil	Episode: Ghost in the Machine
1992	Woof!	Liz	Episode: Badgers
1993	Chef!	Lucinda	Season 1 regular
1994	Screen One	Linda	Episode: Two Golden Balls
1995	Capital Lives	Alice	Episode: “In Cahoots”
	Coogan's Run	Frances	Episode: The Curator
1997	The Wingless Bird	Agnes Conway	Catherine Cookson TV mini-series
	Brass Eye	Board Member/Martha O'Dennell/Helly Melvick/Mrs. Wastrey	TV Mini-Series, 3 episodes
	A Dance to the Music of Time	Jean	TV mini-series
1997–2000	The Peter Principle	Susan Harvey	Series regular
1999	Second Sight	DI Catherine Tully	Series regular
2001	Perfect Strangers	Rebecca	TV mini-series
	Bedtime	Sarah Newcombe	Season 1 regular
	Swallow	Gail Collins	TV mini-series
2003	Trevor's World of Sport	Meryl	TV series, 7 episodes
2004	The Genius of Mozart	Nannerl Mozart	TV mini-series documentary
	Murphy's Law	Alice	Episode: “Go Ask Alice”
2004–2006	Life Begins	Clare	Series regular
2005	Agatha Christie's Miss Marple	Amy Murgatroyd	Episode: “A Murder Is Announced”
2006–2007	Rupert Bear		Voice actress
2007	Kingdom	Brenda Collins	Episode: Season 1, Episode 5
2007–2016, 2024	Outnumbered	Sue Brockman	Series regular
2008	Sense and Sensibility	Fanny Dashwood	TV mini-series, 3 episodes
	Lark Rise to Candleford	Mrs. Macey	TV series, 2 episodes
	Burn Up	Clare	TV mini-series, 2 episodes
	Agatha Christie's Poirot	Miss Rich	Episode: “Cat Among the Pigeons”
2009	Trinity	Dr. Angela Donne	TV series, 8 episodes
2010	Moving On	Mary Ann	Episode: Skies of Glass
2011	Doctor Who	Madge Arwell	Episode: "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe"
2012	Tilly and Friends	Tumpty	2 episodes
	Homefront	Claire Marshbrook	TV mini-series
2013	Playhouse Presents	Linda	Episode: Mr Understood
	The One About a Social Worker	Liz	TV mini-series
2014	Silk	Sarah Stephens	Episode: Season 3, Episode 3
2015	Critical	Lorraine Rappaport	Series regular
	Inside No. 9	Angela	Episode: Nana's Party
2015–2017	Scream Street	Sue Watson, Luella & Others	Series regular
2016	Power Monkeys	Sara	TV mini-series, 6 episodes
2017	Midsomer Murders	Kitty Oswood	Episode: “Death by Persuasion”
2018	Next of Kin	DCI Vivien Barnes	TV mini-series, 6 episodes
	Hilda		Series regular
	Vanity Fair	Mrs. Louisa Sedley	TV mini-series
2020	The Pale Horse	Yvonne Tuckerton	TV mini-series
2021	Ted Lasso	Dentist	Series 2 Episode 4
2022	Murder, They Hope	Kerry	TV Series, 3 episodes
	McDonald & Dodds	Chief Superintendent Mary Ormond	Series 3-4
2023	The Chelsea Detective	Charlotte Twist	Series 2 Episode 3
2024	Coma	Beth Henderson	TV mini-series, 4 episodes
2025	The Trial	Dione Sinclair	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Theatre

• The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge
• The Revengers' Comedies by Alan Ayckbourn, Stephen Joseph Theatre, (1989)
• Taking Steps-Revival by Alan Ayckbourn, Stephen Joseph Theatre, (1990)
• Invisible Friends by Alan Ayckbourn, Cottlesloe Theatre, National Theatre, (1991)
• Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare, Young Vic Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, (1992)
• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, (1993)
• Moonlight, by Harold Pinter, London's West End, (1993)
• Look Back in Anger, by John Osborne, Royal Exchange, Manchester, (1995)
• Charley's Aunt, by Brandon Thomas, Royal Exchange, Manchester, (1995)
• The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, Donmar Warehouse and Comedy Theatre, (1995)
• Othello by William Shakespeare, Lyttelton Theatre, Royal National Theatre, (1997)
• The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre, (2001)
• Mrs. Affleck, National Theatre, (2009)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Deathtrap by Ira Levin, Noël Coward Theatre (2010)
• Blurred Lines, National Theatre, (2014) <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• The Father by Florian Zeller, Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Tricycle Theatre (2015)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire, Hampstead Theatre (2016)
• Prism by Terry Johnson, Hampstead Theatre (2017)
• Nightfall by Barney Norris, Bridge Theatre Productions, Bridge Theatre (2018)
• A Day in The Death of Joe Egg by Peter Nichols, Trafalgar Studios (2019)

Radio

• Five Beats to the Bar by Neil d'Souza, BBC Radio 4, (2002)
• Old Harry's Game—Christmas Special by Andy Hamilton on BBC Radio 4, (2002)
• Trevor's World of Sport by Andy Hamilton on BBC Radio 4, (2005, 2006, 2007)
• Oblomov (2005)
• The Light of Knowledge by Mya Hnuang Nyo, BBC Radio 4, (2005)
• Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare, BBC Radio 4, (2005)
• Bed and Breakfast by Helen Simpson, BBC Radio 4, (2005)
• Not a Games Person, narrating Julie Myerson's play, BBC Radio 4, (2006)
• Sculptor's Daughter-Christmas, Snow, Pets and Females, and The Bays by Tove Jansson, BBC Radio 4, (2006)
• Standing Sideways, by Matt Charman, BBC Radio 4, (2006)
• Elizabeth and Her German Garden, by Elizabeth von Arnim, BBC Radio 4, (2006)
• School Runs, by Alexis Zegerman, BBC Radio 4, (2006)
• Jigsaw, by Sybille Bedford, BBC Radio 4, (2006, 2007)
• Poetry Please, reading poems by Percy Bysshe, Mary Shelley, John Donne, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin, BBC Radio 4, (2007)
• Mrs. Warren's Profession, by George Bernard Shaw, BBC Radio 3, (2007)
• Bird Song BBC Radio 3, (2008)
• Don't Turn Around (radio short) by Marian Garvey, BBC Radio 4, (2008)
• Five Easy Ways with Chilli by Scarlett Thomas, BBC Radio 4, (2008)
• Lunch: A Platonic Romantic Comedy by Marcy Kahan, BBC Radio 4, (2013, 2014, 2015)
• The Father by Florian Zeller, BBC Radio 3, (2017)

Awards

• 1992 – Won – Geneva Stars de Demain Best Actress for Life Is Sweet<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

• 1995 – Won – Critics' Circle Theatre Award Best Actress for The Glass Menagerie<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 1995 – Won – Time Out Award for Best Performance Off West End for The Glass Menagerie<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 1996 – Nominated – Laurence Olivier Award Best Supporting Performance for The Glass Menagerie<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 2009 – Nominated – BAFTA Best Comedy Performance for Outnumbered<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0804218

 | name/{{#if:{{#invoke:ustring|match|1=0804218|2=^nm}}
   | Template:Trim/
   | nm0804218/
   }}
 | {{#if: {{#property:P345}}
   | name/Template:First word/
   | find?q=%7B%7B%23if%3A+%0A++++++%7C+%7B%7B%7Bname%7D%7D%7D%0A++++++%7C+%5B%5B%3ATemplate%3APAGENAMEBASE%5D%5D%0A++++++%7D%7D&s=nm
   }}
 }}{{#if: 0804218  {{#property:P345}} | {{#switch: 
 | award | awards = awards Awards for | biography | bio = bio Biography for
 }}}} {{#if: 
 | {{{name}}}
 | Template:PAGENAMEBASE
 }}] at IMDb{{#if: 0804218{{#property:P345}}
 | Template:EditAtWikidata
 | Template:Main other

}}{{#switch:{{#invoke:string2|matchAny|^nm.........|^nm.......|nm|.........|source=0804218|plain=false}}

 | 1 | 3 =  Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning
 | 4 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning

}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:IMDb name with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|showblankpositional=1| 1 | 2 | id | name | section }}