Name
Ashley Jensen
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1969-08-11 (57 years old)
Place of Birth
Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK
Biography
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.
Known For
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As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery ...
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In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to...
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A version of Shakespeare's play, set in the world of warring indoor and outdoor gnomes. Ga...
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The love story between a pampered Cocker Spaniel named Lady and a streetwise mongrel named...
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Steve Coogan, an arrogant actor with low self-esteem and a complicated love life, is playi...
- 2010 How to Train Your Dragon as Phlegma the Fierce (Voice)
- 2005 A Cock and Bull Story as Lindsey
- 2007 Taking Liberties as Narration
- 2011 Gnomeo & Juliet as Nanette (voice)
- 1999 Topsy-Turvy as Miss Tringham
- 2021 Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye as Agatha Raisin
- 2009 Nativity! as Jennifer Lore
- 2011 Arthur Christmas as Bryony (voice)
- 2011 Hysteria as Fanny
- 2009 A Shot To The Mouth as (archive footage)
- 2009 No Holds Bard as Isobel
- 1991 Tickets for the Zoo as Eleanor
- 2013 All Stars as Gina
- 1993 Down Among the Big Boys as Claire Donnelly
- 2015 The Legend of Barney Thomson as Detective Inspector June Robertson
- 1992 Rab C. Nesbitt Live as Isobel / Rena
- 2015 Insane Fight Club II - This Time It’s Personal as Narration
- 2022 Christmas on Mistletoe Farm as Ms Fletcher
- 2015 The Lobster as Biscuit Woman
- 1991 Dreaming as Betting Shop Cashier
- 2014 Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death as Agatha Raisin
- 2014 Small Time as Gail
- 2007 Taping Nigel II: The Gimpening as Self
- 2007 The Art of Breaking Character as Self
- 2012 The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! as The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (voice)
- 2018 Sherlock Gnomes as Nanette (voice)
- 2019 Lady and the Tramp as Jock (voice)
- 2018 Aliens Love Underpants and...Panta Claus
- 2019 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World as Phlegma (voice)
- 2016 Facelifts and Fillers as Narrator
- 2024 Rikki as Narrator
- 1995 Waiting as Amanda Cookson
- 2025 City Lights: Pure Dead Brilliant as Self - Narrator
- 2005 Extras ( 12 episodes ) as Maggie Jacobs
- 1996 Silent Witness ( 2 episodes )
- 2017 DuckTales ( 1 episode ) as Downy McDuck / Agnes McDuck / Danny McDuck (voice)
- 2006 Ugly Betty ( 66 episodes ) as Christina McKinney
- 2006 Eleventh Hour ( 4 episodes ) as Rachel Young
- 2016 The Secret Life of Kittens ( 2 episodes ) as Narrator
- 1998 City Central ( 32 episodes )
- 2009 Accidentally on Purpose ( 18 episodes ) as Olivia
- 1996 Bad Boys ( 6 episodes ) as Morag Hood
- 2010 Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention ( 6 episodes ) as Self - Narrator
- 2011 The Reckoning ( 2 episodes ) as Sally Wilson
- 2000 Rebus ( 1 episode ) as Mhairi Henderson
- 1994 Roughnecks ( 13 episodes ) as Heather
- 2013 The Escape Artist ( 3 episodes ) as Kate Burton
- 2016 Agatha Raisin ( 25 episodes ) as Agatha Raisin
- 2007 The Graham Norton Show ( 3 episodes ) as Self
- 1986 Casualty ( 1 episode ) as Jess
- 1986 Casualty ( 2 episodes ) as Stella
- 2013 Shetland ( 18 episodes ) as DI Ruth Calder
- 1994 Takin' Over the Asylum ( 6 episodes ) as Kathleen
- 2017 Love, Lies & Records ( 6 episodes ) as Kate Dickenson
- 2017 DuckTales ( 1 episode ) as Downey McDuck (voice)
- 2021 Inside the Balmoral: Scotland's Finest Hotel ( 4 episodes ) as Self - Narrator
- 2018 Summer Camp Island ( 3 episodes ) as Miss Mary (voice)
- 2017 Trust Me ( 4 episodes ) as Debbie Dorrell
- 2019 After Life ( 18 episodes ) as Emma
- 2015 Catastrophe ( 24 episodes ) as Fran
- 2022 Mayflies ( 2 episodes ) as Anna
- 2022 Dog Squad ( 15 episodes ) as Meagaidh (voice)
- 2007 Embarrassing Bodies ( 93 episodes ) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 1988 This Morning ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2005 The Friday Night Project ( 1 episode ) as Self - Host
- 2008 Free Radio ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 2025 Man vs Baby ( 1 episode ) as Janet
