Pooky Quesnel

Joanna Gabrielle "Pooky" Quesnel (born 30 April 1966) is an English actress, screenwriter and singer.

Pooky Quesnel
Born
Joanna Gabrielle Quesnel

(1966-04-30) 30 April 1966
Eccles, Lancashire, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationActress, screenwriter, singer
Years active1980s–present

Early life

Quesnel was born and raised in Eccles, Lancashire, along with her six siblings.[1] Her father was born in Trinidad. She read English at Oxford University before spending a year at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts.[2] In the 1980s, she performed in Humphrey Carpenter's Vile Bodies band at the Ritz Hotel, and performed in a tribute concert to him following his death in 2005.[2][3] In 2003, she began screenwriting, producing scripts for Doctors and Family Affairs,[1][4] appearing in the latter as Diane Short.

Career

She played Dr Monica Broome in the first series of Cardiac Arrest and DC Grace Harris in the first two series of Thief Takers.[5] She had a recurring role in the third series of Cold Feet as Emma Keaton and returned to medical dramas in 2006, playing Dr Christine Whelan in The Golden Hour. In 2007, she starred as Nita in the BBC One series True Dare Kiss,[1][4][6] and later that year began a recurring role in EastEnders as Rachel Branning, taking over the character from Sukie Smith. In February 2008, she played the spoken title role in a City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra production of Stravinsky's Perséphone, broadcast on BBC Radio 3.[7] In July 2008, she appeared in an episode of the ITV murder mystery series, Midsomer Murders as journalist Julie Benson,[8] and in an episode of George Gently entitled "The Burning Man", playing the character Wanda Lane. In March 2010, she appeared as Maureen in BBC One's second series of Five Days. She also played the spaceship captain in the Doctor Who 2010 Christmas special, "A Christmas Carol".[9] In November 2010, she appeared as Christopher Eccleston's character's wife in Jimmy McGovern's Accused.[10] She has also played a pregnant woman in an episode of Not Going Out.[11] She played the character of Olga Fitzgerald, Geography teacher and Headteacher Vaughn Fitzgerald's estranged wife in BBC's Waterloo Road, in 2015. She currently plays a part in BBC's The A Word, and the role of Dorothea Ames, Head teacher at Coal Hill Academy, in the BBC3 series Class. In 2016 she provided the voice of Yuria of Londor in the video game Dark Souls III.

Personal life

Quesnel practises kickboxing, tai chi, and flamenco dancing. In 2017, Quesnel won bronze at the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts (BCCMA) annual British Tai Chi Championships in the Open Weapon category for her Wudang t'ai chi ch'uan jian routine.[5]

Filmography

Film and television
Year Title Role Other notes
1993 The Hawk WPC Clarke Film debut
A Woman's Guide to Adultery Francie
1994 Cardiac Arrest Dr Monica Broome 1 series, 1994
Finney Carol
1996 Thief Takers DC Grace Harris 2 series, 1996–1997
1998 The Ambassador Liz 1 episode ("Nine-Tenths of the Law")
1999 A Christmas Carol Maude
2000 Innocents Michaela Willis
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries Delilah Hicks 1 episode ("The Worsted Viper")
Sunburn Josie Daley 1 episode (Series 2, Episode 7)
City Central Zora 1 episode ("Respect")
Cold Feet Emma Keaton 4 episodes (Series 3, Episodes 4, 6, 7, 8)
2001 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years Eleanor Flood 2 episodes (Episodes 5 and 6)[12]
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Stepha Odell 1 episode ("A Great Deliverance")
The Armando Iannucci Shows 1 episode ("Imagination")
Family Affairs Diane Short 2001–2002
Nominated, British Soap Award for Best Actress, 2002
Doctors Angela Crowther 1 episode ("Bring Me Sunshine")
2003 Holby City Melanie Knox 1 episode ("House of Cards")
The Bill Jo Fox 1 episode (Series 19, Episode 99)
2004 Monarch of the Glen Kelly McGee 1 episode (Series 6, Episode 6)
2005 Doctors Rebecca Dobson 1 episode ("When Two Become One")
Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee Bea
The Golden Hour Dr Christine Whelan
Walk Away and I Stumble Suzi
2006 Holby City Jill Pearce 1 episode ("Invasion")
2007 Skins Claire 1 episode ("Jal")
Recovery Homeowner
Oh Happy Day Fern Feature film
True Dare Kiss Nita McKinnon
Suburban Shootout Penny Hawthorne 2 episodes ("Fight Club" and "In it For the Wild Life")
EastEnders Rachel Branning Recurring role, 2007–2010
2008 Midsomer Murders Julia Benson 1 episode ("Midsomer Life")
Inspector George Gently Wanda Lane 1 episode (The Burning Man)[13]
Casualty Pennie Ashton 1 episode ("Guilt Complex")
2009 Ashes to Ashes Ruth Irvine 1 episode (Series 2, Episode 1)
The Bill Maria Walmsley 1 episode ("Down South")
Criminal Justice Amelia Rose 4 episodes (Series 2, Episodes 2, 3, 4, 5)
Enid Theresa Blyton
2010 Five Days Maureen Hardy[14][15]
Accused Carmel Houlihan 1 episode ("Willy's Story")
New Tricks Lady Catherine Bryant 1 episode ("Good Morning Lemmings")
Moving On Lynne 1 episode ("Sauce for the Goose")[16]
Doctor Who The Captain 1 episode ("A Christmas Carol")
2011 Shameless Sandra Brown 1 episode (Series 8, Episode 7)
Ideal Donna 1 episode Series 7 episode 5
Casualty Emma Davies 1 episode ("Starting Out")
Top Boy Dr. Jenny Northam
The Body Farm Sarah Haines 1 episode ("You've Got Visitors")
Scott & Bailey Siân cook 1 episode
2012 Silent Witness Helen Karamides 1 episode ("Paradise Lost" parts 1 & 2)
2013 Truckers Pauline 1 episode (Series 1, Episode 5)
2014 Endeavour Muriel Todd 1 episode ("Trove", Series 2, Episode 1)[17]
2014–2015 Waterloo Road Olga Fitzgerald
2016 Father Brown Ruth Moore Episode 4.8 "The Resurrectionists"
The A Word Louise Wilson
Class Headmistress Dorothea Ames Recurring Role (4 episodes)
2017 W1A Fiona Craig Recurring Role (3 episodes)
The Wright Stuff Guest panelist
2018 The Queen and I Delia Manson
2019 The Victim Mo Buckley

Stage
Year Production Role Theatre
1991 Sweet Sessions The Dark Lady Old Fire Station, Oxford[18]
1993 Don't Fool with Love Peasant Girl National tour
A Month in the Country Verochka Salisbury Playhouse
Billy Liar Rita Salisbury Playhouse[19]
1995 Racine's Andromache, adapted by Craig Raine Annette LeSkye Almeida Theatre[20][21]
1997 Jane Eyre Bertha Shared Experience theatre company at the Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, Young Vic Theatre, London, and touring[22]
1998 Anna Karenina Kitty and Seriozha Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theater,[23] Lyric Hammersmith
2003 Present Laughter Monica Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford,[24] King's Theatre, Glasgow[25]
2004 Loot Fay Bristol Old Vic[26]
2005 Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet Royal Exchange Theatre[27]
2005 Sitting Pretty New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich[28]
2008 Perséphone Persephone City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Video Games
Year Title Role Other notes
2015 Bloodborne Arianna Lady of the Night, Yharnamite, Female Protagonist Voice
2016 Dark Souls III Yuria of Londor, Birch Woman(Ashes of Ariandel DLC)
gollark: I should probably get something like this, it would be great to be able to just throw away stuff I'm not using.
gollark: Why use golems to pick up your waste when OC drones also could at twice the expense and hassle but also coolness?
gollark: Is that *GregTech* in the background?
gollark: The factory grows.
gollark: Sure!

References
  1. "Pooky Quesnel plays Nita". True Dare Kiss Press Pack. BBC. 18 June 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  2. Dempster, Nigel (4 April 1993). "All's fair in love for Pooky". Mail on Sunday. p. 47.
  3. "Music for a Wizard Whizz". BBC Radio 3. 1 October 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  4. Wylie, Ian (12 July 2007). "Pooky's real sister act". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  5. Malins, Sue (21 November 1996). "I got a real gun too easily; Pooky Quesnel". The Mirror. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  6. Deacon, Michael (29 June 2007). "Last night on television". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  7. Brown, Geoff (28 February 2008). "CBSO/Oramo at Symphony Hall, Birmingham". The Times. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  8. "Midsomer Murders – Midsomer Life". ABC1. ABC Australia. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  9. Jeffery, Morgan (19 August 2010). "'Who' Christmas special cast announced". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  10. Wylie, Ian (9 November 2010). "Christopher Eccleston: I owe my career to Jimmy McGovern". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  11. "Not Going Out 2013 Episode 2: Skiing".
  12. "Pick of the day; Adrian Mole: The Cappucino Years BBC1, 10.40pm". Evening Standard. 9 March 2001. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  13. Watson, Keith (6 July 2008). "George Gently: The Burning Man – BBC1". Metro. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  14. "Batley's the star in new BBC drama". Batley & Birstall News. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  15. "Five Days – Maureen Hardy". BBC One. BBC. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  16. "Moving On – Sauce for the Goose". BBC Press Office. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  17. credits on DVD
  18. London theatre record, Volume 11, Issues 14–26
  19. Plays and players: Volumes 489–492; Volumes 494–500, 1993
  20. Plays international, Volume 11, Chancery Publications Ltd., 1995
  21. Plays and players, Issues 501–510. Hansom Books, 1996
  22. Teale, Polly; Brontė, Charlotte (1998). Jane Eyre (adaptation). Nick Hern Books. p. 5.
  23. Marks, Peter (13 November 1998). "Theater review; A Classic Russian Tale of Infidelity, Sparely Told". New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  24. Koenig, Rhoda (18 March 2003). "Present Laughter, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – The hyper philanderer". The Independent. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  25. Cooper, Neil (27 February 2003). "Theatre – Present Laughter, King's Theatre, Glasgow". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  26. Cavendish, Dominic (11 March 2004). "Orton still on the money". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  27. Walker, Lynne (14 September 2005). "Romeo And Juliet, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester". The Independent. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  28. "Preview: Sitting Pretty". BBC Suffolk. February 2005. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
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