Simone Lahbib
Simone Lahbib (/ləˈbiːb/; born 6 February 1965)[1] is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Helen Stewart in the ITV1 drama Bad Girls and DCI Alex Fielding in TV crime series Wire in the Blood.
Simone Lahbib | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 February 1965 Stirling, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
Notable work | A Confession, The Loch, Da Vinci's Demons, Philomena, Downton Abbey Single-Handed, Wire in the Blood, Red Mercury, Heartless, Monarch of the Glen, Young Person's Guide To Becoming A Rockstar, Thief Takers, London Bridge Bad Girls |
| Spouse(s) | Raffaello Degruttola (2003–) |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
Born Simone Nicole Jean Lahbib Ould Cheikl on 6 February 1965 in Stirling, Scotland, to a Scottish mother and a French father. She received her acting training at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh after four years at The Manor School of Ballet in Edinburgh, studying under John Marshall. One of her first performances as an actress was in the role of Cathy in Wuthering Heights in repertory theatre at the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh.
Career
Lahbib commenced her on-screen career in 1985 when she was cast in The Girl in the Picture, a film set in Glasgow directed by Cary Parker. She also sang on the sound track. Lahbib has worked extensively in television and film, after starting her career predominantly in theatre. Following guest appearances on well-known television dramas such as Taggart and Dangerfield, she received her first leading role when she was cast in the ITV daytime drama London Bridge as Mary O'Connor, from 1996–97, in a notable and controversial storyline in which her character was raped by her stalker. Her next role in 1997 was in the third and final series of police drama Thief Takers where she met her husband, followed in 1998 by the 6 part comedy series The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star.
In 1999 Lahbib became widely recognised for her leading role in the cult British prison drama series Bad Girls, in which she played Helen Stewart, the new idealistic Wing Governor who tries to help the female prisoners and improve conditions on G-Wing. When she doesn't receive the support she hopes for from her fellow officers, she enlists the help of prisoner Nikki Wade and from there a personal relationship develops. Lahbib appeared in Bad Girls until the end of the third series when Helen and Nikki eventually get together following Nikki's release from prison. After this role, Lahbib established a very loyal fan base throughout the world, especially among the LGBT community.
Following her departure from Bad Girls, Lahbib has had leading roles in several TV drama series including Family as Jacqueline Cutler, Fallen as DCI Kate Gunning, Single-Handed as Gemma Burge, Monarch of the Glen as Isobel Anderson and crime drama series Wire in the Blood as DCI Alex Fielding. She appeared in this last role from series four to series six, when the programme was cancelled. She also featured in Da Vinci's Demons as Laura Cereta, The Loch as Mhari Toner and as Debbie O'Callaghan inA Confession. Lahbib's other television credits include guest appearances in Judge John Deed, New Tricks, Downton Abbey and Crossing Lines.
In 2005 Lahbib appeared in Red Mercury, a feature film with Stockard Channing, and has frequently appeared in films since, such as the award-winning Philomena, with Judi Dench, Wayland's Song, Film: The Movie (which she co-produced), and Burning Men, on which she was also co-casting director. She will also appear in the upcoming feature film, Transference, written and directed by her husband, Degruttola, which she also co-produced through their production company Contro Vento Films.
In 2017 Lahbib opened her second part-time performing arts school, London Arts Academy in North London. The school teaches singing, dancing and acting to children ages 5–18 years, and affiliated Children and Teen Agency, London Arts Management.
Personal life
Lahbib married British-Italy actor Raffaello Degruttola on 10 May 2003 in her hometown of Stirling, Scotland. In October 2005 she gave birth to their daughter, Skye Lucia Degruttola, who also became an actress.[1] In 2010 Lahbib established the Eilidh Brown Memorial Fund in honour of her niece who died of cancer on 25 March 2010, nine days before her 16th birthday. The charity fund will benefit children with cancer and their families.[2]
Filmography
- Film
| Year | Title | Role | Directed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Girl in the Picture | The Girl | Cary Parker | |
| 1996 | The Witches Daughter | Zelda | Alan Macmillan | |
| 2005 | Heartless | Amanda MacNaughton | Nicholas Laughland | |
| 2005 | Red Mercury | Janet | Roy Battersby | |
| 2013 | Philomena | Kate Sixsmith | Stephen Frears | |
| 2013 | Wayland's Song | June | Richard Jobson | |
| 2014 | Flim: The Movie | Alex Kingston | Raffaello Degruttola | Additionally served as co-producer and producer in "making of" |
| 2019 | Burning Men | Eduarda | Jeremy Wooding | |
| 2019 | Transference: A Bipolar Love Story | Sophie | Raffaello degruttola | Additionally served as co-producer |
| TBA | Detour | Astrid Petruce | David Goodall |
- Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Taggart | Caroline Peterson | Series 7, Episode 1 – "Nest of Vipers" |
| 1994 | Crime Story | Monika Stedul | Series 2, Episode 5 – "Stedul: The Yugoslav Hitman" |
| 1995 | Taggart | Sarah Stevenson | Series 11, Episode 1 – "Prayer for the Dead" |
| 1996 | Dangerfield | Joanne Elland | Series 3, Episode 10 – "Inside Out" |
| 1996 | The Witch's Daughter | Zelda | TV movie |
| 1996–97 | London Bridge | Mary O'Connor | Series 1 & 2 – 58 episodes |
| 1997–98 | Thief Takers | DC Lucy McCarthy | Series 3 – 8 episodes |
| 1998 | The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star | Fiona Johnstone | 6 episodes |
| 1999–2001 | Bad Girls | Helen Stewart | Leading role Series 1–3 – 31 episodes |
| 2002 | Judge John Deed | Carol Hayman | Series 2, Episode 7 – "Abuse of Power" Series 2, Episode 8 – "Nobody's Fool" |
| 2003 | Family | Jacqueline Cutler | TV mini-series |
| 2004 | Fallen | DCI Kate Gunning | TV movie |
| 2004 | Monarch of the Glen | Isobel Anderson | Series 6 – 10 episodes |
| 2005 | Heartless | Amanda MacNaughton | TV movie |
| 2006–08 | Wire in the Blood | DI Alex Fielding | Series 4–6 – 17 episodes |
| 2010 | Single-Handed | Gemma Burge | Series 4 – 6 episodes |
| 2012 | New Tricks | Sarah Powell | Series 9, Episode 7 "Dead Poets" |
| 2012 | Downton Abbey | Wilkins | Christmas Special: "A Journey to the Highlands" |
| 2015 | Crossing Lines | Emma Pacetti | Series – 1 Episode |
| 2015 | Da Vinci's Demons | Laura Cereta | Series – 8 Episodes |
| 2017 | The Loch | Mhari Toner | Series – 5 of 6 Episodes |
| 2019 | A Confession | Debbie O'Callaghan | Series – 5 of 6 Episodes |
- Additional credits
- Baby Dear ...Mother (2019 short film)
- Family Tree ...Jackie (2019 short film)
- Dark Road ... Aileen (2019 short film)
- Flicker and Go Out ... Lesley Parsons (2019 short film)
- As He Lay Falling ... Bronte (2014 short film)
- Divinity: Dragon Commander ... Aida (2013 video game)
- The Other Side of My Sleep ... Maria (2010 short film)
- Zip 'n Zoo ... Marion (2008 short film)
- Ark (2008 short film)
- Call Me ... Holly (2004 short film)
- Long Haul (2000 short film)
References
- "Simone Lahbib Net - Online since 2001, Official site for Simone Lahbib, Scottish Actress". Simonelahbib.net. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
- "Back brave Eilidh's lasting legacy". Stirling Observer. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
External links
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