Suranne Jones
Sarah Ann Akers, known professionally as Suranne Jones, is an English actress and producer. Known for her numerous collaborations with screenwriter Sally Wainwright, she rose to prominence playing Karen McDonald on ITV's Coronation Street between 2000 and 2004. Upon leaving, she furthered her television career in drama series such as Vincent (2005–2006), Strictly Confidential (2006), Harley Street (2008), and Unforgiven (2009). Jones starred as Detective Rachel Bailey in the police procedural Scott & Bailey (2011–2016), and garnered further attention with headline roles in Single Father, Five Days (both 2010), A Touch of Cloth (2012–2014), and The Crimson Field (2014). For her portrayal of Gemma Foster—a GP who suffers personal betrayal—in Doctor Foster (2015–2017), Jones received several awards, including the 2016 British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. Subsequent credits include Save Me (2018), Vigil (2021–present), and Gentleman Jack (2019–2022). For the latter, on which she served as executive producer, Jones was again nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress. On stage, Jones has appeared in productions of A Few Good Men (2005), Blithe Spirit (2009), Top Girls (2011), Beautiful Thing (2013), Orlando (2014), and Frozen (2018). Jones was born Sarah Ann Jones in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, on 27 August 1978. She has an older brother named Gary. Jones was raised Catholic; her priest suggested to her father she be christened Sarah Ann(e) instead of Suranne, her great-grandmother's name, as Suranne was not "a proper name". She grew up in a house on Foxdenton Lane, surrounded by two farms and their fields and commented that one of her earliest memories is of "cows looking in the window as we ate our tea". As a child she was talkative, and later recounted that her priest would tell her, "I'm praying you can concentrate just a bit more". Jones was educated at Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton. Talking of her childhood, she commented, "I think I always wanted to be different and felt very stifled at school". She also said, "I was bullied at school and I let that get hold of me and withdrew into myself — I regret letting that happen." She became a member of the Oldham Theatre Workshop and completed a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts, which she felt "[wasn't] quite the same as drama school"
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials as Self - Presenter and Narrator
- 2024 · Bluey Book Reads as Reader
- 2023 · Maryland as Becca
- 2022 · Christmas Carole as Carole Mackay
- 2021 · Vigil as DCI Amy Silva
- 2019 · Children In Need 2019: Got It Covered as Self
- 2019 · RuPaul's Drag Race UK as Self - Guest Judge
- 2019 · I Am... as Victoria
- 2019 · Gentleman Jack as Anne Lister
- 2018 · Grace and Goliath as Claudia
- 2018 · Gone as Karen
- 2018 · Save Me as Claire McGory
- 2016 · Life in the Air as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · Life in the Air as Herself - Narrator
- 2015 · A Christmas Star as Miss Darcy
- 2015 · Doctor Foster as Dr Gemma Foster
- 2014 · The Crimson Field as Sister Joan Livesey
- 2014 · Brian Pern: A Life in Rock as Astrid Kemp
- 2013 · Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty as Self
- 2013 · Lawless as Lila Pettitt
- 2013 · Beautiful Thing as Sandra
- 2013 · Goodbye Granadaland as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · The Secret of Crickley Hall as Eve Caleigh
- 2012 · A Touch of Cloth as DI Anne Oldman / DC Anne Oldman
- 2011 · Scott & Bailey as DC/Sgt. Rachel Bailey
- 2010 · Single Father as Sarah
- 2010 · Drama Trails as
- 2009 · Unforgiven as Ruth Slater
- 2009 · Love and a Long Shot as Sarah
- 2008 · Harley Street as
- 2007 · The Sarah Jane Adventures as Mona Lisa
- 2007 · The Alan Titchmarsh Show as Self
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2007 · Five Days as PC Laurie Franklin
- 2007 · Dead Clever: The Life and Crimes of Julie Bottomley as Julie Bottomley
- 2006 · Strictly Confidential as
- 2005 · Vincent as Beth
- 2005 · Doctor Who as Idris
- 2005 · The Friday Night Project as Self
- 2004 · The Paul O'Grady Show as
- 2004 · Punch as Judy
- 2002 · Bo' Selecta! as
- 2002 · RI:SE as
- 2001 · Big Brother's Little Brother as Self
- 1993 · GMTV as Self
- 1988 · This Morning as Self
- 1978 · An Audience with... as Self
- 1960 · Coronation Street as Karen McDonald / Karen Phillips
- Future · Film Club as Suz
- Future · Hostage as Abigail Dalton
- Future · Frauds as Bert