
Ashley Jensen
Ashley Jensen (born August 10, 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
Credits
- 2024 · Rikki as Narrator
- 2022 · Mayflies as Anna
- 2022 · Christmas on Mistletoe Farm as Ms Fletcher
- 2022 · Dog Squad as Meagaidh (voice)
- 2021 · Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye as Agatha Raisin
- 2021 · Inside the Balmoral: Scotland's Finest Hotel as Self - Narrator
- 2019 · Lady and the Tramp as Jock (voice)
- 2019 · After Life as Emma
- 2019 · How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World as Phlegma (voice)
- 2018 · Aliens Love Underpants and...Panta Claus as
- 2018 · Summer Camp Island as Miss Mary (voice)
- 2018 · Sherlock Gnomes as Nanette (voice)
- 2017 · Love, Lies & Records as Kate Dickenson
- 2017 · DuckTales as Downy McDuck / Agnes McDuck / Danny McDuck (voice)
- 2017 · DuckTales as Downey McDuck (voice)
- 2017 · Trust Me as Debbie Dorrell
- 2016 · The Secret Life of Kittens as Narrator
- 2016 · Agatha Raisin as Agatha Raisin
- 2016 · Facelifts and Fillers as Narrator
- 2015 · The Lobster as Biscuit Woman
- 2015 · The Legend of Barney Thomson as Detective Inspector June Robertson
- 2015 · Insane Fight Club II - This Time It’s Personal as Narration
- 2015 · Catastrophe as Fran
- 2014 · Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death as Agatha Raisin
- 2014 · Small Time as Gail
- 2013 · The Escape Artist as Kate Burton
- 2013 · All Stars as Gina
- 2013 · Shetland as DI Ruth Calder
- 2012 · The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! as The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (voice)
- 2011 · Arthur Christmas as Bryony (voice)
- 2011 · Hysteria as Fanny
- 2011 · Gnomeo & Juliet as Nanette (voice)
- 2011 · The Reckoning as Sally Wilson
- 2010 · Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention as Herself - Narrator
- 2010 · How to Train Your Dragon as Phlegma the Fierce (Voice)
- 2009 · Nativity! as Jennifer Lore
- 2009 · Accidentally on Purpose as Olivia
- 2009 · A Shot To The Mouth as (archive footage)
- 2009 · No Holds Bard as Isobel
- 2007 · Embarrassing Bodies as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2007 · The Art of Breaking Character as Self
- 2007 · Taping Nigel II: The Gimpening as Self
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2007 · Taking Liberties as Narration
- 2006 · Ugly Betty as Christina McKinney
- 2006 · Eleventh Hour as Rachel Young
- 2005 · Extras as Maggie Jacobs
- 2005 · A Cock and Bull Story as Lindsey
- 2005 · The Friday Night Project as Self - Host
- 2000 · Rebus as Mhairi Henderson
- 1999 · Topsy-Turvy as Miss Tringham
- 1998 · City Central as
- 1996 · Bad Boys as Morag Hood
- 1996 · Silent Witness as
- 1994 · Takin' Over the Asylum as Kathleen
- 1994 · Roughnecks as Heather
- 1988 · This Morning as Self
- 1986 · Casualty as Jess
- Future · The Inspiration of Alfie Swincross as Lola Sinclair
- 1993 · Down Among the Big Boys as Claire Donnelly
- 1992 · Rab C. Nesbitt Live as Isobel / Rena
- 1991 · Tickets for the Zoo as Eleanor
- 1991 · Dreaming as
- 1986 · Casualty as Stella