| Intro | English actress |
| Is | Actor |
| From | United Kingdom |
| Type | Film, TV, Stage & Radio |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 28 February 1974, London, Greater London, London, England |
| Age: | 46 years |
Amanda Abbington (born Amanda Jane Smith; February 1974) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Miss Mardle in Mr Selfridge and Mary Morstan in the BBC adaptation of Sherlock.
Career
She appeared in the TV series The Bill until 2007 as various characters. During that time she also appeared in the TV series Wycliffe, Casualty, Dream Team, The Sins, Shades, Doc Martin, Coupling, and Teachers. She appeared in the 2005 comedy sketch show Man Stroke Woman and the 2007–2008 comedy After You’ve Gone with Nicholas Lyndhurst. She has also appeared in recurring series such as Bernard’s Watch and Case Histories.
In 2013, she began appearing in the television series Mr Selfridge as Miss Mardle alongside Jeremy Piven and Frances O’Connor. In 2014, Abbington appeared in the third series of Sherlock as Mary Morstan, the wife of John Watson, played by her then real-life partner Martin Freeman. In 2015 she appeared in the BBC drama Cuffs.
Personal life
Abbington was the longtime partner of British actor Martin Freeman, whom she met on the set of the film Men Only in 2000. The couple appeared together on screen in productions such as The Debt, The Robinsons, The Good Night and Sherlock. They lived in Hertfordshire and have two children together. The couple split in 2016.
Abbington was declared bankrupt by the High Court in March 2013 as a result of a £120,000 tax bill, but declared in March 2014 that she had already resolved the issue.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–2007 | The Bill | Various | TV series (7 episodes) |
| 1997 | Plotlands | Maude | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 1997 | Wycliffe | Local W.P.C. | TV series (Episode: “Strangers”) |
| 1998 | No Sweat | Chantelle | TV series (Episode: “Moon Boy”) |
| 1998 | Magic with Everything | Cat | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 1998 | Picking up the Pieces | Staff Nurse Hunter | TV series (8 episodes) |
| 1999 | Casualty | Jen Reynolds | TV series (Episode: “Human Traffic”) |
| 1999 | Dream Team | Marilyn Harwood | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1999 | Snap | Zoe | TV series (Episode: “Missed Her Sister”) |
| 2000 | The Thing About Vince | Lisa | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2000 | The Sins | Belinda Edgeley | TV mini-series (2 episodes) |
| 2001 | Men Only | Trina | TV film |
| 2001 | Hearts and Bones | Mia | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2001 | Shades | Rebecca Jacobs | TV mini-series (1 episode) |
| 2002 | Always and Everyone | Tessa | TV series (3 episodes) |
| 2002 | 20 Things to Do Before You’re 30 | Shona | TV series (8 episodes) |
| 2003 | The Debt | Stacey Ross | TV film |
| 2004 | Coupling | Nicola | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2004 | Bernard’s Watch | Sonia | TV series (9 episodes) |
| 2004 | Teachers | Sarah | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2005 | The Robinsons | Polly | TV series (4 episodes) |
| 2005 | Derailed | Kerry Hodder | TV film |
| 2005–07 | Man Stroke Woman | Various | TV series (12 episodes) |
| 2005 | The Booze Cruise II | Leonie | TV film |
| 2006 | The Booze Cruise III | Leonie | TV film |
| 2007–08 | After You’ve Gone | Siobhan Casey | TV series (21 episodes) |
| 2007 | The Good Night | Vivian Jesson | Uncredited |
| 2007 | The All Together | Sarah | |
| 2007 | The Bill | Rachel Inns | TV series (7 episodes) |
| 2007 | Doc Martin | Isobel | TV series (Episode: “Happily Ever After”) |
| 2007 | Sold | Zoe | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2008 | Coming Up | Daughter | TV series (Episode: “Lickle Bill Um”) |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie’s Poirot | Miss Blake | TV series (Episode: “Cat Among The Pigeons”) |
| 2008 | Harley Street | Susie Linn | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2009 | Psychoville | Caroline | TV series (Episode: “Blackmail”) |
| 2010 | Married Single Other | Babs | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 2011–13 | Case Histories | DC Louise Munroe | TV series (9 episodes) |
| 2012 | Being Human | Golda | TV series (Episode: “Puppy Love”) |
| 2013–16 | Mr Selfridge | Miss Mardle | TV series (29 episodes) |
| 2014–17 | Sherlock | Mary Morstan | TV series (7 episodes) Crime Thriller Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated – Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries – Poppy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries |
| 2014 | Dinopaws | Gwen (voice) | TV series (10 episodes) |
| 2014 | Would I Lie to You? | A panelist | Episode 6 of Series 8 of this popular comedy panel show |
| 2014 | Kaiser Chiefs’ ‘Meanwhile, Up In Heaven’ | Dancing Bride | Music Video (See Kaiser Chiefs’ YouTube) |
| 2015 | Cuffs | DS Jo Moffat | TV series |
| 2016 | Another Mother’s Son | Filming | |
| 2016 | Stag | Fran | TV series |
| 2017 | Uncle | Siobhan | TV series (Guest role) |
| 2017 | Crooked House | Clemency Leonides | Post-production |
| 2018 | Safe | Sophie |