Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English stage, radio, film and television actress, playwright, producer, director and political activist, who made her name as Twinkle in Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies. She has since played Veronica in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless, barrister Martha Costello in the BBC legal drama Silk and Grace Middleton in The Village. She is also an accomplished stage actress, having played the title role in Hamlet, and had a role in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything. In 2018 she played the lead in the film Funny Cow and had a starring role in Mike Leigh's epic Peterloo, a film very close to her heart.
Known For
The Theory of Everything
(2014)
Elaine Mason
Wendell & Wild
(2022)
Irmgard Klaxon (voice)
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980
(2009)
Helen Marshall
All or Nothing
(2002)
Party girl
Peterloo
(2018)
Nellie
The Falling
(2015)
Eileen Lamont
Private Peaceful
(2012)
Hazel Peaceful
Dance First
(2023)
Barbara
Full Filmography
Acting
Girls' Night
(1998)
Sharon
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
(2000)
Hamilton Mattress
(2002)
Lulu (voice)
All or Nothing
(2002)
Party girl
Christmas Lights
(2004)
Pauline
Faith
(2005)
Linda
Frozen
(2005)
Ticket Attendant
The Madness of the Dance
(2006)
The Fear of Trilogy
(2006)
Would Like To Meet
(2007)
George's Mum
I Am Bob
(2007)
Marilyn Monroe Lookalike/Compere's Assistant
Confessions of a Diary Secretary
(2007)
Tracey Temple
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
(2007)
Self
Hancock & Joan
(2008)
Joan Le Mesurier
Clubbed
(2008)
Angela
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980
(2009)
Helen Marshall
Edge
(2010)
Elly
Imaginary Friend
(2010)
Pauline
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister
(2010)
Anne Lister
DeafBlind
(2011)
Maggie
Best Laid Plans
(2012)
Isabel
Private Peaceful
(2012)
Hazel Peaceful
Svengali
(2013)
Angie
The Heart Fails Without Warning
(2013)
Mother
Keeping Up with the Joneses
(2013)
Celia
Keeping Rosy
(2014)
Charlotte
The Theory of Everything
(2014)
Elaine Mason
Run & Jump
(2014)
Vanetia
Strange Weather
(2015)
Jane
Hamlet
(2015)
Hamlet
The Falling
(2015)
Eileen Lamont
The Shuttleworths
(2015)
Helen Bach
Red Top
(2016)
Rebekah Brooks
A Midsummer Night's Dream
(2016)
Titania
Generation '66
(2016)
Narrator
I Wish For You
(2016)
Grown Up Mia
Cake
(2017)
Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle
(2017)
Narrator
Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
Men Who Sleep in Cars
(2017)
Sarah
The Priest
(2017)
Unseen
(2017)
Emma
The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca
(2018)
Herself
Gwen
(2018)
Elen
Wonders of the Moon
(2018)
Narrator (voice)
Funny Cow
(2018)
Funny Cow
Peterloo
(2018)
Nellie
Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels
(2018)
Friedrich Engels (voice)
Be Still My Beating Heart
(2019)
Judy
(2019)
Judy
The Great Mountain Sheep Gather
(2020)
Self - Narrator
It's Me
(2020)
Miriam
Surfaces
(2020)
Alix
Fanny Lye Deliver'd
(2021)
Fanny Lye
Where We Used to Meet
(2021)
Something Out of Nothing
(2022)
Lapushka!
(2022)
Scoot Piccolo
The Real Anne: Unfinished Business
(2022)
Self- Presenter
Wendell & Wild
(2022)
Irmgard Klaxon (voice)
Inner Polar Bear
(2022)
Narrator (voice)
Dance First
(2023)
Barbara
Choked Up
(2023)
Fiona Lacey
Tish
(2023)
Tish Murtha (voice)
Woken
(2024)
Helen
Writing
Production
Directing
Crew