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
Peterloo
(2018)
Nellie
The Theory of Everything
(2014)
Elaine Mason
Wendell & Wild
(2022)
Irmgard Klaxon (voice)
The Falling
(2015)
Eileen Lamont
Frozen
(2005)
Ticket Attendant
Dance First
(2023)
Barbara
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980
(2009)
Helen Marshall
All or Nothing
(2002)
Party girl
Private Peaceful
(2012)
Hazel Peaceful
Gwen
(2018)
Elen
Funny Cow
(2018)
Funny Cow
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister
(2010)
Anne Lister
Full Filmography
Acting
Girls' Night
(1998)
Sharon
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings
(2000)
All or Nothing
(2002)
Party girl
Hamilton Mattress
(2002)
Lulu (voice)
Christmas Lights
(2004)
Pauline
Faith
(2005)
Linda
Frozen
(2005)
Ticket Attendant
The Madness of the Dance
(2006)
The Fear of Trilogy
(2006)
Confessions of a Diary Secretary
(2007)
Tracey Temple
Would Like To Meet
(2007)
George's Mum
I Am Bob
(2007)
Marilyn Monroe Lookalike/Compere's Assistant
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
(2007)
Self
Clubbed
(2008)
Angela
Hancock & Joan
(2008)
Joan Le Mesurier
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980
(2009)
Helen Marshall
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister
(2010)
Anne Lister
Imaginary Friend
(2010)
Pauline
Edge
(2010)
Elly
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
Run & Jump
(2014)
Vanetia
Keeping Rosy
(2014)
Charlotte
The Theory of Everything
(2014)
Elaine Mason
The Falling
(2015)
Eileen Lamont
Hamlet
(2015)
Hamlet
The Shuttleworths
(2015)
Helen Bach
Strange Weather
(2015)
Jane
Red Top
(2016)
Rebekah Brooks
A Midsummer Night's Dream
(2016)
Titania
I Wish For You
(2016)
Grown Up Mia
Generation '66
(2016)
Narrator
Men Who Sleep in Cars
(2017)
Sarah
Cake
(2017)
Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle
(2017)
Narrator
The Priest
(2017)
Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods
(2017)
Self (archive footage)
Unseen
(2017)
Emma
Peterloo
(2018)
Nellie
Funny Cow
(2018)
Funny Cow
Wonders of the Moon
(2018)
Narrator (voice)
Gwen
(2018)
Elen
The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca
(2018)
Herself
Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels
(2018)
Friedrich Engels (voice)
Be Still My Beating Heart
(2019)
Judy
(2019)
Judy
Surfaces
(2020)
Alix
It's Me
(2020)
Miriam
The Great Mountain Sheep Gather
(2020)
Self - Narrator
Fanny Lye Deliver'd
(2021)
Fanny Lye
Where We Used to Meet
(2021)
The Real Anne: Unfinished Business
(2022)
Self- Presenter
Wendell & Wild
(2022)
Irmgard Klaxon (voice)
Something Out of Nothing
(2022)
Lapushka!
(2022)
Scoot Piccolo
Inner Polar Bear
(2022)
Narrator (voice)
Dance First
(2023)
Barbara
Tish
(2023)
Tish Murtha (voice)
Choked Up
(2023)
Fiona Lacey
Woken
(2024)
Helen
Writing
Directing
Production
Crew