Helen Baxendale | |
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 Baxendale in 2013 | |
| Born | Helen Victoria Baxendale (1970-06-07)7 June 1970 (age 54) Pontefract,West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Partner | David L. Williams |
| Children | 3; includingNell Williams |
Helen Victoria Baxendale (born 7 June 1970) is an English actress of stage and television. She is known for her roles asRachel Bradley in the Britishcomedy dramaCold Feet (1997–2003) andEmily Waltham in the AmericansitcomFriends (1998–1999).
Baxendale's early stage credits includeThe Soldiers at Glasgow'sCitizens Theatre, which earned her a 1993Ian Charleson Award nomination. Her other television credits includeCardiac Arrest (1994–1996),An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1997–1999),Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (2001),Cuckoo (2012–2019) andNoughts + Crosses (2020).
Baxendale was born on 7 June 1970 inPontefract,West Riding of Yorkshire.[1][2] Baxendale's parents were teachers at a comprehensive school. Her sister is the screenwriter Katie Baxendale.[3]
She grew up inShenstone, Staffordshire, and attendedKing Edward VI School, Lichfield. She wanted to be a ballet dancer and trained at theElmhurst School for Dance, until dropping out aged 17 in favour of an acting career. She moved to theBristol Old Vic Theatre School, then worked at theGlasgow Citizens' Theatre from 1992 to 1995.
Via her work atGlasgow Citizens' Theatre, Baxendale was cast in hospital TV seriesCardiac Arrest, though it was not her first television role. Her performance as Dr Claire Maitland earned her aScottish BAFTA nomination in 1995. Her role asRachel Bradley in the TV seriesCold Feet garnered her aBritish Comedy Award nomination. She starred inAn Unsuitable Job for a Woman, playingCordelia Gray.The Independent stated: "her early roles were defined by icy cool, sleek bobs and ironic detachment."[3]
Aged 27 Baxendale was cast in a recurring role inFriends asRoss Geller's girlfriend, wife and ultimately ex-wifeEmily Waltham. She appeared in fourteenepisodes throughoutSeason 4 and earlySeason 5. Speaking toThe Independent in 2022, Baxendale said "I saw those people inFriends, for example, and thought: I don't think that life is really what I want. They were hounded. They weren't able to walk into a supermarket and buy something..." On the attention she received for being inFriends, she said, "This thing… this programme that I happened to be in for a few episodes. The whole thing was bonkers."[3] DirectorJames Burrows said about Baxendale "...was nice but not particularly funny. Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand."[4]
Other notable roles include Lorna Johnson inTruth or Dare alongsideJohn Hannah, Caroline Meagher inThe Investigator alongsideLaura Fraser, and Julie Matthews inCurt Truninger'sDead by Monday. She was nominated for anotherScottish BAFTA in 1997 for her role as Lorna Johnson.Dead by Monday won the Angel Award for Best Film at theMonaco International Film Festival in 2003 and the Portland Festival of World Cinema award for best feature film in 2001. She playedPandora Braithwaite inAdrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years in 2001 and "Maggie" in the multiple award-winningBolse Vita. She appeared inSaving Nellie, a physics programme running onTeachers TV. From 2007 to January 2008 she starred inSwimming with Sharks alongsideChristian Slater at London's Vaudeville Theatre.[1]
In 2010, Baxendale appeared in the pilot episode ofDirk Gently as Susan Harmison. In January 2011, she co-starred withTrevor Eve in the three-part ITV dramaKidnap and Ransom, filmed on location in South Africa.[5] Later in 2011, she starred as DCI Marion Bettany inVal McDermid's radio crime dramaVillage SOS.[6] In 2012 she reprised her role in the second episode. She then appeared in theInspector George Gently episode "The Lost Child" alongsideMark Gatiss. From 2012 to 2019, she starred inCuckoo as Lorna, the mother in-law of the titular Dale 'Cuckoo' Ashbrick. In 2020 she played housekeeper Meggie McGregor inNoughts + Crosses.
Baxendale starred as Christine inPatrick Marber'sAfter Miss Julie, and in 2005 appeared as Romy, the title role inThe Woman Before at theRoyal Court alongsideNigel Lindsay,Saskia Reeves,Tom Riley andGeorgia Taylor. She played Ophelia inHamlet (the Marovitz Hamlet) alongsideHenry Ian Cusick. She was nominated for anIan Charleson Award (best classical actor under 30) for her 1993 performance inSoldiers at theGlasgow Citizens Theatre.[7] In 2009 Baxendale played Lara inAmongst Friends alongsideAden Gillett andEmma Cunniffe atHampstead Theatre.[8]
In 2008, Baxendale guest starred inepisode three of theaward-winning BBC radio comedyCabin Pressure.[9]
Baxendale has been with her boyfriendDavid L. Williams since her Glasgow days. Together they have three children.[10] Her first pregnancy was written intoAn Unsuitable Job for a Woman and her second was written intothe fourth series ofCold Feet.[10] Baxendale's oldest child is the actressNell Williams.
Due to Baxendale's first pregnancy, and that she lived in the UK rather than the US, her character was written out ofFriends earlier than the writers had originally intended. She appeared in only 14 episodes, despite her character dating, marrying, and divorcingRoss Geller, one of the show's six leads.[10][11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Marshal | Anita | Television film |
| Euphoric Scale | Short film | ||
| The Good Guys | Miss Lomax | Episode: "All for Love" | |
| Casualty | Emma | Episode: "Give Us This Day" | |
| 1994– | Cardiac Arrest | Dr. Claire Maitland | 1994–1996; 27 episodes — Nominated:BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actress in Television(1995) |
| 1994 | Love's Lost Hour | Hilary | Short film |
| 1995 | Dangerfield | Tara 'Crystal' Jackson | Episode: "The Call Girl" |
| 1996 | Crossing the Floor | Ruth Clarke | Television film |
| Truth or Dare | Lorna Johnston | Television film — Nominated:BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actress in Television(1997) | |
| In Suspicious Circumstances | Queen Elizabeth I | Episode: "An Evil Business" | |
| Bolse vita | Maggie | ||
| 1997– | An Unsuitable Job for a Woman | Cordelia Gray | 10 episodes |
| 1997– | Cold Feet | Rachel Bradley | 1997 (pilot), 1998–2003 (series); 32 episodes Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actress — Nominated:British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress(1997) |
| 1997 | The Investigator | Sgt. Caroline Meagher | Television film |
| I'd Like a Word With You | Joan | Direct-to-video | |
| Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | ||
| 1998– | Friends | Emily Waltham | recurring;14 episodes (Seasons 4 and 5) |
| 2000 | The Servant Girl | Television film | |
| Ordinary Decent Criminal | Lisa | WithKevin Spacey andLinda Fiorentino | |
| Tales from the Madhouse | The Servant Girl | Television mini-series; episode: "The Servant Girl" | |
| 2001 | Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years | Pandora Braithwaite | 6 episodes |
| Dead by Monday | Julie Matthews | ||
| 2002 | Flyfishing | Sam | |
| Lost in the Snow | Lily | Animated film | |
| 2003 | Skagerrak | Stella | |
| Murder in Mind | Helen Robbins | Episode: "Justice" | |
| 2006 | The Only Boy for Me | Annie | Television film |
| 2007 | Dead Clever: The Life and Crimes of Julie Bottomley | Sarah | |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Miss Marple | Mary Dove | Episode: "A Pocket Full of Rye" |
| 2009 | Lewis | Caroline | Episode: "Counter Culture Blues" |
| 2010 | Dirk Gently | Susan Harmison | 2010–2012; 2 episodes |
| Beyond the Pole | Becky | ||
| Big Mouth | Mum | Short film | |
| The Rendezvous | Voice | ||
| 2011 | Kidnap and Ransom | Angela Beddoes | 2011–2012; television mini-series; 6 episodes |
| Anonymous | Anne de Vere | ||
| 2012 | Inspector George Gently | Frances Groves | Episode: "The Lost Child" |
| 2012– | Cuckoo | Lorna Thompson | 33 episodes |
| 2013 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Elizabeth Cole | Episode: "Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case" |
| 2014 | Death in Paradise | Sasha Moore | Episode: "Death of a Detective" |
| The Secrets | Julie | Episode: "The Visitor" | |
| 2016 | Midsomer Murders | Rose Lancaster | S18E1: "Habeas Corpus" |
| 2020 | Noughts + Crosses | Meggie McGregor[12] | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Agatha and the Midnight Murders | Agatha Christie | |
| 2024 | Orangutan Jungle School | Narrator | Series 3 (6 episodes) |
A common misperception of me is...that my birthday is on Valentine's Day. It's on 7 June.
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