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.
The Occupant of the Room
I Swear Dottie Achenbach
Words of War Anna Politkovskaya
Woken Helen
Tish Tish Murtha (voice)
Dance First Barbara
Choked Up Fiona Lacey
Wendell & Wild Irmgard Klaxon (voice)
Lapushka! Scoot Piccolo
Something Out of Nothing
The Real Anne: Unfinished Business Self- Presenter
Where We Used to Meet
Surfaces Alix
It's Me Miriam
Fanny Lye Deliver'd Fanny Lye
Be Still My Beating Heart
Judy Judy
Peterloo Nellie
Gwen Elen
Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels (voice)
Funny Cow Funny Cow
The Priest
Men Who Sleep in Cars Sarah
Cake
Unseen Emma
A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania
Red Top Rebekah Brooks
I Wish For You Grown Up Mia
The Falling Eileen Lamont
Hamlet Hamlet
Strange Weather Jane
The Shuttleworths Helen Bach
The Theory of Everything Elaine Mason
Keeping Rosy Charlotte
Run & Jump Vanetia
Keeping Up with the Joneses Celia
Svengali Angie
The Heart Fails Without Warning Mother
Private Peaceful Hazel Peaceful
Best Laid Plans Isabel
DeafBlind Maggie
Edge Elly
Imaginary Friend Pauline
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister Anne Lister
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980 Helen Marshall
Clubbed Angela
Hancock & Joan Joan Le Mesurier
Bike Squad WPC Kate McFay
Would Like To Meet George's Mum
I Am Bob Marilyn Monroe Lookalike/Compere's Assistant
Confessions of a Diary Secretary Tracey Temple
The Madness of the Dance
The Fear of Trilogy
Frozen Ticket Attendant
Faith Linda
Christmas Lights Pauline
All or Nothing Party girl
Hamilton Mattress Lulu (voice)
Girls' Night Sharon
Say Nothing Older Dolours Price · 9 eps
Rules of the Game Sam Thompson · 4 eps
Anne Anne Williams · 4 eps
Star Wars: Visions Kalina Kalfus (voice) · 1 ep
Mandy Susan Blower · 1 ep
Alan Bennett's Talking Heads Miss Fozzard · 1 ep
The Bisexual Sadie · 6 eps
Three Girls Sara Rowbotham · 3 eps
Inside No. 9 Nadia · 1 ep
The Village Grace Middleton · 12 eps
Room at the Top Alice Aisgill · 2 eps
The Hollow Crown Doll Tearsheet · 2 eps
Black Mirror Bella · 1 ep
Silk Martha Costello QC · 18 eps
Red Riding 1 ep
The Devil's Whore Elizabeth Lilburne · 4 eps
Little Dorrit Miss Wade · 14 eps
Criminal Justice Juliet Miller · 5 eps
Fairy Tales Cindy Mellor · 1 ep
See No Evil: The Moors Murders Myra Hindley · 2 eps
The Street 1 ep
Shameless Veronica Fisher · 26 eps
Comedy Connections 1 ep
Early Doors Janice · 6 eps
Linda Green Receptionist · 1 ep
Messiah DS Vickie Clarke · 3 eps
Clocking Off Marie Leach · 1 ep
Sunburn Sue · 1 ep
dinnerladies Twinkle · 16 eps
Jonathan Creek Marion Cretiss · 1 ep
Dalziel & Pascoe 1 ep
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Photocopy Assistant · 1 ep
ChuckleVision 1 ep
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The Occupant of the Room 2025 -
I Swear 2025Dottie Achenbach -
Words of War 2025Anna Politkovskaya -
Say Nothing 2024Older Dolours Price ·9 eps -
Woken 2024Helen -
Tish 2023Tish Murtha (voice) -
Dance First 2023Barbara -
Choked Up 2023Fiona Lacey -
Wendell & Wild 2022Irmgard Klaxon (voice) -
Lapushka! 2022Scoot Piccolo -
Something Out of Nothing 2022 -
Rules of the Game 2022Sam Thompson ·4 eps -
The Real Anne: Unfinished Business 2022Self- Presenter -
Anne 2022Anne Williams ·4 eps -
Where We Used to Meet 2021 -
Star Wars: Visions 2021Kalina Kalfus (voice) ·1 ep -
Mandy 2020Susan Blower ·1 ep -
Alan Bennett's Talking Heads 2020Miss Fozzard ·1 ep -
Surfaces 2020Alix -
It's Me 2020Miriam -
Fanny Lye Deliver'd 2019Fanny Lye - Be Still My Beating Heart 2019
-
Judy 2019Judy -
Peterloo 2018Nellie -
The Bisexual 2018Sadie ·6 eps -
Gwen 2018Elen -
Ceremony: The Return of Friedrich Engels 2018Friedrich Engels (voice) -
Funny Cow 2018Funny Cow -
The Priest 2017 -
Men Who Sleep in Cars 2017Sarah -
Cake 2017 -
Unseen 2017Emma -
Three Girls 2017Sara Rowbotham ·3 eps -
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2016Titania -
Red Top 2016Rebekah Brooks -
I Wish For You 2016Grown Up Mia -
The Falling 2015Eileen Lamont -
Hamlet 2015Hamlet -
Strange Weather 2015Jane -
The Shuttleworths 2015Helen Bach -
The Theory of Everything 2014Elaine Mason -
Keeping Rosy 2014Charlotte -
Inside No. 9 2014Nadia ·1 ep -
Run & Jump 2014Vanetia -
Keeping Up with the Joneses 2013Celia -
Svengali 2013Angie -
The Village 2013Grace Middleton ·12 eps - The Heart Fails Without Warning 2013Mother
-
Private Peaceful 2012Hazel Peaceful -
Room at the Top 2012Alice Aisgill ·2 eps -
The Hollow Crown 2012Doll Tearsheet ·2 eps -
Best Laid Plans 2012Isabel -
DeafBlind 2011Maggie -
Black Mirror 2011Bella ·1 ep -
Silk 2011Martha Costello QC ·18 eps -
Edge 2010Elly - Imaginary Friend 2010Pauline
-
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister 2010Anne Lister -
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980 2009Helen Marshall -
Red Riding 20091 ep -
The Devil's Whore 2008Elizabeth Lilburne ·4 eps -
Little Dorrit 2008Miss Wade ·14 eps -
Clubbed 2008Angela -
Criminal Justice 2008Juliet Miller ·5 eps -
Hancock & Joan 2008Joan Le Mesurier -
Fairy Tales 2008Cindy Mellor ·1 ep -
Bike Squad 2008WPC Kate McFay - Would Like To Meet 2007George's Mum
- I Am Bob 2007Marilyn Monroe Lookalike/Compere's Assistant
- Confessions of a Diary Secretary 2007Tracey Temple
-
See No Evil: The Moors Murders 2006Myra Hindley ·2 eps -
The Street 20061 ep - The Madness of the Dance 2006
-
The Fear of Trilogy 2006 -
Frozen 2005Ticket Attendant -
Faith 2005Linda -
Christmas Lights 2004Pauline -
Shameless 2004Veronica Fisher ·26 eps -
Comedy Connections 20031 ep -
Early Doors 2003Janice ·6 eps -
All or Nothing 2002Party girl -
Hamilton Mattress 2002Lulu (voice) - Linda Green 2001Receptionist ·1 ep
-
Messiah 2001DS Vickie Clarke ·3 eps -
Clocking Off 2000Marie Leach ·1 ep - Sunburn 1999Sue ·1 ep
-
dinnerladies 1998Twinkle ·16 eps - Girls' Night 1998Sharon
-
Jonathan Creek 1997Marion Cretiss ·1 ep -
Dalziel & Pascoe 19961 ep -
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates 1996Photocopy Assistant ·1 ep -
ChuckleVision 19871 ep
Becoming Victoria Wood Self
Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough Narrator
Quiet on Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry? Self
Art Matters Self
Inner Polar Bear Narrator (voice)
The Great Mountain Sheep Gather Self - Narrator
The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca Herself
Wonders of the Moon Narrator (voice)
Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle Narrator
Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods Self (archive footage)
Generation '66 Narrator
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas Self
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings Self
-
Becoming Victoria Wood 2026Self -
Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough 2025Narrator -
Quiet on Set: The Class Division in the Film Industry? 2025Self -
Art Matters 2024Self - Inner Polar Bear 2022Narrator (voice)
-
The Great Mountain Sheep Gather 2020Self - Narrator -
The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca 2018Herself -
Wonders of the Moon 2018Narrator (voice) -
Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle 2017Narrator -
Bunch of Kunst - A Film About Sleaford Mods 2017Self (archive footage) -
Generation '66 2016Narrator -
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas 2007Self -
Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings 2000Self