The Multi award-winning writer and actress, Joanna Scanlan is well known for her incredible ability to bring unique and compelling characters to life creating an honesty that’s hard to look away from. Her versatility in both comedy and drama, shows her stealing the scene in almost everything she’s in - from The Thick of It to The Invisible Woman. But perhaps the most captivating performance of her career to date was After Love, earning her a BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

 

In this heartfelt independent British film, she plays Mary, a muslim convert, who discovers her late husband, a ferry captain, is leading a double life across the channel. Her mesmerising performance was so powerful it won her numerous international awards as well both BAFTAs and BIFAs, receiving resounding critical acclaim: "A masterclass in the dramatic power of understatement."— Mark Kermode, The Guardian.

 

Joanna isn’t just adept at bringing heart-felt drama and emotion to our screens - she’s widely regarded as one of the UK’s funniest actors. Well known for her deadpan delivery and comedic timing - she’s played a plethora of memorable roles in award winning TV.  Whether it’s the notoriously ineffective director of comms, Terri, in The Thick of It, Denise Flixster, the amoral ward sister in Getting On (which she co-wrote with Jo Brand and Vicki Pepperdine), or the brilliant no holds barred Detective Inspector Viv Deering in Channel 4’s No Offence. When it comes to delivering killer lines - Joanna knows how to pack a punch.

 

And the long list of celebrated TV shows goes on - Apple TV+’s global hit Slow Horses, A Very Royal Scandal,The Larkins, Gentleman Jack, The Light in the Hall.  She’s also co-written several TV series including the award winning Getting On, which was picked up by HBO for a 3 series run in America and Puppy Love for the BBC. 

 

Joanna’s film appearances include Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Wicked Little Letters, Pincushion, Notes on Scandal and Girl with a Pearl Earring. 

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But Joanna’s journey to success wasn’t plain sailing. Daughter of hoteliers, Joanna grew up in the idyllic wilds of North Wales and from a tender age found her love of acting after being asked to recite a poem by Walter de la Mare in a school production.  She has vivid memories of the imaginative space the words created and ever since it’s always been that escape rather than the need for applause that’s driven her.  

 

After gaining a place at Cambridge University to study history she joined the renowned footlights troupe with the alumni like Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Miriam Margolyes and her path seemed set.  But after finishing her studies she struggled to break into the business faced with constant rejection and no second calls to auditions. Needing a job she took a drama teaching post at Leicester Polytechnic.

 

But her dreams ate away at her and she found herself in a deep depression, leaving her job at 29 and moving back in with her parents in North Wales.  It was there after a conversation with a doctor who said, “if you don’t go back acting, you will be ill for the rest of your life” that she summoned up the courage to start again. Finally, at the age of 34 she got her first professional acting job in Peak Practice and the rest is history.

 

Looking back Joanna still pinches herself, “Some stories have surprise endings don’t they?” treasuring every day she acts or writes. When she’s not pursuing her passions she loves long walks with husband Neil and, four-legged best friend, Levi - who would be a good candidate for Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly the hit show she’s the voice for. 

 

Joanna is an honorary fellow of Queens' College Cambridge, Bangor University and De Montfort University.