Jill Halfpenny
{{short description|British actress (born 1975)}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox actor
| name = Jill Halfpenny
| image =
| imagesize =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|7|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England
| occupation ={{hlist|Actress|voiceover artist}}
| yearsactive = 1989–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Craig Conway|2007|2010|end=div}}
| children = 1
| relatives = Chelsea Halfpenny (niece)
}}
Jill Halfpenny (born 15 July 1975) is an English actress who first garnered attention playing Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age BBC drama series Byker Grove (1989–1992). She became more widely known for her roles as Rebecca Hopkins on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (1999–2000), Kate Mitchell on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2002–2005), and Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road (2006–2007). Her other notable credits include Babylon (2014), In the Club (2014–2016), Humans (2015), Three Girls (2017), Liar (2017–2020), Dark Money (2019), The Drowning (2021), and The Long Shadow (2023). She won the second series of the television dance contest Strictly Come Dancing in 2004.
For her portrayal of Paulette Bonafonté in the original West End run of Legally Blonde (2010–2011), Halfpenny received the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Her other stage credits include Chicago (West End, 2005), Calendar Girls (West End, 2009), Abigail's Party (West End, 2012), Way Upstream (Chichester Festival Theatre, 2015), The Girl on the Train (Leeds Playhouse, 2018), and A Taste of Honey (Royal Exchange, 2024).
Career
= 1989–2004: Television debut, soap roles, and ''Strictly Come Dancing'' =
Halfpenny began her professional career in 1989 when she joined the cast of the Newcastle-based children's drama series Byker Grove,{{cite web|last=Cavendish|first=Dominic|title=Jill Halfpenny: the life and soul of Abigail's Party|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/9099136/Jill-Halfpenny-the-life-and-soul-of-Abigails-Party.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=22 February 2012|access-date=23 December 2015}} playing the part of Nicola Dobson until 1992. Following guest star appearances on shows such as The Bill, Birds of a Feather, and Peak Practice, she landed the part of staff nurse Rebecca Hopkins on ITV's Coronation Street; a role she played between 1999 and 2000. The character was involved in a high-profile affair storyline with Martin Platt, eventually leading to the breakdown of Platt's marriage.{{cite web|last=Lindsay|first=Duncan|title=13 of Martin Platt's biggest storylines as Sean Wilson returns to Coronation Street|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/01/18/13-martin-platts-biggest-storylines-sean-wilson-returns-coronation-street-7239426/|work=Metro|date=18 January 2018|access-date=6 April 2024}}
In December 2002, Halfpenny took on the role of Kate Mitchell on BBC One's EastEnders. The character—an undercover policewoman—was introduced as a honeytrap for Phil Mitchell, with the intent of coaxing him into a murder confession; her cover was eventually blown and, having fallen in love with him, she became Mitchell's wife. It was revealed in October 2004 that the character had been axed, with her final scenes airing in January the following year.{{cite web|last=Wilkes|first=Neil|title=Confirmed: 'EastEnders' actress axed |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a16160/confirmed-eastenders-actress-axed/|work=Digital Spy|date=6 October 2004|access-date=13 May 2020}}
Between October and December 2004, Halfpenny competed in the second series of the celebrity ballroom dancing contest Strictly Come Dancing, where she was paired with professional dancer Darren Bennett. The couple were crowned the winners of the competition during its live final on 11 December 2004, after receiving the maximum 40 marks from the judging panel.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3SrnNWGP5ZNTVVwvvtlBS6D/jill-halfpenny|title=Strictly Come Dancing – Jill Halfpenny – BBC One|work=BBC Online|access-date=18 January 2017}} That same week, it was announced that Halfpenny would star as Roxie Hart in the West End musical Chicago, beginning in January 2005.{{cite web|last=Saney|first=Daniel|title=Jill Halfpenny to star in 'Chicago'|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a17638/jill-halfpenny-to-star-in-chicago/|work=Digital Spy|date=13 December 2004|access-date=4 April 2024}}
= 2005–2017: Stage roles, ''Waterloo Road'', and presenting work =
Halfpenny earned critical praise for her performance in The Bodies, a play adapted from an Émile Zola novel by Peter Flannery, which ran from June to July 2005 at Newcastle's Live Theatre.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/thebodies-rev|title=The Bodies|work=British Theatre Guide|access-date=6 April 2024}} Describing her work as the "dangerously crazed" Thérèse, The Guardian commented, "Halfpenny, forced to remain impassive at the outset, is tough and moving in her portrayal of [the character's] descent into madness".{{cite web|last=Saney|first=Daniel|title=Jill Halfpenny to star in 'Chicago'|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a17638/jill-halfpenny-to-star-in-chicago/|work=Digital Spy|date=13 December 2004|access-date=4 April 2024}} Next, she made a cameo appearance as a Geordie nanny on The Catherine Tate Show;[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FF95JjCdaM Jill Halfpenny on Catherine Tate] guest-starred on Channel 4's Shameless as a violent ex-jailbird;{{cite web|last=Barr|first=Gordon|title=Shame on you|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/shame-on-you-1521629|work=Chronicle Live|date=26 January 2006|access-date=7 April 2024}} hosted the debut episode of the BBC musical theatre tribute The Sound of Musicals,{{cite web|last=Deans|first=Jason|title=It's showtime on BBC1|url=https://theguardian.com/media/2005/sep/02/bbc.broadcasting|work=The Guardian|date=2 September 2005|access-date=7 April 2024}} where she performed songs from My Fair Lady and Moulin Rouge!; and began playing the regular part of schoolteacher Izzie Redpath on the BBC's Waterloo Road, for which she won the 2007 TV Quick Award for "Best Actress".{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2007/0904/411043-tvawards/|title=Corrie & Dr Who win big at TV awards|work=RTÉ News|date=4 September 2007|access-date=7 April 2024}} The character was later killed in an accidental stabbing during the finale of the show's second series, which aired on 26 April 2007.{{cite web|title=These nine Waterloo Road deaths still have me sobbing into my school jumper|url=https://thetab.com/uk/2021/12/24/eight-waterloo-road-deaths-still-have-me-sobbing-233209|work=The Tab|date=24 December 2021|access-date=6 April 2024}} That same year, she narrated the BBC Three documentary series Freaky Eaters and the Channel 4 one-off special Fat Man's Warning.{{cite web|last=Flett|first=Kathryn|url=https://theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2007/may/04/fatmanswarningadepressing|title=Fat Man's Warning: a depressing prognosis|work=The Guardian|date=4 May 2007|access-date=6 April 2024}}
Halfpenny appeared as Norma Farnes—Spike Milligan's long-suffering manager—in Richard Harris's Surviving Spike, which opened at the Theatre Royal, Windsor in February 2008. In his review for The Independent, critic Julian Hall felt that Halfpenny's performance "lends added zip to what is already a tightly written play ... [she] successfully evokes the tenacity that Farnes must have had to [endure Milligan]".{{cite web|last=Hall|first=Julian|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/surviving-spike-theatre-royal-windsor-779681.html|title=Surviving Spike, Theatre Royal, Windsor|work=The Independent|date=8 February 2008|access-date=6 April 2024}} Her next roles on stage were Cora in Calendar Girls (July to October 2009){{cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/west-ends-calendar-girls-welcomes-hall-brown-dobson-and-more-com-163087|last=Shenton|first=Mark|title=West End's Calendar Girls Welcomes Hall, Brown, Dobson and More|work=Playbill|date=28 July 2009|access-date=6 April 2024}} and Paulette Bonafonté in the West End production of Legally Blonde, which opened in January 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831252574345/Davison+%26+Halfpenny+Go+Blonde+with+Final+Casting.html|title=Davison & Halfpenny Go Blonde with Final Casting|publisher=Whatsonstage.com|access-date=2 May 2012|archive-date=12 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912040511/http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831252574345/Davison+%26+Halfpenny+Go+Blonde+with+Final+Casting.html|url-status=dead}} She earned particularly strong notices for her performance in the latter,{{cite news|last=Benedict|first=David|title=Legally Blonde|url=https://variety.com/2010/legit/reviews/legally-blonde-1117941881/|work=Variety|date=13 January 2010|access-date=6 April 2024}}{{cite news|last=Clapp|first=Susannah|author-link=Susannah Clapp |title=Theatre: Legally Blonde|url=https://theguardian.com/stage/2010/jan/17/review-legally-blonde|work=The Guardian|date=17 January 2010|access-date=6 April 2024}} winning the Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role.[http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831298005472/Full+List%3A+2011+Whatsonstage.com+Award+Winners.html Full List: 2011 Whatsonstage.com Award Winners], whatsonstage.com, 20 February 2011. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104082149/http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831298005472/Full%2BList%3A%2B2011%2BWhatsonstage.com%2BAward%2BWinners.html|date=4 November 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/148730-Legally-Blonde-Into-the-Woods-Clybourne-Park-After-the-Dance-Among-Olivier-Award-Winners-in-London|title=Legally Blonde, Into the Woods, Clybourne Park, After the Dance Among Olivier Award Winners in London|work=Playbill|date=13 March 2011|access-date=2 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020093150/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/148730-Legally-Blonde-Into-the-Woods-Clybourne-Park-After-the-Dance-Among-Olivier-Award-Winners-in-London|archive-date=20 October 2012}}
In March 2012, Halfpenny headlined a revival of Mike Leigh's 1977 play Abigail's Party at the Menier Chocolate Factory, which later transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre for four months.{{cite news|title=Abigail's Party to transfer to Wyndham's Theatre|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17817942|work=BBC Online|date=23 April 2012}} Her portrayal of the snobbish Beverly was warmly received, with The Guardian{{'}}s Kate Kellaway calling her "fantastic", adding: [she] perfectly catches Bev's dark side – her selfishness, sexual frustration and dangerous stupidity".{{cite news|title=Abigail's Party – review|url=https://theguardian.com/stage/2012/mar/11/abigails-party-menier-chocolate-review|work=The Guardian|date=11 March 2012|access-date=6 April 2024}} She then portrayed the matriarch of a 1940s household in the supernatural horror miniseries Lightfields, which aired between February and March 2013.{{cite news|title=Lightfields (ITV1, 9pm)|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/opinion/latest/10254634.lightfields-itv1-9pm/|work=The Northern Echo|last=Pratt|first=Steve|date=27 February 2013|access-date=6 April 2024}}
Halfpenny featured in two major television projects in 2014: first, the Kay Mellor-produced BBC One drama series In the Club, where she played an expectant first-time mother, and then Channel 4's seven-part satirical comedy series Babylon, in which she co-starred as PC Davina Bancroft. In September that same year, she narrated a segment on the history of North East England as part of the televised opening ceremony for the Great North Run.{{cite news|last=Dalby|first=Helen|title=29 stunning pictures from the Great North Run Million opening ceremony|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/29-stunning-pictures-great-north-7724392|work=Evening Chronicle|date=5 September 2014|access-date=7 September 2014}} She then appeared as a timid middle-class holidaymaker in Alan Ayckbourn's Way Upstream at Chichester Festival Theatre (April to May 2015),{{cite web|last=Mountford|first=Fiona|title=Way Upstream theatre review: dark, nasty and surreal at Festival Theatre, Chichester|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/way-upstream-theatre-review-dark-nasty-and-surreal-at-festival-theatre-chichester-10211910.html|work=Evening Standard|date=26 June 2015 |access-date=6 April 2024|language=en-GB}} and played one of the principal characters—Jill Drummond, a disabled woman who falls for her humanoid caregiver—on the first season of the science fiction drama series Humans, which aired between June and August 2015. Described as a "stylishly slow-burning Sunday night treat" by The Telegraph,{{cite web|title=Humans, episode six, review: "action-packed"|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11747071/Humans-episode-six-review-action-packed.html|first=Michael|last=Hogan|work=The Telegraph|date=19 July 2015|access-date=7 April 2024}} Humans was Channel 4's highest-rated drama in two decades, attracting an average of 6m viewers.{{cite web|title=Humans becomes Channel 4's biggest drama hit in 20 years|url=https://theguardian.com/media/2015/jun/22/humans-becomes-channel-4s-biggest-drama-hit-in-20-years|work=The Guardian|date=22 June 2015|access-date=7 April 2024}}
Halfpenny made her radio broadcast debut in May 2017, covering slots on BBC Radio 2 for regular presenters such as Liza Tarbuck and Sara Cox,{{cite web|title=BBC – music highlights for Summer 2017 – Media Centre|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/r2-music-highlights-summer|work=BBC Online|access-date=2018-08-28|language=en-GB}}{{cite web|title=Jill Halfpenny sits in, Sara Cox – BBC Radio 2 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000808|work=BBC Online|access-date=2018-08-28|language=en-GB}} and later hosting the station's Good Morning Sunday show throughout August 2018.{{cite web|title=Good Morning Sunday with Jason Mohammad and Jill Halfpenny|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bdb81k|work=BBC Online|access-date=6 April 2014}} Her acting projects during this period included the controversial BBC miniseries Three Girls,{{cite web|title=BBC drama Three Girls denies pushing 'far-right agenda'|url=https://theweek.com/84377/bbc-drama-three-girls-denies-pushing-far-right-agenda|work=The Week|date=9 May 2017|access-date=6 April 2024}} an examination of the events surrounding the Rochdale child sex abuse ring. Airing over three consecutive nights in May 2017, the drama received a positive reception, with Halfpenny's portrayal of Julie Winshaw—a fictionalised version of one of the parents whose teenage child was exploited—garnering praise.{{cite news|url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/may/21/three-girls-tv-review-coronation-street-ivanka-trump-the-real-lady-veep|last=Ellen|first=Barbara|title=The week in TV: Three Girls; Coronation Street; Ivanka Trump: America's Real First Lady; Veep|date=21 May 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=6 April 2024}}
= 2018–present: Theatre and television =
In the stage adaptation of the psychological thriller novel The Girl on the Train, Halfpenny headlined as Rachel, a dispirited alcoholic who witnesses a murder but struggles to convince people of what she saw. Premiering at the Leeds Playhouse in May 2018, the production was met with mixed reviews,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44167320|title=The Girl on the Train: Critics call stage premiere 'a train wreck'|date=18 May 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=6 April 2024}} though critics agreed that Halfpenny was its biggest asset, with The Yorkshire Post commenting that she "steals the show ... Her role requires a nuanced performance that keeps the audience guessing [and] it's one she delivers with great aplomb".{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/theatre-and-stage/review-the-girl-on-the-train-west-yorkshire-playhouse-585463|title=Review: The Girl on the Train - West Yorkshire Playhouse|date=18 May 2018|work=The Yorkshire Post|access-date=6 April 2024}} The following year, she starred as a conflicted parent who accepts hush money after her 13-year-old son is molested by a Hollywood film producer, in the four-part BBC miniseries Dark Money.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/jill-halfpenny-dark-money-bbc-eastenders-waterloo-road-strictly-interview-a9002746.html|title=Jill Halfpenny: 'As women, we f*** up and do things that we're ashamed of – that's just normal'|last=Pollard|first=Alexandra|work=The Independent|date=14 July 2019|access-date=6 April 2024}}
In Channel 5's The Drowning, a mystery thriller that aired over four consecutive nights in February 2021, Halfpenny starred as Jodie Walsh, a grief-stricken mother who comes to believe that her late son may still be alive. In her appraisal of the show for The Guardian, Lucy Mangan said of Halfpenny, "Her presence is always a sign that a programme will be an elevated production. Here, her inability to strike a false or melodramatic note is perfect for the [character]".{{cite news|url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/feb/01/the-drowning-review-mistaken-identity-or-a-shocking-mystery|title=The Drowning review: mistaken identity – or a shocking mystery?|last=Mangan|first=Lucy|work=The Guardian|date=1 February 2021|access-date=6 April 2024}} Next, she played the supporting role of Doreen Hill in The Long Shadow, a seven-part miniseries—based on the crimes of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe—that aired on ITV1 between September and November 2023. Radio Times critic James Hibbs was effusive in his praise of the show's "strong" cast, calling them "real, fully rounded individuals" and adding, "Everyone brings their A-game in wholly different ways, [including] Halfpenny as the grieving mother of one of Sutcliffe's victims".{{cite news|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-long-shadow-itv-review/|title=The Long Shadow review: Hard-hitting series walks a dramatic tightrope|last=Hibbs|first=James|work=Radio Times|date=25 September 2023|access-date=6 April 2024}} Speaking of the research she undertook in preparation for playing Hill, Halfpenny said it was the lack of aftercare for the victims that shocked her most: "They were just left to deal with such tragic circumstances [and] in such a public arena, with seemingly no support ... It just really shocked me that they were just left alone, and how little power they had ... We talk so much now about support and therapy and what could we give them and how can we help them. [Back then] it was like, 'Oh, well, that's happened'. I thought it was heartbreaking".{{cite news|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/jill-halfpenny-shocked-long-shadow-newsupdate/|title=Jill Halfpenny on what shocked her most in research for The Long Shadow|work=Radio Times|date=14 September 2023|access-date=6 April 2024}}
Halfpenny's role in the 2024 adaptation of Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey, which debuted at the Royal Exchange, Manchester on 15 March, was met with praise; writing for The Daily Telegraph, critic Mark Brown believed her portrayal of working-class single mother Helen to be "suitably monstrous, but with an intelligent, underlying and brittle fragility".{{cite news|url=https://theweek.com/culture-life/theatre/a-taste-of-honey-review|title=A Taste of Honey: 'wonderful' revival remains 'vital and relevant'|work=The Week|access-date=6 April 2024}} Her next project was Channel 5's The Cuckoo, in which she played the mysterious Sian, a lodger hiding a dark secret from the family she's living with. Emily Watkins of the i newspaper described the miniseries as "well-paced [and] acted", noting that Halfpenny's "flinty gaze" lent her character "a chilling intensity".{{cite web|title=The Cuckoo review: The best weeknight drama on TV|first=Emily|last=Watkins|work=i|access-date=10 April 2024|date=8 April 2024|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-cuckoo-review-channel-5-2995803}}
Other work
Halfpenny has narrated commercials for Argos, Children in Need, Ford Fiesta, The Sunday Times, Aunt Bessie's, Cocoa Pops, the Royal Air Force, First Choice, and Caledonian Travel.{{cite web|url=https://www.caledonian.com/blog/post/42-caledonian-tv-advert-2024|title=Go On... Go Caledonian TV Ad 2024|work=Caledonian Travel|access-date=8 April 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://qvoice.co.uk/voice-artists/index.php?profile=jill-halfpenny|title=Jill Halfpenny|work=Qvoice|access-date=8 April 2024}}
It was announced in February 2024 that Halfpenny's memoir, A Life Reimagined, would be published by Pan Macmillan. Due for release in June 2024, it touches on the deaths of her father and her ex-partner.
Personal life
Halfpenny was born in Leam Lane, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear on 15 July 1975.{{cite web|title=TV on Tyne - Jill Halfpenny|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_galleries/northumbria_icons_jill_halfpenny_gallery.shtml|work=BBC Online|access-date=8 April 2024}}
She married fellow actor Craig Conway in 2007; together they have a son, Harvey. The couple divorced in 2010. In 2019, Halfpenny spoke of her grief following the death of her partner, Matt Janes, two years earlier. He died aged 43 after suffering a heart attack.{{cite web|url=https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/tv-movies/how-old-jill-halfpenny-eastenders-partner-children/|title=How old is Jill Halfpenny and who did she play in EastEnders?|work=Heart.co.uk|date=1 February 2021|access-date=4 July 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/drowning-star-jill-halfpenny-opens-4952171|title=The Drowning star Jill Halfpenny opens up on partner's sudden death|date=1 February 2021|access-date=4 July 2023}}
Halfpenny is an ambassador for Kidscape, a children's charity.[http://www.kidscape.org.uk/info/staffpatronlist.asp] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524030923/http://www.kidscape.org.uk/info/staffpatronlist.asp|date=24 May 2011}} She was named "Freeman of the Borough of Gateshead" in 2013, in recognition of her services to theatre, television, and charity.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/NEWS/10794634.North_East_actress_Jill_Halfpenny_presented_with_Freedom_of_Borough_of_Gateshead/?ref=rss|title=North-East actress Jill Halfpenny presented with Freedom of Borough of Gateshead|work=The Northern Echo|date=7 November 2013|access-date=10 December 2013}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2000
|Command Approved |Chopper Pilot | |
| 2011
|Christina | |
| 2013
|Turn Your Bloody Phone Off: The Second Batch |Mummy |Short |
| 2016
|Maisie |Louise |Short |
| 2017
|Peggy Van Rhys |Voice |
| 2018
|Lara Anderson | |
| 2019
|Colourblind |Mum |Short |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1989–1992
|Nicola Dobson |Series regular (seasons 1–4) |
| rowspan="3"| 1997
|Lisa Collett |Episode: "Man Trap" |
| Birds of a Feather
|Brittany |Episode: "Rising Damp" |
| The Lakes
|Tina |Episode #1.1 |
| rowspan="3"| 1998
|{{sortname|The|Round Tower|nolink=1}} |Rosie Cotton |Television film |
| Heartbeat
|Mitzi Wyler |Episode: "Local Knowledge" |
| Touching Evil
|Annie Jordan |Episode: "What Price a Child" {{small|Parts 1 & 2}} |
| rowspan="2"| 1999
|Shelley |Episode: "Tying the Knot" |
| Peak Practice
|Kelly |Recurring (series 8) |
| 1999–2000
|Series regular |
| 2001
|Tara Connolly |Episode: "Home Truths" |
| 2002
|Gail |Main role |
| 2002–2005
|Series regular |
| 2003
|Kirsty |Episode: "Kirsty" |
| 2004
|Contestant |Series 2 winner |
| 2005
|Gina |Episode: "Dog Obedience" |
| 2006
|Roxy Benson |Episode: "Old Flame" |
| 2006–2007
|Series regular (series 1–2) |
| 2007
|Jackie Holroyd |Episode: "Crisis Management" |
| 2009
|Cora Davidson |Episode: "Gently with the Innocents" |
| rowspan="2"| 2011
|Emma |Recurring (series 1) |
| Walk Like a Panther
|Lara Anderson |Episode #1.1 |
| rowspan="2"| 2012
|Elizabeth Bryant |Episode: "Murdoch of the Klondike" |
| Wild at Heart
|Fiona |Recurring (series 7) |
| rowspan="2"| 2013
|Martha Felwood |Main role |
| Vera
|Maggie Warnock |Episode: "Prodigal Son" |
| rowspan="2"| 2014
|Davina |Main role |
| Beautality
|Pam St. Clair |Television film |
| 2014–2016
|Diane Manning |Main role |
| 2015
|Jill Drummond |Main role (series 1) |
| rowspan="2"| 2016
|Naomi Walker |Episode: "The Blood Red Sea" |
| Ordinary Lies
|Belinda Brierly |Episode: "Joe" |
| 2017
|Julie Winshaw |Main role |
| 2017–2020
|Liar |Jennifer |Recurring (series 1–2) |
| rowspan="2"| 2019
|Flora Wilson |3 episodes |
| Dark Money
|Sam Mensah |Main role |
| 2020
|Jennie |Episode: "Misdirection" |
| 2021
|Jodie Walsh |Main role |
| rowspan="3"| 2022
|Jill Halfpenny's Easter Journeys |Presenter |Documentary miniseries |
| The Holiday
|Kate Fitzgerald |Main role |
| Everything I Know About Love
| Roisin |Main role |
| 2023
|Doreen Hill |3 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2024
|Sian Gregson |Main role |
| The Red King
|Ann Fletcher |Episode #1.2 |
| {{TableTBA}}
| {{Pending series| The Feud}} | Emma |
=Voice work=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Selected voiceover credits |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="2" | 2007
|Narrator |Series 1 |
| Fat Man's Warning
|Narrator |Documentary |
| 2011
|Narrator |Documentary |
| rowspan="2" | 2013
|Shoplife |Narrator |Documentary |
| Shut-ins: Britain's Fattest People
|Narrator |Documentary |
| 2015
|Britain's Horror Homes |Narrator |Series 1 |
| 2017
|Shut-ins: Britain's Fattest Woman |Narrator |Documentary |
| 2017–2018
|The Liza Tarbuck Show; The Sara Cox Show; Good Morning Sunday |Host |Recurring; BBC Radio 2 |
| 2018
|Stone |Jackie Stanton-Hope |Main role (series 7); BBC Radio 4 |
| 2019
|When Plastic Surgery Goes Horribly Wrong |Narrator |Documentary |
| rowspan="2" | 2020
|Body Horror |Caroline |Main role; BBC Radio 4 |
| The Estate: Life Up North
|Narrator |Documentary miniseries |
| 2020–2022
|Elephant Hospital |Narrator |Documentary series |
| rowspan="4" | 2022
|The Magpie |Narrator |Audiobook {{small|(author: Marrisse Whittaker)}} |
| Vengeance Is Mine
|Narrator |Audiobook {{small|(author: Michael Wood)}} |
| Trouble at Topshop
|Narrator |Documentary miniseries |
| Northern Justice
|Narrator |Documentary series |
| rowspan="2" | 2022–2023
|Narrator |Documentary series |
| Hotel Benidorm: Sun, Sea & Sangria
|Narrator |Documentary series |
| 2024
|A Life Reimagined |Narrator |Audiobook {{small|(author: Jill Halfpenny)}}{{cite web|last=Wood|first=Heloise|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/jill-halfpennys-memoir-goes-to-pan-macmillan|title=Jill Halfpenny's memoir goes to Pan Macmillan|date=29 February 2024|work=The Bookseller|access-date=7 April 2024}} |
Theatre
Accolades
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result ! scope=col class=unsortable | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| 2004
| Sexiest Female | {{nom}} |
| 2007
| Best Actress | {{won}} |
| rowspan="2" | 2011
| Best Supporting Actress in a Musical | rowspan="2" | Legally Blonde | {{won}} |
| Laurence Olivier Awards
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | {{won}} |
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0355163|name=Jill Halfpenny}}
{{Strictly Come Dancing}}
{{OlivierAward MusicalSupportingPerformance 2001–2025}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halfpenny, Jill}}
Category:Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters
Category:English musical theatre actresses
Category:British soap opera actresses
Category:English stage actresses
Category:British television actresses
Category:British people of Irish descent
Category:Laurence Olivier Award winners
Category:Actors from Gateshead
Category:Actresses from Tyne and Wear