Nicola Stephenson
{{Short description|English actress}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| image = File:Nicola Stephenson WarHorse (cropped).jpg
| caption = Nicola Stephenson in War Horse as Rose Narracott
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1971|7|5}}
| birth_place = Oldham, Lancashire, England
| occupation = Actress
| children = 2
| spouse = Paul Stephenson
| name = Nicola Stephenson
}}
Nicola Stephenson (born 5 July 1971){{cite news|title = Weekend birthdays|newspaper = The Guardian|pages = 47|date = 5 July 2014}} is an English actress. She played the roles of Margaret Clemence in Brookside, Julie Fitzjohn in Holby City, Sarah Williams in The Chase, Allie Westbrook in Waterloo Road, and Tess Harris in Emmerdale.
Life and career
She was born in Oldham, Lancashire{{cite web|title=Nicola Stephenson's profile at Another Tongue|url=http://www.anothertongue.com/artist/nicola-stephenson|publisher=anothertongue.com|access-date=18 November 2015}} and attended North Chadderton School for her secondary education.{{cite web|url=http://www.northchaddertonschool.co.uk/mainsite/postsixteen.html|title=North Chadderton School – list of notable alumni}}
=Career=
She is known mainly for her roles in television, which include Margaret Clemence in Channel 4's Brookside; Stephenson's on-air kiss with Anna Friel (Beth Jordache) was the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss to be broadcast on British television.{{cite news|last=Roffey|first=Monique|title=When Anna and Beth kissed Margaret: Anna Friel plays Brookside's lesbian pin-up. Monique Roffey met her|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/when-anna-and-beth-kissed-margaret-anna-friel-plays-brooksides-lesbian-pinup-monique-roffey-met-her-1440368.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/when-anna-and-beth-kissed-margaret-anna-friel-plays-brooksides-lesbian-pinup-monique-roffey-met-her-1440368.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=6 November 2011|publisher=theindependent.co.uk|date=2 October 1994}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/people/anna_friel_person_page.shtml|publisher=BBC|title=Discover more about the stars of BBC Drama – Anna Friel}} In 2012 the kiss was broadcast to over 5 billion people when it was included as part of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle. The opening ceremony was broadcast uncensored in 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal and therefore became the first homosexual kiss to be broadcast in these countries.{{cite web|url=http://www.afterellen.com/tv/102520-the-london-olympics-opening-ceremony-includes-a-lesbian-kiss-seen-around-the-world|title=The London Olympics opening ceremony includes a lesbian kiss seen around the world – AfterEllen|date=28 July 2012}} Other roles have included Julie Fitzjohn/Bradford in Holby City, Suzie Davidson in Clocking Off, Jackie Armstrong in ITV's Christmas Lights/Northern Lights/City Lights, Sarah Williams in BBC's The Chase and Helen Enright in All at Sea. In 2012, Nicola played Louise, a series lead in the ITV drama Homefront. In 2014 she joined the regular cast of Waterloo Road as art teacher Allie Westbrook for 11 episodes.
Her theatre roles include A Patriot for Me at the Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Peter Gill, His Girl Friday and Edmund at the National Theatre, directed by Ed Hall, and War Horse at the New London Theatre in London's West End, directed by Marianne Elliot. In 2025 she played Dorothy Pizer in the play Liberation written by Zodwa Nyoni at Royal Exchange Theatre as part of Manchester International Festival.
In 2007, she had a lead role in the BBC TV 3 part series Superstorm directed by Julian Simpson. In 2014 she worked with Simpson again when he directed her as a guest lead in the BBC TV series New Tricks.
She appeared in the ITV drama Safe House in early 2015.{{cite news|last1=Crawford|first1=Sue|title=Life as I know it: Nicola Stephenson, star of the new drama Safe Houses|url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/571156/Nicola-Stephenson-Safe-Houses-interview|access-date=18 November 2015|work=Daily Express|date=19 April 2015}}
From 2015 to 2016, she played the part of Tess Harris in the soap-opera Emmerdale. Her five-month stint on the serial came to a sudden end when her character was killed off in a hit-and-run incident. Stephenson's role in the soap also reunited her with her co-star from The Chase, Gaynor Faye, who had played the character of Megan Macey since 2012.
Filmography
=Films=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1989
| Ethel | |
| 1998
| The Duke | Edith | Short film |
| 1999
| The Last Yellow | Karen | |
| rowspan="2" |2004
| Nits | Mum | rowspan="3" | Short film |
| Floating
| Grace |
| 2005
| Mr John | Carol |
| 2019
| Amanda | |
| rowspan="2"|2023
| Scoffed | Jane | rowspan="2" | Short film |
| Stone
| Rita Taylor |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1988
| Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| rowspan="3" |1990
| Amanda | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| Medics
| Suzie | Episode: "Annie" |
| The Final Frame
|Louise |TV film |
| 1990–1994
| Series regular; 238 episodes |
| 1994
| Nice Day at the Office | Lizzie Kershaw | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 1995
|Go Back Out |Sam | rowspan="2" |TV film |
| rowspan="2" |1996
|Kiss and Tell |Alex Reynolds |
| Out of the Blue
| Lucy Shaw | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|1997
| Fran Rainford | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| The Bill
| Julie Hicks | Episode: "Shades of Grey Part 1 & 2" |
| 1998–1999
| Gail | Recurring role |
| 1998–2001
| Casualty | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
| 1999
| Big Bad World | Jennifer | Episode: "What's Wrong with Bees?" |
| 1999–2001
| Series regular; 50 episodes |
| 2002–2003
| Suzie Davidson | Recurring role; 11 episodes |
| 2003
|Without You |Jess |TV film |
| rowspan="2" | 2004
| Wife | Episode: "The Shoemaker's Son" |
| Christmas Lights
|Jackie |TV film |
| rowspan="5" |2005
| Nicola Passmore | Episode: "The Hitch" |
| Dead Man Weds
| Donna Havercroft | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
| Waking the Dead
| Julia Henderson | Episode: "Subterraneans" |
| The Walk
|Christine | rowspan="2" |TV film |
| Legless
| |
| rowspan="2" | 2006
| Jackie Armstrong | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| All in the Game
|Jennifer | |
| 2006–2007
| Sarah Williams | Series regular; 20 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2007
| Sara Hughes | Miniseries; 3 episodes |
| City Lights
| Jackie Armstrong | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| rowspan="3" |2008
| Justine | Episode: "Series 3, Episode 1" |
| Lark Rise to Candleford
| Susan Braby | Episode: "Series 1, Episode 7" |
| Clash of the Santas
|Jackie Armstrong |TV film |
| 2009
| Mandy Jackson | Episode: "Unloved" |
| rowspan="2"|2010
| Diane Porter | Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| Moving On
| Lindsay | Episode: "Skin Deep" |
| rowspan="2"|2012
| Life Stories | Megan's Mum | Episode: "Megan's Friend" |
| Homefront
| Louise Mancetta | Miniseries; 6 episodes |
| 2013–2015
| Mum | Series regular; 26 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2014
| Emily Fraser | Episode: "London Underground" |
| Waterloo Road
| Allie Westbrook | Series regular; 10 episodes |
| 2015
| Ali Blackwell | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
| 2015–2016
| Series regular; 31 episodes |
| 2017–2020
| Julie Hubble | Recurring role; 25 episodes |
| 2018
| Maebh Connor | Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| rowspan="2"|2019
| Liz Jellop | Episode: "The Curious Curate" |
| Midsomer Murders
| Izzy Silvermane | Episode: "With Baited Breath" |
| rowspan="3"|2020
| Grace Beaty | Episode: "Hope" |
| Broke
| Marnie | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| Dun Breedin'
| Sandra | Miniseries; 1 episode |
| 2021
| Connie Rowe | Episode: "The Free Waters" |
| rowspan="3"|2022
| Thelma Haig | Episode: "Series 11, Episode 3" |
| The Dumping Ground
| Delilah Fortune | Episode: "Saviour" |
| The Walk-In
| Renshaw's Mother | Miniseries; 3 episodes |
| rowspan="3"|2023
| Maternal | Debbie Wares | Recurring role; 2 episodes |
| London Kills
| Kathy Lawrence | Episode: "Fallout" |
| The Long Shadow
| Olive Smelt | Miniseries; 3 episodes |
Personal life
Stephenson was in a relationship with actor Kieran O'Brien for eight years. The relationship ended in 1999.{{cite web | url= http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Interview+Nicola+Stephenson%3A+Me,+cool+and+calm%3F%3B+Nicola+Stephenson...-a081709210| title=Me, cool and calm?; Nicola Stephenson says she's so clumsy she nearly killed someone while filming Clocking Off. She talks to Janie Lawrence about that, her ideal men (yes men) and life after that Brookside lesbian snog| work=The Free Library | date=13 January 2002 | access-date=15 April 2014}} Stephenson has two daughters.{{fact|date=April 2024}}
References
{{reflist|40em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0827296}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Nicola}}
Category:Actresses from Oldham
Category:People educated at North Chadderton School
Category:21st-century English actresses
Category:English television actresses