Sarah Parish

Parish was born in Yeovil, Somerset, to Bill and Thelma Parish; she has a sister, Julie, and a brother, musician John Parish. She was educated at the local Preston School and Yeovil College. She began acting at an early age and believes her first stage appearance was aged two in a pantomime in the village of Tintinhull in Somerset, playing the pearl in an oyster. She later attended Yeovil Youth Theatre.[http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Sarah-Parish-interview-Acting-wish-comes-true/story-15861554-detail/story.html Sarah Parish interview] at Western Daily Press 19 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2015

After training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London, her appearance in a cult advert for Manchester-based Boddingtons bitter in 1994 (as Vera, who likes nothing better than "a good rub down with chip fat"), led to a series of roles as Northern women, including Dawn Rudge in Peak Practice (1993), Allie Henshall in Cutting It (2002), Annie Naylor in Trust and Natalie Holden in Blackpool (2004). She starred alongside Debra Messing in the movie The Wedding Date, had a small role in The Holiday, which starred Jude Law, and appeared as the Empress of the Racnoss in the Christmas 2006 Doctor Who episode "The Runaway Bride".

Parish appeared in the one-off drama Recovery. She also starred in the BBC series ShakespeaRe-Told in which she played Beatrice. She returned as GP Katie Roden in series two and three of Mistresses, which debuted on BBC One in February 2009. She played Lady Catrina in the BBC television series Merlin.{{cite web|url=http://lhwo.hostrator.com/merlin/season2.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527013749/http://lhwo.hostrator.com/merlin/season2.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 May 2009|title=Merlin: Series 2|publisher=Merlins Keep|access-date=7 April 2009}}

In 2011, Parish co-starred in ITV's medical drama Monroe, alongside James Nesbitt. From 2013 to 2015, she appeared in the BBC TV series Atlantis, playing one of the main characters, Pasiphaë.{{cite news|last=Power|first=Vicki|title=Atlantis actress Sarah Parish on dates, parties and being a noisy neighbour|url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/453809/Atlantis-actress-Sarah-Parish-on-dates-relationships-and-being-a-noisy-neighbour|access-date=21 April 2014|newspaper=Express|date=18 January 2014}} From 2014 to 2017, she played the role of Anna Rampton in three series of the BBC TV comedy W1A. Since November 2015, Parish has portrayed Cheryl Fairweather in Sky One sitcom Trollied.

In December 2017, she played Supt Elizabeth Bancroft in the ITV miniseries Bancroft. The second series was broadcast in January 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-commissions-second-series-bancroft-starring-sarah-parish|title=ITV commissions second series of Bancroft, starring Sarah Parish|website=Itv.com|access-date=12 April 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2020-01-02/bancroft-s2/|title=When is Bancroft back on TV for series 2?|website=Radio Times|language=en|access-date=2020-01-25}}

In December 2019, she appeared in The Cockfields as Melissa, girlfriend of Nigel Havers' character, Larry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_cockfields/cast_crew/|title=The Cockfields|website=British Comedy Guide}} From 2020 to 2024, she has appeared in the HBO/BBC drama Industry. In December 2021, Parish appeared in the Netflix original Stay Close as Lorraine.

She has frequently co-starred opposite David Tennant — in the 2004 musical serial Blackpool; the Tony Marchant drama Recovery; the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas special episode, "The Runaway Bride"; in the third series of the ITV crime drama Broadchurch; and in the 2017 film You, Me and Him.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/series3.shtml|title=Who's new|website=Bbc.co.uk|date=8 October 2006|access-date=8 October 2006}}. She has joked: "We're like George and Mildred – in 20 years' time we'll probably be doing a ropey old sitcom in a terraced house in Preston."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,,2017626,00.html|title= Scissor sister|first=Sarah|last=Dempster|newspaper=The Guardian|date=21 February 2007|access-date=28 January 2014}}

Parish married James Murray on 15 December 2007 in Hampshire. It was announced in January 2008 that she was pregnant with their first child, due on Parish's 40th birthday. Their daughter Ella-Jayne was born with Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome and died in 2009.[http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/01/20/sarah-parish-mourning-death-of-daughter-ella-jayne "Sarah Parish Mourning Death of Daughter"] Celebrity Baby Blog, 20 January 2009 In her memory, Parish and Murray raise funds for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Southampton General Hospital.{{cite web|url=http://www.justgiving.com/ella-jaynemurray|title=Read Rosemary's story|website=Justgiving.com|access-date=12 April 2018}} As of December 2019, they had raised £5.2 million towards the PICU.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/sarah-parish-interview-bancroft-itv-w1a-broadchurch-medici-netflix-a9242896.html|title= Sarah Parish: 'I have a look about me that says death... I'm not a fluffy bunny'|first=Charlotte|last=Cripps|newspaper=The Independent|date=29 December 2019|access-date=16 June 2020}} Their second daughter, Nell, was born on 21 November 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.justgiving.com/ella-jaynemurray|title=rosie mitchell is fundraising for Friends of PICU}}

When asked about her hobbies and interests, Parish cites her vegetable garden.{{cite web |title=Interview with Atlantis star and Alton resident Sarah Parish |url=http://www.hampshire-life.co.uk/home/interview_with_atlantis_star_and_alton_resident_sarah_parish_1_3698775 |access-date=12 April 2018 |website=Hampshire-life.co.uk}}

On 2 March 2018, Parish sustained an accident, breaking her leg when sledging in the snow.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43271045|title=Broadchurch actress breaks leg on sledge|date=3 March 2018|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=12 April 2018}} She commented: "Note to self: cheap plastic sledges are for sitting in and gently trundling down primary slopes – NOT a substitute for a stand-up snowboard".{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf2sVzQB01z/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/Bf2sVzQB01z |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=limited|title=Sarah Parish on Instagram: "Day 2 in Winchester Hospital. Looks like I'll be operated on today. They're putting a bloody great big pin right through my shin!! No sleep…"|website=Instagram.com|access-date=12 April 2018}}{{cbignore}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{IMDb name|0661703}}
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/articles/2006/12/07/doctor_who_poll_feature.shtml Sarah Parish stars in Doctor Who: "The Runaway Bride"]

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Category:Living people

Category:1968 births

Category:20th-century English actresses

Category:21st-century English actresses

Category:Actresses from Somerset

Category:Alumni of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts

Category:English film actresses

Category:English television actresses

Category:Actors from Yeovil