Suzanne Packer

{{Infobox person

| name = Suzanne Packer

| image = Suzanne Packer at the Chsiwick Book Festival (51449023075) (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Packer in 2021

| birth_name = Suzanne Jackson

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|11|26|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Cardiff, Wales

| death_date =

| death_place =

| other_names =

| education = Llanedeyrn High School;
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art

| alma_mater = University of Warwick

| relatives = Colin Jackson (brother)

| spouse = Jesse Newman (divorced)

| children = 1

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1990–present

}}

Suzanne Packer (born Suzanne Jackson on 26 November 1962){{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/brilliant-black-welsh-celebration-100-15173754|publisher=Wales Online|date=28 September 2018|access-date=15 January 2020|first=Abbie|last=Wightwick|title=Brilliant, Black and Welsh: A celebration of 100 African Caribbean and African Welsh people|archive-date=11 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211164030/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/brilliant-black-welsh-celebration-100-15173754|url-status=live}} is a Welsh actress, known for playing the role of Tess Bateman in the BBC medical drama Casualty from September 2003 to August 2015. She later returned to the series as a guest for the 30th-anniversary episodes in 2016. Since departing from Casualty, she has appeared in various television series including Bang, In My Skin and The Pembrokeshire Murders.

File:Suzanne Packer video at the Welsh Governments St David Presentations 2015.webm on behalf of the Welsh Government in 2015]]

Early life

Packer is the daughter of Jamaican and Panamanian immigrant parents who moved to Abergavenny, Wales, where her mother worked as a nurse. She is the older sister of the hurdler Colin Jackson.{{cite news|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/article176991.ece|title=Colin Jackson and his sister, Suzanne|newspaper=Sunday Times|date=17 December 2006|access-date=23 April 2014|archive-date=25 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525232926/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/article176991.ece|url-status=dead}}{{cite web | last=Lewis | first=Anthony | title=Famous siblings visit day therapy unit | website=Penarth Times | date=2015-08-10 | url=https://www.penarthtimes.co.uk/news/13585495.famous-siblings-visit-day-therapy-unit/ | access-date=2023-09-21}}

While studying at Llanedeyrn High School in Cardiff, she showed an interest in acting, playing the lead in school plays including Oklahoma and The King and I.{{Cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/casualty-tales-shrugged-fun-mum-2297552|title=Casualty tales shrugged off by fun mum|work=Wales Online|date=11 November 2006|access-date=19 January 2021|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119232804/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/casualty-tales-shrugged-fun-mum-2297552|url-status=live}} Packer attended the National Youth Theatre of Wales before earning a BA in theatre and drama at the University of Warwick. She then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.Hayward 1996, p. 193. Prior to acting professionally, Packer worked as a drama supply teacher. After working at one particular school for three months, she was offered a permanent contract, which she declined due to wanting to pursue acting full-time.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01xtjy7|title=Suzanne Packer talks about her experiences as a teacher|work=BBC|date=23 April 2014|access-date=19 January 2021|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119232805/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01xtjy7|url-status=live}}

Career

In 1991, Packer co-founded BiBi Crew, Britain's first comedy theatre troupe made up entirely of Black women.{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Black British Women's Theatre|chapter=Theatre of Black Women|date=2020|chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51459-4_2|work=Black British Women's Theatre: Intersectionality, Archives, Aesthetics|pages=23–84|editor-last=Abram|editor-first=Nicola|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-51459-4_2|isbn=978-3-030-51459-4|s2cid=226651462|access-date=2020-10-28|archive-date=17 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117215036/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-51459-4_2|url-status=live}} After she gained an audition for the BBC drama Casualty and was cast as Tess Bateman, she began appearing onscreen from September 2003.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/casualty/characters/tess.shtml#actor|title=Characters & Cast: Tess Bateman|work=BBC|access-date=2009-03-06|archive-date=28 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028210916/http://www.bbc.co.uk/casualty/characters/tess.shtml#actor|url-status=live}} On 22 August 2015, she announced her decision to leave Casualty after playing the character of Tess for over 11 years.{{Cite news|url=https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/news/former-casualty-star-suzanne-packer-new-drama-bang-492879/amp/|title=Ex Casualty star Suzanne Packer: 'I've all the power in my new drama!'|work=What's on TV|access-date=19 January 2021|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119232806/https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/news/former-casualty-star-suzanne-packer-new-drama-bang-492879/amp/|url-status=live}}

Packer appeared with her brother Colin on the first series of Pointless Celebrities on 6 July 2011. They were eliminated in the first round.{{cite web |title=Episode 3 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012j73v |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 February 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304002924/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012j73v |url-status=live }} In 2018, she began portraying the role of Nurse Digby in the BBC Three series In My Skin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2019/06/28/43425/bbc_orders_a_dark_comedy_about_a_teen_and_her_mentally_ill_mum|title=BBC orders a dark comedy about a teen and her mentally ill mum|work=Chortle|date=28 June 2019|access-date=27 March 2020|archive-date=29 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629105623/https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2019/06/28/43425/bbc_orders_a_dark_comedy_about_a_teen_and_her_mentally_ill_mum|url-status=live}} On 4 November 2018, Packer played Eve Cicero in the Doctor Who episode, "The Tsuranga Conundrum".{{cite news|last1=Ling|first1=Thomas|title=Doctor Who series 11 episode 5: meet the guest cast of The Tsuranga Conundrum|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-11-04/doctor-who-series-11-episode-5-cast-tsuranga-conundrum-guest-stars/|work=Radio Times|date=4 November 2018|access-date=4 November 2018|archive-date=5 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105062025/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-11-04/doctor-who-series-11-episode-5-cast-tsuranga-conundrum-guest-stars/|url-status=live}} In 2021, she starred in the ITV miniseries The Pembrokeshire Murders.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tyla.com/entertaining/tv-and-film-pembrokeshire-murders-itv-cast-luke-evans-review-john-cooper-killers-20210112.amp.html|title=Viewers Praise Luke Evans' Performance in 'Gripping' Serial Killer Drama Pembrokeshire Murders|work=Tyla|first=Kimberley|last=Bond|date=12 January 2021|access-date=19 January 2021|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119232806/https://www.tyla.com/entertaining/tv-and-film-pembrokeshire-murders-itv-cast-luke-evans-review-john-cooper-killers-20210112.amp.html|url-status=live}}

Personal life

Packer met American actor Jesse Newman while on a tour in Europe, and the pair later married, and had a son together.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/08_august/25/casualty_newcast.pdf|title=Casualty Pack|website=BBC|access-date=19 January 2021|archive-date=10 December 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031210110550/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/08_august/25/casualty_newcast.pdf|url-status=live}} The pair divorced.