Pauline Quirke

Pauline Quirke MBE
Born	Pauline Perpetua Quirke[1] (1959-07-08) July 8, 1959 (age 65)[2] Hackney, London, England
Occupation(s)	Actress, writer
Years active	1970–present
Television	Birds of a Feather (1988–1999, 2014–2017) Emmerdale (2010–2012) Broadchurch (2013–2015)
Spouse	Steve Sheen ​ (m. 1996)​
Children	2, including Charlie
Website	Official website

Pauline Perpetua Sheen MBE (better known by her stage name Pauline Quirke; born 8 July 1959^[3][4]) is an English actress. She began her career with roles on various television series, before fronting her own comedy sketch show, Pauline's Quirkes, in 1976. She later starred as Vicky Smith on the BBC drama series Angels (1982–1983), and achieved fame with her portrayal of Sharon Theodopolopodous on the long-running sitcom Birds of a Feather (1988–1999, 2014–2017), for which she won a British Comedy Award and was nominated on three occasions for a National Television Award. In 1997, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her role in the BBC miniseries The Sculptress. Between 2010 and 2012, Quirke played Hazel Rhodes on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.

Quirke's film appearances include The Elephant Man (1980), Little Dorrit (1987), and Getting It Right (1989). Other television credits include Shine on Harvey Moon (1984–1985, 1995), Maisie Raine (1998–1999), David Copperfield (1999), Down to Earth (2000–2003), Cold Blood (2007–2008), Missing (2009–2010), Skins (2010), Broadchurch (2013–2015), and You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015).

Career

Early work

Quirke began her career as a child actress with an appearance in Dixon of Dock Green.^[5] Another early role was that of an autistic teenager in the 1975 TV drama Jenny Can't Work Any Faster.^[6]

By 1976, she had her own TV show, Pauline's Quirkes, on Thames Television, which featured pop music, teenage topics, and comedy sketches. This was also the first television show in which Quirke and Linda Robson appeared together regularly.^[7] In 1976, she played the lead role in the "Special Offer" episode of ATV's Beasts, by Nigel Kneale, also starring Wensley Pithey and Martin Shaw.^[8] Quirke also had a small role in the movie The Elephant Man in 1980. Quirke played Veronica in Shine on Harvey Moon in 1982.^[5]

Quirke's big break came in 1989, when she began playing the part of Sharon Theodopolopodous in the BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather with Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph.^[5] The series ran on the BBC from 1989 to 1998 and was resurrected on ITV between 2014 and 2017, with the final episode in December 2020 in which Quirke did not appear.

Later work

From 1994 to 1999, Quirke appeared in a series of Surf adverts with Linda Robson, and the pair worked together on the BBC documentary series Jobs for the Girls.^[9] In 1996, she starred in the BBC television adaptation of The Sculptress by Minette Walters, receiving much critical acclaim for her performance, including a British Academy TV Award nomination for Best Actress. When Birds of a Feather ended, Quirke began playing DI Maisie Raine in Maisie Raine, a drama series for BBC One, which ran in 1998 and 1999.

From 2000 to 2003, Quirke starred opposite Warren Clarke in the BBC series Down to Earth. She made a return to comedy in 2000 when she starred with Neil Stuke, Robert Daws and Pippa Haywood in BBC sitcom Office Gossip. After a start with over six million viewers, the show found its ratings dropped and it was cancelled after only one series. However, Quirke was nominated for Most Popular Comedy Performer at the National Television Awards for her role. In 2002, she starred alongside Nitin Ganatra in Being April, a comedy drama for BBC One. Quirke appeared in Carrie's War in 2004 and in 2005, played a major role in The Bill as Cath Wilson, a woman wrongly convicted of murdering a child.

In 2006, Quirke played Colleen McCabe in The Thieving Headmistress and in 2008, she appeared in an episode of My Family as Sharon the Bank Robber. Quirke has frequently been seen in the audience of Strictly Come Dancing and has appeared on its companion show It Takes Two more than once. She was a contestant on BBC's Celebrity MasterChef in June 2007, but was disqualified for creating a dish that was described by Loyd Grossman as "in no way resembling a meal".^[5]

In 2009 and 2010, she played the lead role in the BBC daytime drama series Missing as DS Mary Jane "MJ" Croft, head of a Missing Persons Unit. In May 2010, it was announced that Quirke would be joining the rural soap opera Emmerdale as Hazel Rhodes, the mother of established character, Jackson Walsh.^[10] Quirke said, "I've never done anything like this before so it's something different for me and I'm very happy to be a part of it."^[10] On 16 May 2011, it was announced that Quirke had decided to quit Emmerdale. Her character left on 25 January 2012.

From 2013 to 2015, Quirke had a recurring role as Susan Wright in ITV drama series Broadchurch, appearing in all eight episodes of the first series and returning to feature in two of the eight episodes of the second series. Her pet Labrador, Bailey, also appeared in the programme. She was a guest panellist on Loose Women on two occasions.

In 2015, she played the role of Paula Winton in the ten-part comedy thriller You, Me and the Apocalypse for Sky1.^[11]

Quirke decided not to be involved in the final episode of Birds of a Feather in December 2020, in order to concentrate on her Performing Arts Academies.^[12][13]

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to young people, the entertainment industry and charity.^[14]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1970	Junket 89	Molly	Main role
1971	Dixon of Dock Green	Jane Taylor	1 episode
	Softly, Softly: Task Force	Janice West	1 episode
1972	The Problem with 2B	Molly	Main role
1973	Malachi’s Cove	Store Girl	Supporting role
1974	The Tomorrow People	Student	Recurring role (3 episodes)
	Play for Today	Checkout Girl	1 episode
1975	Shadows	Dawn	1 episode
	Jenny Can’t Work Any Faster	Jenny	Television film
1975-1976	You Must Be Joking!	Various	Recurring roles (3 episodes)
1976	Beasts	Noreen Beale	1 episode
1976	Pauline's Quirkes	Herself - presenter	6 episodes
1976-1983	Angels	Kate Morahan/Vicky Smith	Regular roles (66 episodes)
1977	Television Club	Pud	Regular role (6 episodes)
	The Duchess of Duke Street	Pearl	Recurring role (2 episodes)
1978	Crown Court	Patsy Donovan	1 episode
1979	Lovely Couple	Carole Richards	Regular role (11 episodes)
1980	Ain’t Many Angels	Various	Television film
	The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist	Charlotte	Regular role (9 episodes)
	Both Ends Meet	Cissy White	Television film
	The Elephant Man	2nd Whore	Minor role
1982	Play for Today	Eleanor	1 episode
	The Story of the Treasure Seekers	Eliza	Regular role (6 episodes)
	The Return of the Soldier	Girl in Hospital	Minor role
	Q.E.D	Jane	1 episode
1984-1995	Shine on Harvey Moon	Veronica	Recurring roles (13 episodes)
1986	Girls on Top	Cleaner	1 episode
1987	Hardwicke House	Gladys	1 episode
	Little Dorrit	Maggie	Supporting role
1988	Rockliffe’s Babies	Lorraine Morelli	1 episode
	Distant Voices, Still Lives	Doreen	Supporting role
	Casualty	Mary Taylor	1 episode
1989	Getting It Right	Muriel Sutton	Supporting role
1989–1998, 2014–2017	Birds of a Feather	Sharon Theodopolopodous	Main role (128 episodes)
1995-1996	Jackanory	Storyteller	2 episodes
1996	The Sculptress	Olive Martin	Main role (4 episodes)
	Waiting for Giro	Bo	Short film
1997	Our Boy	Sonia Williamson	Television film
	The Canterville Ghost	Madame Murielle	Television film
	Deadly Summer	Linda Topping	Television film
1998-1999	Maisie Raine	D.I. Maisie Raine	Main role (12 episodes)
1998-1999	Real Women	Mandy Evans	Regular role (7 episodes)
1999	Last Christmas	Gwen	Television film
	David Copperfield	Peggotty	Main role (2 episodes)
	Real Women 2	Mandy Evans	Main role
2000	Checkout Girl	Lynda	Short film
2000-2003	Down to Earth	Faith	Regular role (18 episodes)
2001	Office Gossip	Jo	Regular role (6 episodes)
	Arthur’s Dyke	Janet	Main role
	Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)	Felia Siderova	1 episode
	Redemption Road	Joan	Supporting role
2002	Murder in Mind	Jane Saunders	1 episode
	Being April	April	Regular role (6 episodes)
2004	Carrie’s War	Hepzibah Green	Television film
	North & South	Dixon	Regular role (4 episodes)
2005	The Bill	Cathy Wilson	Recurring role (5 episodes)
2006	The Thieving Headmistress	Colleen McCabe	Television film
	Casualty	Jackie Rogers	1 episode
2007-2008	Cold Blood	D.I. Hazel Norton	Recurring role (4 episodes)
2008	My Family	Joan	1 episode
2009-2010	Missing	D.S. Mary Jane Croft	Regular role (15 episodes)
2010	Skins	D.S. Blunt	Recurring role (3 episodes)
	The Perfect Burger	Mrs. Grieves	Supporting role
2010-2012	Emmerdale	Hazel Rhodes	Series Regular (222 episodes)
2013	Grace’s Story	Nat	Short film
2013-2015	Broadchurch	Susan Wright	Recurring role (10 episodes)
2015	You, Me and the Apocalypse	Paula	Regular role (6 episodes)

Selected stage credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1990-1991	Cinderella	Ugly Sister	Hackney Empire
1991-1992	Dick Whittington	Dick	Hackney Empire
2012	Birds of a Feather	Sharon Theodopolopodous	UK Tour
2016-2017	Cinderella	Fairy Godmother	The Beck Theatre, Hayes

Awards and nominations

Year	Nominated For	Award	Category	Result
1990	Birds of a Feather	British Comedy Awards	Best TV Comedy Newcomer	Won
1990			Best TV Comedy Actress	Nominated
1997	The Sculptress	BAFTA TV Awards	Best Actress	Nominated
1997	Birds of a Feather	National Television Awards	Most Popular Comedy Performer	Nominated
1998			Most Popular Actress	Nominated
1999			Most Popular Comedy Performer	Nominated
2001	Office Gossip			Nominated
2002	Down to Earth		Most Popular Actress	Nominated
2011	Emmerdale	The British Soap Awards	Best Newcomer	Nominated

Personal life

Quirke has two children and is married to producer Steve Sheen, who also worked on Birds of a Feather as an executive producer from 2014 until 2017. Her son Charlie appeared as Travis in Birds of a Feather from 2014 until 2017.^[15]

The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts

In 2007, The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts opened at various locations across the UK. Quirke set this up as an extracurricular centre for young people who want to learn performing arts.^[16] The academy operates at over 200 locations in the United Kingdom.^[17]

References

1. "Page B23 | Supplement 63714, 2 June 2022 | London Gazette | the Gazette".
2. Screen, Andrew (5 October 2023). The Book of Beasts: Folklore, Popular Culture and Nigel Kneale's ATV TV Series. SCB Distributors. ISBN 978-1-915316-10-3.
3. Quirke, Pauline (2013). Where Have I Gone?. Corgi. ISBN 978-0-552-16564-8.
4. Screen, Andrew (5 October 2023). The Book of Beasts: Folklore, Popular Culture and Nigel Kneale's ATV TV Series. SCB Distributors. ISBN 978-1-915316-10-3.
5. "BBC TV & Food Masterchef Bio's". bbc.co.uk. 27 November 2007. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007.
6. "Jenny Can't Work Any Faster". radiotimes.com. 8 December 1975.
7. "PAULINE'S QUIRKES 1976". nostalgiacentral.com. 1976.
8. "Beasts (1976)". screenonline.org.uk. 1976.
9. Glazer, Ella, ed. (2002). Fun with the Famous. Robson. p. 83. ISBN 1861055838. Pauline and I were doing a series called Jobs for the Girls. That particular week I was asked to go and work for The Guardian newspaper as a photographer
10. Green, Kris (28 May 2010). "Pauline Quirke joins 'Emmerdale'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
11. "You, Me and the Apocalypse – Character Guide – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
12. "'Birds of a Feather' returning for Christmas special without Pauline Quirke". yahoo.com. 4 November 2020.
13. Eames, Tom (12 March 2015). "Birds of a Feather renewed for 12th series by ITV – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
14. "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2022. p. B23.
15. Martland, Lisa (17 April 2014). "The Stage Scholarships 2014 – Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts". Retrieved 5 July 2014.
16. Turner, Clare (19 January 2022). "Pauline Quirke Academy hosts free open day in Bedford". Bedford Today. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
17. "Pauline Quirke Academy - Our Story".

External links

• Official website
• Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts
• Pauline Quirke at IMDb
• Pauline Quirke at the British Film Institute
• Pauline Quirke at BBC Comedy Guide
• Pauline Quirke at BBC Drama Faces