Elaine Collins

Margaret Elaine Collins (born 21 April 1958) is a Scottish actress and producer.

Career Collins made her acting debut in 1975, appearing in a guest role in the series Lord Peter Wimsey. Her most prominent roles include films such as Soft Top Hard Shoulder (1992), Mrs Brown (1997), The Wyvern Mystery (2000) and television shows City Lights (1984–1987), Selling Hitler (1991), and Psychos (1999).

Since the 2000s, Collins prefers to work behind the camera. She was an associate producer on the 2001 drama film Strictly Sinatra. She worked as a script editor on the detective series A Touch of Frost from 2008 to 2010. In 2011, she became a producer and executive producer at ITV Studios, and helped to create the crime mystery Vera. Collins joined BBC Drama in 2014 as a creative director, where she was responsible for developing and producing first three series of the crime drama Shetland.

In 2017, she founded film production company Tod Productions. She produced the thriller Criminal Record for Apple TV+ in collaboration with STV Studios, which premiered in 2024.

Tod's slate of television dramas in the pipeline includes a couple of book adaptations. They F*ck You Up, scripted by Thomas Eccleshare and directed by Collins' husband Peter Capaldi, is based on Sarah Naish's memoir But He Looks So Normal: A Bad-Tempered Parenting Guide for Adopters and Foster Parents. The Jigsaw Murders is about the 1935 murders of Dr Buck Ruxton and based on the true crime book The Jigsaw Murders: The True Story of the Ruxton Killings and the Birth of Modern Forensics by journalist and author Jeremy Craddock.

In 2024 it was announced that Collins and Tod Productions had optioned Charles Beaumont's espionage novel A Spy Alone.

Personal life Collins has been married to the actor Peter Capaldi since 1991. They met in 1985 while working for the Paines Plough Theatre Company. They have a daughter born in 1992 and two grandsons (b. 2021 and 2023). The family lives in Muswell Hill, London.

Theatre Year Title Role Company Director Notes 1989 & 1990 The Guid Sisters Lisette de Courval Tron Theatre, Glasgow Michael Boyd play by Michel Tremblay, translated into Scots by Bill Findlay & Martin Bowman

Filmography Actress Film Year Title Role Notes 1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes Ruby Uncredited 1992 Soft Top Hard Shoulder Yvonne Nominated — BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actress 1993 Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life Miss Cicely Short film; also production assistant 1994 Seeds Short film 1996 The Empty Mirror Blonde woman 1997 Mrs Brown Mrs Grant

Television Year Title Role Notes 1975 Lord Peter Wimsey Helen McGregor 2 episodes: "Five Red Herrings" 1975 The Hill of the Red Fox Morag Episode #1.5 1976 Sutherland's Law Mary Hepburn Episode: "Blind Jump" 1977 The Mackinnons Annie Gillies Episode: "In the Public Interest" 1978 The Sunday Drama Secretary Episode: "City Sugar" 1979 Scottish Playbill Elvira Episode: "The Day After Yesterday" 1979–1982 Play for Today At the pub / Isabel 2 episodes 1980 The House with the Green Shutters Janet Gourlay Television film 1984–1987 City Lights Janice Series 1 and 2 1988 The Comic Strip Presents... Scots girl Episode: "Funseekers" 1988–1993 Rab C. Nesbitt Dancing woman / Isa Minto 2 episodes 1989 Snakes and Ladders TV reporter 4 episodes 1991 Selling Hitler Maria Modritsch 1991 The Play on One Eloise Episode: "And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon" 1992 Civvies Sissy Episode #1.3 1993 Strathblair Anne Jarvis Episode #2.8 1993 The Bill Jenny Bayliss Episode: "Give and Take" 1996 Thief Takers Mary Donachie Episode: "Remember Me" 1996–2000 Taggart Abigail Stirling / Sheila Maitland 4 episodes 1997 EastEnders Lisa 2 episodes: "Easter 1997" 1999 Psychos Laura Robb 2000 The Wyvern Mystery Dulcie Television film 2003 Silent Witness Janine Burwood Episode: "Answering Fire: Part 1"

Writer Year Title Role Notes 2008–2010 A Touch of Frost Script editor Series 14 and 15 2009 Albert's Memorial Script editor 2011 Vera Script editor 1 episode

Producer Year Title Role Notes 2001 Strictly Sinatra Associate producer 2011–2015 Vera Producer / executive producer 16 episodes 2013–2016 Shetland Executive producer Series 1–3 2024–present Criminal Record Executive producer