Pooky Quesnel

Joanna Gabrielle "Pooky" Quesnel is an English actress, screenwriter and singer.

Early life Quesnel was born and raised in Eccles, Lancashire, along with her five siblings. In 2003 she began screenwriting, producing scripts for Doctors and Family Affairs, She had a recurring role in the third series of Cold Feet as Emma Keaton and returned to medical dramas in 2006, playing Dr. Christine Whelan in The Golden Hour. In 2007, she starred as Nita in the BBC One series True Dare Kiss, and later that year began a recurring role in EastEnders as Rachel Branning, taking over the character from Sukie Smith. In February 2008, she played the spoken title role in a City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra production of Stravinsky's Perséphone, broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In July 2008, she appeared in an episode of the ITV murder mystery series, Midsomer Murders as journalist Julie Benson, and in an episode of George Gently entitled "The Burning Man", playing the character Wanda Lane. In March 2010, she appeared as Maureen in BBC One's second series of Five Days. She also played the spaceship captain in the Doctor Who 2010 Christmas special, "A Christmas Carol". In November 2010, she appeared as Christopher Eccleston's character's wife in Jimmy McGovern's Accused.

From 2014 to 2015, she played the role of Olga Fitzgerald, Geography teacher and Headteacher Vaughan Fitzgerald's estranged wife in BBC's Waterloo Road. The following year she played Dorothea Ames, Head teacher at Coal Hill Academy, in the BBC3 series Class, and provided the voice of Yuria of Londor in the video game Dark Souls III. She played Louise Wilson in BBC's The A Word, and reprised the role more prominently in its spin-off series Ralph & Katie.

Personal life Quesnel practises kickboxing, tai chi, and flamenco dancing. In 2017, Quesnel won bronze at the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts (BCCMA) annual British Tai Chi Championships in the Open Weapon category for her Wudang taijijian routine. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Stepha Odell Episode: "A Great Deliverance" Doctors Angela Crowther Episode: "Bring Me Sunshine" The Armando Iannucci Shows Episode: "Imagination" 2001–2002 Family Affairs Diane Short Regular role Nominated, British Soap Award for Best Actress, 2002

Holby City Melanie Knox Episode: "House of Cards" The Bill Jo Fox Series 19: Episode 99 2004 Monarch of the Glen Kelly McGee Series 6: Episode 6

Doctors Rebecca Dobson Episode: "When Two Become One" Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee Bea Miniseries; 2 episodes The Golden Hour Dr. Christine Whelan Miniseries; all 4 episodes Walk Away and I Stumble Suzi Television film 2006 Holby City Jill Pearce Episode: "Invasion"

Skins Claire Episode: "Jal" Recovery Homeowner Television film Oh Happy Day Fern Feature film True Dare Kiss Nita McKinnon All 6 episodes Suburban Shootout Penny Hawthorne Episodes: "Fight Club" and "In it For the Wild Life" 2007–2010 EastEnders Rachel Branning Recurring role; 18 episodes

Midsomer Murders Julia Benson Episode: "Midsomer Life" Inspector George Gently Wanda Lane Episode: "The Burning Man" Casualty Pennie Ashton Episode: "Guilt Complex"

Ashes to Ashes Ruth Irvine Series 2: Episode 1 The Bill Maria Walmsley Episode: "Down South" Criminal Justice Amelia Rose 5 episodes The Clinic Sue Murdoch Series 7: Episode 3 Enid Theresa Blyton Television film Paradox D.C.I. Sarah Bower Miniseries; 3 episodes

Five Days Maureen Hardy 4 episodes Doctors Dr. Diana Flaxman 3 episodes New Tricks Lady Catherine Bryant Episode: "Good Morning Lemmings" Moving On Lynne Episode: "Sauce for the Goose" Accused Carmel Houlihan Episode: "Willy's Story" Law & Order: UK Andrea Raines Episode: "Shaken" Doctor Who The Captain Episode: "A Christmas Carol"

Shameless Sandra Brown Episode: "Kidnap and Ransom" Scott & Bailey Siân Cook Episode: "Personal" Ideal Donna Episode: "The Love" In with the Flynns Rachel Episode: "Whistleblowing" Casualty Emma Davies Episode: "Starting Out" The Body Farm Sarah Haines Episode: "You've Got Visitors" Top Boy Dr. Jenny Northam 3 episodes Just Henry Mrs Jeffries

The Preston Passion Betty Cleasby Silent Witness Helen Karamides Episodes: "Paradise Lost": Parts 1 & 2" Starlings Lynn Series 1: Episode 7 Great Expectations Sarah Pocket Feature film

Not Going Out Pregnant Woman Episode: "Skiing" The Guilty Ruth Hyde Miniseries; all 3 episodes Truckers Pauline Series 1: Episode 5

Doctors Wanda Aleksandrov Episode: "Made in Heaven" Endeavour Muriel Todd Episode: "Trove" 2014–2015 Waterloo Road Olga Fitzgerald Series 10; 12 episodes

Father Brown Ruth Moore Episode: "The Resurrectionists" Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Mrs. Phillips Feature film 2016–2020 The A Word Louise Wilson All 18 episodes

The Living and the Dead Agnes Thatcher 3 episodes Class Headmistress Dorothea Ames Recurring role; 4 episodes

Tommies Vera Bliss (voice) Episode: "17th April 1917" W1A Fiona Craig Recurring role; 3 episodes The Wright Stuff Guest panelist 1 episode

Kiss Me First Marion Miniseries; 2 episodes The Queen and I Delia Manson Television film

The Victim Mo Buckley Miniseries; all 4 episodes Ransom Olga Episode: "Prima" 2020 Two Weeks to Live Mandy 3 episodes

Ladhood Maria Pearce Episode: "Mary" Wolfe Maxine 3 episodes Riding Liberty Sue Short film The Trick Stella Acton Television film

The Chelsea Detective Julia Romano Episode: "Mrs. Romano" Ralph & Katie Louise Wilson All 6 episodes The Confessions of Frannie Langton Linux 2023 Beyond Paradise Louise Fitzallan Series 1: Episode 3 2024 Moonflower Murders Pauline Treherne / Maureen Gardner All 6 episodes 2026 Tip Toe Marie Goss All 5 episodes

Stage Year Production Role Theatre 1991 Sweet Sessions The Dark Lady Old Fire Station, Oxford 1993 Don't Fool with Love Peasant Girl National tour A Month in the Country Verochka Salisbury Playhouse Billy Liar Rita Salisbury Playhouse 1995 Racine's Andromache, adapted by Craig Raine Annette LeSkye Almeida Theatre 1997 Jane Eyre Bertha Shared Experience theatre company at the Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, Young Vic Theatre, London, and touring 1998 Anna Karenina Kitty and Seriozha Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theater, Lyric Hammersmith 2003 Present Laughter Monica Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, King's Theatre, Glasgow 2004 Loot Fay Bristol Old Vic 2005 Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet Royal Exchange Theatre Sitting Pretty New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich 2008 Perséphone Persephone City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Video games Year Title Role Other notes 2015 Bloodborne Arianna Lady of the Night, Yharnamite, Female Protagonist Voice 2016 Dark Souls III Yuria of Londor, Birch Woman(Ashes of Ariandel DLC) 2020 Watch Dogs: Legion Mary Kelley