Samantha Spiro

Samantha Spiro (born 20 June 1968) is an English actress and singer. She played Barbara Windsor in the stage play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick and the television films Cor, Blimey! and Babs, D.I. Vivien Friend in M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, Melessa Tarly in the HBO series Game of Thrones, and Maureen Groff in Sex Education. She has won two Laurence Olivier Awards.

Background Born in Mill Hill, London, England, Spiro grew up in Radlett, Hertfordshire. She is Jewish. Spiro decided to be an actress at the age of ten after seeing a production of Androcles and the Lion at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park.

Spiro attended Bancroft's School from 1982 to 1985 and subsequently returned in 2016 for an Arts & Drama masterclass Spiro spoke about how her time at Bancroft's had fuelled her enthusiasm for a career in the Arts.

Spiro married actor Mark Leadbetter, whom she met at drama school, in February 2002. They have two daughters, one named Harriet. They live in Queen's Park, London.

Spiro played Barbara Windsor in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick at the National Theatre, a production she credits as her first big break, which "open[ed] a lot of doors". Most recently, she appeared in the acclaimed Open Air Theatre production of Hello, Dolly!, playing Dolly Levi.

Her other television credits include The Bill, Cold Feet, Plebs, Coupling, After You've Gone and M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, in which she played the lead role of DI Vivien Friend. She described the role of Friend as "quite an unusual departure for me...I've done quite a bit of comedy and I've played characters who are light-hearted and characters who are tarts with hearts. In M.I.T. there is no tart or heart!" In order to research the part, Spiro spent time with a female Detective Inspector with the real-life Murder Investigation Team. That year she also joined Tracey Ullman's Show in the recurring role of Birgit, the fictitious fridge-magnet-loving personal assistant and confidante to Tracey Ullman's impression of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She reprised her role in Ullman's Tracey Breaks the News. In 2017 Spiro reprised her role of Barbara Windsor in the BBC One drama Babs, a biopic based on the life of Windsor. She also appeared in the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor Falls", as Hazran.

Spiro has appeared in the films Beyond Bedlam (1994), as WPC Foster, and Tomorrow La Scala! (2002), as Janey. She also played Martha Tabram in From Hell (2001), opposite Johnny Depp.

Her radio drama credits include The Casebook of Inspector Steine, Gospel According to Mary, Little Cinderellas, Beside the Seaside, Show Boat in which she played Magnolia Hawks, Sarah Kahn in Chicken Soup with Barley and the Guy Meredith play Spring Forward, Fall Back for BBC Radio 7.

In 2018 Spiro played the role of Mrs Erlynne in Kathy Burke's production of Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan at London's Vaudeville Theatre. This production was recorded and shown in cinemas under the "More2Screen" initiative.

From 2019 to 2023, Spiro portrayed the recurring character Maureen Groff in Laurie Nunn's British comedy-drama series Sex Education.

Awards In 2001, Spiro was awarded the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the 2000 season Donmar Warehouse production of Merrily We Roll Along. She won a Whatsonstage.com award for Best Actress in a Musical for the same production.

Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes 1994 Beyond Bedlam WPC Foster 1998 Guru in Seven Sharon 2001 From Hell Martha Tabram 2002 Tomorrow La Scala! Janey 2012 A Running Jump Debbie Short film 2016 Me Before You Josie Clark2017 Carnage Edith Paper Catherine the Great: Husbands, Lovers and Sons Catherine II 2019 Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans Mrs. Felix 2021 Where Is Anne Frank Edith Frank2023 Hoard Michelle One Life Esther Rantzen 2024 Hard Truths Nicole 2025 Scope Fiona Short film 2027 Narnia: The Magician's Nephew TBA Post-production

Television Year Title RoleNotes1994 The Bill Cherie Episode: "Dealer Wins" The Knock Young Woman Episode: #1.1 2000 Cor, Blimey! Barbara Windsor TV film2001 Cold Feet Ruth Wylie 3 episodes TV Go Home Sarah Galoshes Unknown episodes 2002 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Red Lady Voice; TV film 2003 M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team D.I. Vivien Friend 8 episodes 2004 Coupling Jeffina Episode: "9½ Months" 2007 After You've Gone Ann Venables 2 episodes 2010–2012 Grandma's House Auntie Liz 12 episodes 2011 Rock & Chips Beryl Bird Episode: "The Frog and the Pussycat"2012 Playhouse Presents Mary Whitehouse Episode: "Psychobitches" Little Crackers Sheila Front Episode: "Rainy Days and Mondays" Panto! Di Jenkins TV film 2012–2014 Psychobitches Various 11 episodes 2013 Bad Education Professor Celia Green 3 episodes 2014 The Wrong Mans Maria Episode: "X-Mans" 2015 London Spy Detective Taylor 4 episodes 2016 Game of Thrones Melessa Tarly Episode: "Blood of My Blood" 2016–2018 Tracey Ullman's Show Various 13 episodes 2016, 2019 Plebs Sylvia 2 episodes2017 Babs Barbara Windsor TV filmDoctor Who Hazran Episode: "The Doctor Falls" Doc Martin Tina Collins Episode: "Accidental Hero" 2017–2018 Tracey Breaks the News Various 6 episodes2018 Grandpa's Great Escape Patricia Bunting TV film Oi Leonardo Various 3 episodes Agatha and the Truth of Murder Pamela TV film 2019 Island of Dreams J. K. Rowling TV film 2019–2020 Semi-Detached Kate 6 episodes 2019–2023 Sex Education Maureen Groff 23 episodes 2020 Call the Midwife Grace Calthorpe Episode #9.52021 Midsomer Murders Phyllis Cuttle Episode: "For Death Prepare" Ridley Road Liza Epstein 4 episodes The Larkins Bertha Episode: "In Which Ma's Sister Bertha Comes to Visit" Ragdoll Joy 3 episodes2022 Dodger Marie Tussaud Episode: "Waxworks" Not Going Out Bigoted Woman Episode: "Jury" The Pentaverate Darleen Windelchuck 2 episodes2023 Vera Belinda Rayford Episode: "Against the Tide" Beyond Paradise Yvonne Wiley Episode #1.1 Inside No. 9 Sue Episode: "Paraskevidekatriaphobia" Still Up Christine Episode: "Veggie Veggie Bing Bong"

Theatre The Merry Wives of Windsor Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon (2024) Lady Windermere's Fan Vaudeville Theatre, West End (2018) The House They Grew Up In Chichester Minerva (2017) Guys and Dolls Phoenix Theatre The Taming of the Shrew d: Toby Frow, Shakespeare's Globe Filumena d: Michael Attenborough, Almeida Theatre Company d: Jonathan Munby, Sheffield Crucible Chicken Soup with Barley d: Dominic Cooke, Royal Court Theatre Hello, Dolly! (Dolly) d:Tim Sheader, Regents Park Best Actress in a Musical – 2010 Olivier Awards Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice) d: Tim Sheader, Regents Park Twelfth Night (Maria) d: Michael Grandage, Donmar / Wyndhams Funny Girl (Fanny Brice) d: Angus Jackson, Chichester Festival The Family Plays (Mother) d: Joe Hill-Gibbons, Royal Court Theatre Two Thousand Years d: Mike Leigh, Royal National Theatre A Little Night Music (Charlotte) d: Gary Griffin Chicago Shakespeare's Theatre Winner: Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, Joseph Jefferson Awards 2004 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania/Hippolyta) d: Michael Grandage Crucible, Sheffield Bedroom Farce (Jan) d: Loveday Ingram Michael Codron Plays Merrily We Roll Along (Mary Flynn) d: Michael Grandage Donmar Warehouse Olivier Awards 2001 & Whatsonstage.com Awards 2001 – Best Actress in a Musical As You Like It (Celia) d: Michael Grandage Crucible & Lyric Jumpers (Dorothy Moore) d: Bill Alexander Birmingham Rep Cleo Camping... (Barbara Windsor) d: Terry Johnson Royal National Theatre Roots (Beatie Bryant) d: John Retallack Watford Palace/Oxford As You Like It (Phoebe) d: Polly Irvin W. Yorkshire/Bristol Teechers (Gail Saunders) d: Graham Watts Hull Truck & No 1 Tour On The Piste (Bev Ryan) d: Graham Watts Hull Truck How the Other Half Loves (Mary) d: Penelope Keith Theatre Royal, Windsor Glyn & 'It''' (Clara Bow) d: Richard Cottrell Yvonne Arnaud & tour A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia) d: Delena Kidd London & Middle East Tons of Money (Simpson) d: David Conville Mercury Th, Colchester A Midsummer Night's Dream (First Fairy) d: Ian Talbot Regents Park Open Air As You Like It (Audrey) d: Maria Aitkin Regents Park Open Air Lady, Be Good (Daisy) d: Ian Talbot Regents Park Open Air Macbeth (Witch) d: Bill Baunt Regents Park Open Air The Boys from Syracuse'' (Courtesan) d: Judi Dench Regents Park Open Air