Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Auckland Whittaker (born 1 January 1982) is an English actress who first came to prominence for her work in the film Venus (2006). Since then she has starred in the films St Trinian's (2007), Good (2008), St Trinian's 2 (2009) and Attack the Block (2011). She has also starred in the television series Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008), Wired (2008), Return to Cranford (2009), Marchlands (2011) and Broadchurch (2013). --- Whittaker made her professional debut in The Storm at Shakespeare's Globe in 2005. She has since worked in film, television, radio and theatre. In 2007 she stood in at short notice for an unwell Carey Mulligan in the Royal Court's production of The Seagull, and appeared in a fundraising play at the Almeida Theatre. In her first major role, she co-starred as Jessie (a.k.a. Venus) with Peter O'Toole and Leslie Phillips in the aforementioned Venus. --- Whittaker is from the village of Skelmanthorpe in Yorkshire. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2005 with the gold medal for acting. She has been married to American actor Christian Contreras since 2008.