Amanda Abbington (born Amanda Smith; 1972) is an English actress. In a career spanning over 30 years, she has appeared in numerous television dramas and theatrical productions. Her most prominent roles include Josie Mardle in Mr Selfridge (2013–2016) and Mary Morstan in Sherlock (2014–2017).
Her other credits include Marilyn Harwood in Dream Team (1999–2000) and Siobhan in the BBC sitcom After You've Gone (2007–2008), as well as appearances in the drama series Cuffs (2015) and Safe (2018). Her stage roles have included God of Carnage (2018), The Son (2019) and The Unfriend (2022–2023).
Early life Abbington was born in north London, England. An only child, she was brought up in Hertfordshire.
Career She appeared in the TV series The Bill until 2007, playing various characters. During that time she also appeared in the TV series Wycliffe, Casualty, Dream Team, The Sins, Shades, Doc Martin, Coupling and Teachers. She appeared in the 2005 comedy sketch show Man Stroke Woman, and the 2007–2008 comedy After You've Gone with Nicholas Lyndhurst. She has also appeared in recurring series such as Bernard's Watch and Case Histories.
In 2013, she began appearing in the television series Mr Selfridge as Miss Mardle, alongside Jeremy Piven and Frances O'Connor. In 2014, Abbington appeared as Mary Morstan, the wife of John Watson, played by her then real-life partner Martin Freeman, in the third series of Sherlock the BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. In 2015 she appeared in the BBC TV crime drama series Cuffs.
On stage, Abbington appeared in August 2018 in the role of Annette in God of Carnage at the Theatre Royal, Bath, and in 2019 as the character Anne in Florian Zeller's play The Son, at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn, London; later that year, the play was transferred to The Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End.
In 2023, Abbington starred in the four-part Channel 5 television series Desperate Measures, and appeared as Dana Beckman in an episode of Inside No. 9.
In August 2023, Abbington was announced as a participant in the twenty-first series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Giovanni Pernice but withdrew from the competition on 23 October 2023, after being absent with illness from the show broadcast three days before. It was later reported that her departure was due to a disagreement over Pernice's training methods and that she requested footage of her time training with Pernice and was seeking legal advice against Pernice; Pernice denied all accusations of wrongdoing. In July 2024, in an interview broadcast on Channel 4 News, Abbington said that she received rape and death threats on social media following her withdrawal from the show.
In 2024, Abbington joined other former cast members of Inside No. 9 who returned to play fictionalised versions of themselves in its final episode.
Personal life Abbington was the partner of Martin Freeman, whom she met on the set of the film Men Only in 2000. The couple appeared together on screen in productions such as The Debt, The Robinsons, The Good Night and Sherlock. They have a son and daughter and lived in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire before their separation in 2016.
Abbington is engaged to escapologist and stunt performer Jonathan Goodwin. She and Goodwin had met on Twitter in 2012. The two began dating in late 2021, and Goodwin proposed marriage within 30 minutes of their first date, in Vienna. Goodwin was paralyzed in a stunt in October 2021, just weeks after they became engaged; in 2023, he revealed that he offered her the chance to call off their engagement, but "[T]hankfully she told me not to be so stupid and we've been very happy ever since." The couple live north of London, in Hertfordshire.
Bankruptcy In 2013 Abbington was declared bankrupt over an unpaid () tax bill. She later commented, "It's being paid off now. I would never want to go through this again. But I'm paying it off [...] It was just me not managing my finances properly. I was putting some money away (to pay tax), but not all of it. I was working one year and not working another year. So I was using the money I'd saved".
Views In March 2023, Abbington tweeted that a drag queen show for parents and babies that included topless performers was "Not for babies. And if you think it is, there is something fundamentally wrong with you." Following the announcement of her participation in Strictly Come Dancing, some social media users condemned Abbington for her comments, accusing her of transphobia and threatening to boycott the show. Abbington denied she was transphobic and said she had been upset about "a 12-year-old doing something very over-sexualised and I didn't think it was right."
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 The Bill: Target Lady Car Driver Direct-to-video, feature-length 2001 Men Only Trina TV film Saving Grace Isobel Green 2003 The Debt Stacey Ross TV film2005 Derailed Kerry Hodder TV film The Booze Cruise II: The Treasure Hunt Leone TV film 2006 The Booze Cruise III: The Scattering TV film2007 The Good Night Vivian Jesson The All Together Sarah2011 Swinging with the Finkels Lesbian #2 Ghosted Tracy 2013 Joe Mistry Katherine TV film 2016 Bring Back the Cat Mrs. Patricia Ellison Short film2017 Another Mother's Son Ivy Forster Crooked House Clemency Leonides2018 We the Kings Rosa The Queen and I Anne, Princess Royal TV film 2019 Six Days of Sistine Angelina 2020 Make Me Famous Amanda TV film2021 Three Pints and a Rabbi Lisa Decrypted Connie 2022 The Lost King Chair of funding committee, Sheila Lock 2024 The Spaceman Sue Short film
Television Year Title Role Notes 1993 The Bill Kirstey Tate Episode: "Picking a Winner"1997 Plotlands Maude Series regular, 6 episodes The Bill Sarah Hall Episode: "Copier" Wycliffe Local W.P.C. Episode: "Strangers Home"1998 No Sweat Chantelle Episode: "Moon Boy" Magic with Everything Cat Series regular, 6 episodes Picking Up the Pieces Staff Nurse Hunter Series regular, 6 episodes1999 Casualty Jen Reynolds Episode: "Human Traffic" Snap Zoe Episode: "Missed Her Sister" The Bill Laura Denny Episode: "On Air" 1999–2000 Dream Team Marilyn Harwood Series regular, 41 episodes2000 The Thing About Vince Lisa Mini-series, 2 episodes The Sins Belinda Edgeley Mini-series, 2 episodes2001 Hearts and Bones Mia Episode: "Series 2, episode 6" Shades Rebecca Jacobs Mini-series, 1 episode 2002 Always and Everyone Tessa Episodes: "Out of Time", "Warrior's Heart" & "Do Not Pass Go" 2003 20 Things to Do Before You're 30 Shona Series regular, 8 episodes2004 Bernard's Watch Sonia Recurring role, 9 episodes Coupling Nicola Episodes: "9½ Minutes" & "Nightlines" Teachers Sarah Episode: "Series 4, episode 3" 2005 The Robinsons Polly Series regular, 5 episodes 2005–2007 Man Stroke Woman Various roles Series regular, 12 episodes2007 The Bill Rachel Inns Episodes: "A Model Murder", "Model Murder Uncovered" & "Caught by the Killer" Doc Martin Isobel Episode: "Happily Ever After" Sold Zoe Episode: "Series 1, episode 6" 2007–2008 After You've Gone Siobhan Series regular, 21 episodes2008 Harley Street Susie Linn Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" Coming Up Daughter Episode: "Lickle Bill Um" Agatha Christie's Poirot Miss Blake Episode: "Cat Among the Pigeons" 2009 Psychoville Caroline Episode: "Blackmail"2010 Married Single Other Babs Series regular, 6 episodes Money Doris Artthur Mini-series, 2 episodes 2011 Postcode Anna Recurring role, 3 episodes 2011–2013 Case Histories D.I. Louise Munroe Series regular, 9 episodes 2012 Being Human Golda Episode: "Puppy Love" 2013–2016 Mr Selfridge Josie Mardle Series regular, 36 episodes 2014 Dinopaws Gwen (voice) Recurring role, 10 episodes 2014–2017 Sherlock Mary Morstan Series regular, 7 episodes 2015 Cuffs D.S. Jo Moffat Series regular, 8 episodes 2016 Stag Fran Mini-series, 2 episodes 2017 Uncle Siobhan Episode: "...Is This Just Fantasy?" 2018 Safe D.S. Sophie Mason Series regular, 8 episodes 2019 Flack Alexa Episodes: "Brooke" & "Alexa"2020 Unsaid Stories Lyndsey Mini-series, 1 episode I Hate Suzie Charon Bander Episode: "Anger" 2021 Wolfe Dot Series regular, 6 episodes2022 We Are Not Alone Caroline Grieves TV film The Net Erika Green Mini Series2023 Lockwood & Co. Marissa Fittes Episode: "Sweet Dreams" The Family Pile Nicole Series regular Desperate Measures Rowan Taylor Mini series, 4 episodes Inside No. 9 Dana Beckman Episode: "Paraskevidekatriaphobia" 2024 Herself Episode: "Plodding On" TBA Hunting Alice Bell Julie Mini-series. 6 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Venue2002 The Safari Party Bridget Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough & Hampstead Theatre, London Something Blue Pam Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough 2004 Love Me Tonight Sian Hampstead Theatre, London 2014 God Bless the Child Sally Rayner Royal Court Theatre, London 2017 Abigail's Party Beverly Moss Theatre Royal, Bath2018 God of Carnage Annette Reille A Little Princess Miss Minchin Royal Festival Hall, London 2019 The Son Anne Kiln Theatre, London 2022 The Unfriend Debbie Minerva Theatre, Chichester 2023 Criterion Theatre 2024 When It Happens to You Tara Park Theatre
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2011 Crime Thriller Awards Best Supporting Actress Case Histories 2014 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Sherlock Crime Thriller Awards Best Supporting Actress
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