Suzanne Packer (born Suzanne Jackson on 26 November 1962) is a Welsh actress, known for playing the role of Tess Bateman in the BBC medical drama Casualty from September 2003 to August 2015. She later returned to the series as a guest for the 30th-anniversary episodes in 2016. Since departing from Casualty, she has appeared in various television series including Bang, In My Skin and The Pembrokeshire Murders.
Early life Packer is the daughter of Jamaican immigrant parents who moved to Abergavenny, Wales, where her mother Angela worked as a nurse. She is the older sister of the hurdler Colin Jackson.
While studying at Llanedeyrn High School in Cardiff, she showed an interest in acting, playing the lead in school plays including Oklahoma and The King and I. Packer attended the National Youth Theatre of Wales before earning a BA in theatre and drama at the University of Warwick. She then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.Hayward 1996, p. 193. Prior to acting professionally, Packer worked as a drama supply teacher, having earned a PGCE. After working at one particular school for three months, she was offered a permanent contract, which she declined due to wanting to pursue acting full-time.
Career Her first major role was as Josie Johnson in Brookside from 1990 to 1991, with guest stints in 1993 and 2000.
In 1991, Packer co-founded BiBi Crew, Britain's first comedy theatre troupe made up entirely of Black women. After she gained an audition for the BBC drama Casualty and was cast as Tess Bateman, she began appearing onscreen from September 2003. On 22 August 2015, she announced her decision to leave Casualty after playing the character of Tess for over 11 years.
Packer appeared with her brother Colin on the first series of Pointless Celebrities on 6 July 2011. They were eliminated in the first round. In 2018, she began portraying the role of Nurse Digby in the BBC Three series In My Skin. On 4 November 2018, Packer played Eve Cicero in the Doctor Who episode, "The Tsuranga Conundrum". In 2021, she starred in the ITV miniseries The Pembrokeshire Murders.
In 2021, Packer co-edited with Suzette Llewellyn an essay collection, Still Breathing: 100 Black Voices on Racism - 100 Ways to Change the Narrative, published by Harper Collins. In addition to the editors' own essays, the book also included contributions from other prominent Black British individuals in a variety of different fields, including MPs David Lammy and Dawn Butler, actor Sharon D. Clarke, and singer Beverley Knight. In 2025, Packer and Llewellyn launched their podcast Verandah Talk, where they reconnect with contributors of their book and continue the discussions of racism in Britain.
Personal life Packer met American actor Jesse Newman while on a tour in Europe, and the pair later married, and had a son together. The pair divorced.
Filmography Year Title Role Channel Notes1990–1991; 1993; 2000Brookside Josie Johnson/BrooksChannel 4Series regular; 96 episodes1992Crime StoryBarbara PilkingtonITVEpisode: "All Good Friends"1994The LifeboatHelen MitchellUnknownEpisode: "Shadow of Doubt"1995Grange HillMiss FosterBBC2 episodes1995Some Kind of LifeDr. JudsonUnknown1996Wales PlayhouseVeronicaBBC WalesEpisode: "Strangers in the Night"1996PorkpieTrishChannel 4Episode: "Fatal Distraction"1996CasualtyCandice FrancisBBC1Episode “Trapped”1997Tiger BayMarieUnknown4 episodes1998Brothers and SistersSiobhan EtienneUnknown1999The BillKatherine AdamsITVEpisode: "Treading Water"2000Dirty WorkRhiannonUnknown6 episodes2002Third WatchDr. Sharon ReidNBCEpisode: "The Greater Good"2003–2015, 2016, 2021CasualtyTess BatemanBBCSeries regular; 487 episodes2004–2005Holby City2 episodes2005Casualty @ Holby City3 episodes2014Under Milk WoodMrs. BeynonTelevision film2015DoctorsRose BlairEpisode: "The Heart of England"2016StellaCarolSky 1Series 52016The LevelTeresa DevlinITVRecurring role2017VeraSophiaEpisode: "Natural Selection"2017BangLaylaS4C/BBCMain role2017, 2019, 2021Un Bore Mercher / Keeping FaithDelyth LloydMain role2018Death in ParadiseMaya OpreyBBC1 episode2018Hold the SunsetMrs. PoolEpisode: "Roger the Carer"2018Doctor WhoEve CiceroEpisode: "The Tsuranga Conundrum"2018The ABC Murders Capstick 3 episodes2018–2021In My SkinNurse DigbyBBC ThreeRecurring role2020Cyswllt (Mewn COVID)RuthS4C2021The Pembrokeshire MurdersChief Constable TylerITV1Miniseries2023Silent WitnessMiriam Harper BBC1s26 Southbay pt1&22024Midsomer MurdersOlivia DentITVEpisode: "Dressed to Kill"2024The Night CallerRosa Channel 5 4 episodes2024The BayAnne Jackson ITV Series 5
Packer featured in the 2024 documentary Colin Jackson: Resilience, talking about her upbringing with her brother and his athletics career.
Awards and honours +YearAwardCategoryWorkResult2006Screen Nation AwardsFemale Performance in televisionAs Tess Bateman in Casualty2025Black British Theatre AwardsBest Female Lead in a PlayAs Annie in The Women of Llanrumney at Stratford East and Sherman Theatre
Bibliography
Still Breathing: 100 Black Voices on Racism – 100 Ways to Change the Narrative (co-edited with Suzette Llywellyn). London: HarperCollins, 2021.
References
External links