Jo Hartley (born ) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the films Dead Man's Shoes (2004), This Is England (2006), The Young Victoria (2009), Torvill & Dean (2018), Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018), Eddie the Eagle (2016), Sweetheart (2021), and Bank of Dave (2023). Television credits include This Is England '86 (2010), Not Safe For Work (2015), In My Skin (2018), After Life (2019–2022), Mandy (2021), Das Boot (2022), Death in Paradise (2023), Passenger (2024), and Adolescence (2025).
Early life and education Hartley was born ) in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Lancashire, England, and brought up in a working-class family, attending North Chadderton School in Chadderton. She started acting at the age of 11 in her school stage production of The Sound of Music as Gretel von Trapp.
She joined Oldham Theatre Workshop, developing her acting skills until the age of 17, when she stopped acting to work at British Aerospace on a Youth Training Scheme. She worked as a secretary there for two years before leaving to join Japan Airlines as a flight attendant.
In her mid-twenties, Hartley left the aviation industry to pursue a career as an actor. Hartley returned to England, in London studying at the Questors Theatre in Ealing, where she studied method acting and Stanislavski's system until landing her first film role in 2004.
Career Hartley had her debut film role in the 2004 Shane Meadows directed Crime Drama Thriller film Dead Man's Shoes as 'Marie'. She went on to appear in many British productions, including films such as Northern Soul and Me and Her both in 2004; Terra Firma and Flushed in 2008; and The Crossing, Janet and Bernard and I Don't Care in 2014. Hartley has been a character actor in many TV films and TV series since 2004, with her most notable roles in This Is England '86, This Is England '88 and This Is England '90, the follow-on TV mini-series to the film. In movies Hartley has appeared in This Is England (2006) as Cynthia, and the feature film The Young Victoria in 2009, with Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend.
In 2016 Hartley appeared as Janette, Eddie's mother in the film Eddie the Eagle appearing alongside Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman. She co-starred in the David Cross series Bliss opposite Heather Graham as one of two partners of a fraudulent travel writer. Hartley also appeared in the comedy horror film Slaughterhouse Rulez, alongside Asa Butterfield and Simon Pegg.
After a successful pilot episode, Hartley played the role of Bethan's mum, Katrina, who has bipolar disorder in the BBC series In My Skin which aired on BBC1 in 2020. In April 2020, Hartley returned as June in the second series of Ricky Gervais's After Life.
In January 2021, Hartley joined the Rising Star Award jury of the EE British Academy Film Awards to select the shortlist for the 2021 award, alongside Alicia Vikander, Naomi Ackie and several other prominent figures of the industry. In November 2021, Hartley was nominated for the BIFA for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Tina in the Marley Morrison directed British drama film Sweetheart.
In December 2021, Hartley had a guest-role appearance in the BBC's Mandy Christmas special—We Wish You A Mandy Christmas alongside Diane Morgan and Johnny Vegas. In 2022, Hartley landed a recurring role in four episodes of series 3, of the Sky One German U-boat series Das Boot, alongside Tom Wlaschiha.
In 2023, Hartley starred as 'Nicola', wife of Burnley banker Dave Fishwick (played by Rory Kinnear) in the film Bank of Dave, released on Netflix in January 2023.
In April 2024, Hartley played the lead character in the British comedy film Swede Caroline.
Filmography +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released Film
YearTitleRole2004Dead Man's ShoesMarieNorthern Soul (short film)Jo SherbertMe and Her (short film)Coleen2006This Is EnglandCynthia2007Bigboy_74 (short film)Woman2008Terra Firma (short film)DebbieJo Hartley & Michael Smiley, The Independent, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2017Flushed (short film)Mrs Mop2009The Young VictoriaLandlady2010SoulboyMonica2011InbredKateAt Dusk (short film)Woman2012Up ThereMargaretWhen the Lights Went OutJeanetteIll ManorsCarol2014The Crossing (short film)JulietJanet and Bernard (short film)JanetI Don't Care (short film)Mandy2015Sea Change (short film)See awards2016Eddie the EagleJanette EdwardsDavid Brent: Life on the RoadPauline GrayPrevengeMidwifeGibberish (short film)MotherAccess All AreasLibby2018Slaughterhouse RulezBabs WallaceTorvill & DeanBetty Torvill2021Sweetheart Tina2023Bank of Dave as Nicola Fishwick2024Swede Caroline Caroline
Television Year Title Role Notes 2007 Recovery Vicky NathanTelevision film2009 Crying with Laughter Karen Casualty 1900s Anna Baker 2 episodes2010 Pulse Loz Westmoor Television film This Is England '86 Cynthia 4 episodes Moving On Natalie 1 episode2011 Waterloo Road Laura Taylor 1 episode Stolen April Harris Television film The Jury Ann Skailes 5 episodes This Is England '88 Cynthia Fields 3 episodes 2012 Coming Up Mandy Slade 1 episode: "Postcode Lottery"2013 Law & Order: UK Lindsey Donovan 1 episode Privado Sally 3 episodes 2013–2014 The Mimic Jean 11 episodes 2015 Not Safe for Work Angela 6 episodes This Is England '90 Cynthia Fields 4 episodes 2016 Vera Grace 1 episode: "Tuesday's Child" 2018 Bliss Denise Larkspur 6 episodes 2018–2021 In My Skin Katrina Gwyndaf Main role2019 Don't Forget the Driver Mel Episode 4 Temple Professor Kirby Episode 5 2020 Sick of It Lillie 1 episode 2019–2022 After Life June Recurring series 1; main role series 2–3; 2021 The Cleaner Maggie 1 episode 1.6 2021 Mandy Mrs Carter; Flower seller Christmas Special We Wish You a Mandy Christmas 2022 Das Boot Daisy Swinburne Season 3 – 4 episodes 2023 Death in Paradise Raya West Season 12 episode 2 2024 Passenger Linda Markel 6 episodes 2025 Adolescence Mrs. Fenumore 1 episode 1.2 2026 Alley Cats Kitten (voice) 6 episodes
Awards Year Award Category Work Result Ref2015International Christian Film & Music FestivalBest Actress – Short filmSea Change 2017Underwire Film FestivalBest ActorGibberish 2021British Independent Film AwardsBest Supporting ActressSweetheart 2024National Film Awards UKBest ActressSwede Caroline
References
External links
Jo Hartley at Contactmusic