Sarah Alexander

Sarah Alexander (née Smith; born 3 January 1971) is an English actress, known for her roles in British comedy series such as Armstrong and Miller, Smack the Pony, Coupling, The Worst Week of My Life and Green Wing.

Biography

Early life

Alexander was born in Hammersmith, London, England. Her father, Frank Smith, was a television producer and director on factual programmes such as Panorama. She attended Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith.^[1] At 19, she left home after her A-levels and travelled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to get a start in acting.^[1] Her parents wanted her to continue to university. Alexander turned down a place at Manchester University to take up her first professional acting job.^[2]

Career

In 1993, she played Muriel in an episode of the BBC comedy-drama Lovejoy. In 1994, she played Nicky, Damien's risk-addicted weather reporter girlfriend in Drop the Dead Donkey. In 1996, she played Beatrice in the British première of Octavio Paz's only play, Rappaccini's Daughter, at the Gate Theatre Studio. She has appeared in other theatre productions, including The Vagina Monologues, Hand In Hand, The Secretary Bird, Northanger Abbey and as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.^[3] In the mid-1990s she met Ben Miller when they filmed an advertisement for disposable cameras together, and through him Alexander Armstrong.^[4] Miller and Armstrong became friends and collaborators, and Alexander went on to appear on their Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller (1997–2001), usually in the regular 'Nude Practice' segment.

Alexander moved into comedy acting, in which she has specialised ever since. Other sketch-shows included Smith and Jones (1997–98) and Smack the Pony (1999–2003), also writing for the latter. In the British science-fiction comedy series Red Dwarf, she played a French queen in "Stoke Me a Clipper". She also appeared in Midsomer Murders' "The Garden of Death", as Fliss Inkpen-Thomas, who was hit over the head with a shovel.

In 2000, she appeared in the comedy The Strangerers, as well as becoming co-host of the current-affairs satire The 11 O'Clock Show, alongside Jon Holmes. She made her debut as Susan Walker in the BBC sitcom Coupling, which ran for four series from 2000 to 2004. Other British TV roles have been Mel in The Worst Week of My Life, again alongside Ben Miller, and Dr Angela Hunter in the hospital comedy Green Wing, created by Smack The Pony creator Victoria Pile.

Alexander appeared in the USA as Alice Fletcher in the NBC's short-lived remake of the British comedy series Teachers, before roles in the films I Could Never Be Your Woman and Stardust (both released in 2007). Her previous film credits include Seaview Knights (1994) and Going Off Big Time, (2000).

Alexander also starred in the 2008 BBC dramedy Mutual Friends, again alongside Armstrong,^[4] and played Layla Barton in the BBC drama, All The Small Things,^[5] which debuted in 2009.

Since 2011 she has played Mimi in the BBC Radio 4 comedy series The Gobetweenies. The first series was broadcast in 2011 and two more followed in 2012 and 2013.

She starred in the 2012 BBC series, Me and Mrs Jones.^[6]

In 2013 she stars in the BBC series Jonathan Creek as Polly Creek, wife of Jonathan Creek in the episode "The Clue of the Savant's Thumb".

Other work

Alexander contributes to the BBC charity telethon Comic Relief^{[citation needed]}, appearing in 2001 as a judge based on Nicki Chapman in a parody of Popstars, in 2003 as Liza Goddard in a spoof of Blankety Blank and in 2005 in a celebrity version of University Challenge hosted by Angus Deayton.

Personal life

Alexander is married to writer and actor Peter Serafinowicz,^[7] with whom she has two children, a son and a daughter.^[4] She has appeared in both series of Look Around You which Serafinowicz co-created and stars in, as well as his internet E! News spoof, O!News.

References

External links

• Sarah Alexander at the Internet Movie Database
• Sarah Alexander at the British Film Institute's Screenonline