Jocelyn Jee Esien

Jocelyn Jee Esien
Born 2 March 1979
Hackney, London, England

Jocelyn Jee Esien (born 2 March 1979 in Hackney, London[1]) is an English comedian, actress and writer of Nigerian origin,[1] perhaps best known for her part in the hidden-camera show 3 Non-Blondes, and her own comedy sketch show, Little Miss Jocelyn.[2]

Biography

Born in Hackney, London, to Nigerian parents, Esien attended Raine's Foundation School,[3] and initially studied law before giving up to study drama, graduating from Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[1] She came to prominence in 2003 in the BBC hidden-camera show 3 Non-Blondes, having also appeared in other television series such as The Fast Show and The Bill.[4] In 2006 she wrote and starred in her own comedy sketch show called Little Miss Jocelyn, a second series of which aired in January 2008. This show marks the first time in the history of television – in either the US or the UK – that a black woman has been given her own solo comedy sketch show.[5]

In 2000, Esien won the Best Newcomer award at the Black International Comedy Awards,[6] and she won a New Talent Award in the Women in Film and Television Awards 2006.[4]

In 2007, Esien featured in Girls Aloud and Sugababes' Comic Relief video for "Walk This Way",[7] where she puts a parking ticket on Ewen Macintosh, a reference to the character Jiffy from the show Little Miss Jocelyn.

Esien appeared in the second series of The Sarah Jane Adventures as Clyde Langer's mother, Carla.[8] In 2010, Esien reprised the role in two further episodes of the show, titled The Empty Planet and aired on 1 and 2 November 2010, as well as in the fifth series story, The Curse of Clyde Langer, which aired on 10 and 11 October 2011.

On 11 June 2009, it was stated that Little Miss Jocelyn would not be brought back for a third series. In November 2009, Esien played the part of waitress Cindie Smith in the ITV series Collision.

On 22 September 2010, Esien returned to BBC Three for One Non-Blonde: Down Under, an eight-part comedy stunt show with new character creations. She plays characters such as a hermaphrodite rapper and a socialite, touring New Zealand.[9] She also appeared alongside famous British comedians in BBC One's Ronnie Corbett Christmas special, The One Ronnie.

In 2011, Esien appeared as Tasha in British comedy Anuvahood.[10] and also in British comedy show Some Girls.[11]

In January and February 2013, she appeared in One Monkey Don't Stop No Show by the American playwright Don Evans,[2] at the Tricycle Theatre, a London premiere for the play,[12][13] and thereafter toured with the play nationally.[14]

In 2013, she appeared in Gangsta Granny as Kelly.

Esien's other TV appearances include Autumn Leaves, a BBC comedy-drama; Some Girls, Uncle Max, After You've Gone, Holby City, The Lenny Henry Show, Ed Stone Is Dead, Comedy Nation, The Fast Show, Douglas, The Bill and In The Name of Love (TV movie). She has also made numerous stage appearances.[15]

She appeared in the 2010 film StreetDance 3D and wrote an episode of the American reality TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8.[16]

Filmography

Film

Title Role Year
Anuvahood Tasha 2011
StreetDance 3D Delilah (Shawna's boss) 2010

TV

Title Role Year Notes
Big School Daphne 2013-2014 Series regular
Gangsta Granny Kelly 2013 TV movie
The Revolting World of Stanley Brown Olivia 2012 Series regular
Some Girls Martine 2012, 2014 Series 1, episode 5, Series 3 episode 1
The Sarah Jane Adventures Carla Langer 2008-2011 6 episodes
The One Ronnie Restaurant Diner 2010 TV movie
1 Non Blonde Didio/Titchy/Pammy 2010 Writer/director/producer
Collision Cindie Smith 2009 TV mini-series
Uncle Max Diva 2008 episode: "Max Goes to the Opera"
Jon & Kate Plus 8 2008 Writer, episode: "Potty Training the Boys"
Little Miss Jocelyn Various 2006-2008 Writer
After You've Gone Lucy 2007 episode: "Stuck in the Middle with You"
Strictly Confidential Chantelle Rimmington 2006 Series 1, episode 2
Holby City Trace Smith 2005 episode: "No Pain No Gain"
The Lenny Henry Show 2004 Writer
In the Name of Love Rachel 1999 TV movie
Babymother Yvette 1998 TV movie
The Bill Millie Densmore 1998 episode: "One of the Gang"
The Fast Show Charlie Higson 1997 2 episodes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kate Copstick (27 August 2006). "Jocelyn Jee Esien: Non blonde goes solo". The Independent (London). Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Laura Barnett, "Jocelyn Jee Esien: 'Whenever I see standup now, I get excited'", The Observer, 6 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Old Raineians' Association - Famous Personalities from Raine's Foundation School".
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Jocelyn Jee Esien at United Agents".
  5. ↑ Brian Logan (9 September 2006). "Little Miss Britney". The Guardian (London). It's taken 50 years of telly, and finally it's happened: Jocelyn Jee Esien has become the first black woman, in either the UK or the US, to have her own sketch show on the small screen.
  6. ↑ "Inspiring Women". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Red Nose Day – Walk This Way".
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ Clip from One Non-Blonde: Down Under, BBC Three.
  10. ↑ Anuvahood at IMDb.
  11. ↑ Some Girls, Episode 5, BBC.
  12. ↑ "One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show" (trailer), Tricycle Theatre. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  13. ↑ Siobhan Murphy and Keith Watson, "Jocelyn Jee Esien: I like my characters to be organic", Metro, 10 January 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  14. ↑ Hazelann Williams, "One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show: UK Tour - Jocelyn Jee Esien stars in new play", Young Voices, 13 September 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "Jocelyn Jee Esien - Writer Performer", United Artists. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Jocelyn Jee Esien", IMDb. Retrieved 29 December 2010.

External links