Amelia Bullmore

Any fan of British television through the 1990s and 2000s would have owed a great deal of thanks to Amelia Bullmore, for her talents onscreen and behind the camera. The actress-turned-writer attached herself to critically acclaimed and wildly popular television programs, from the soap opera "Coronation Street" (ITV 1960-) to the comedy series "I'm Alan Partridge" (BBC Two 1997-2002), to the crime drama "Scott & Bailey" (ITV 2011-14). Amelia Mary Bullmore was born in the district of Chelsea in London, England. Her drama education at University of Manchester foresaw a multifaceted career as a writer and actress, in the realms of film, television, and the stage. Her first job came in 1990, when she joined the cast of the long-running British soap opera "Coronation Street" (ITV 1960-). Following her tenure on the series, Bullmore explored smaller roles on stage, such as in a production of A View from the Bridge (1992)-where she met her future husband, actor Paul Higgins-and in programs including "Cracker" (ITV 1993-95), the Michael Gambon-led miniseries "Faith" (1994), and "Frontiers" (ITV 1996). Around this time, Bullmore picked up screenwriting, penning projects both for other actors and for herself. She wrote episodes for the drama series "This Life" (BBC Two (1996-97) and for the sketch comedy program "Big Train" (BBC 1998-2002), in which she appeared opposite Simon Pegg and Mark Heap. Bullmore brought her own set of short films to life in the form of the series "Black Cab" (BBC 2000), though maintained a presence acting in and writing for additional projects all the while. The actress appeared, both in one-off and recurring parts, in popular shows such as "I'm Alan Partridge" (BBC Two 1997-2002), "State of Play" (BBC One 2003), and "Shameless" (Channel 4 2004-2013). Stepping away from the screen, Bullmore wrote and released her first stage play Mammals (2005) to solid reviews. She continued to act on television, appearing in the likes of "Suburban Shootout" (Channel 5 2006-07) and "Sherlock" (BBC One 2010-), as well as in film with such projects as "What We Did on Our Holiday" (2014). Additionally, Bullmore both wrote and starred in the detective drama "Scott & Bailey" (ITV 2011-14).