Katherine Parkinson

Early life

Parkinson was born in Hounslow, London, to an English mother and Northern Irish father, the historian Alan Parkinson. She grew up in Tolworth and Surbiton, and studied at Tiffin Girls' School before going on to read classics at St Hilda's College, Oxford. She then studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she met Chris O'Dowd, later to be her co-star in The IT Crowd. She left her course to star in the play The Age of Consent. At the conclusion of the run, she was nominated for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Award (LAMDAA).

Career

Between 2005 and 2009 Parkinson played Pauline Lamb, the doctor's receptionist – and later phlebotomist – in series 2–4 of the long-running ITV comedy-drama series Doc Martin, based on the 2000 film Saving Grace.

While working on Doc Martin, she was asked by her college friend Chris O'Dowd to audition for the comedy series The IT Crowd as the show was having trouble casting a female lead. In an interview with The Independent, Parkinson said that show creator Graham Linehan originally wanted Jen to be "likeable" but "I know what he wanted now – he wanted her to be the more normal person people could relate to." Although she would act as the straight woman to the two guys, her klutziness was well received by the audience. She had straight hair for the role, in contrast to her curly hair from Doc Martin.

In 2007, she appeared in a new production of Chekhov's The Seagull at London's Royal Court Theatre, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Mackenzie Crook.

On New Year's Day 2009 in the UK, she appeared in a feature-length episode of Jonathan Creek entitled "The Grinning Man". She also contributed sketch characters to Katy Brand's ITV2 show, having been friends with Brand since their time at university. At the end of 2009 she appeared in the play Cock at the Royal Court Theatre.

She has performed several times on BBC Radio 4, including on Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking, Mouth Trap, again with Katy Brand, and in The Odd Half Hour. She also starred in television advertisements for Maltesers alongside fellow actress and comedian Amanda Abbington, and provided her voice for a Herbal Essences shampoo advertising campaign in 2010.

Parkinson played Sophie, one of the lead roles along with Mark Heap (Bob Stevens), in BBC Four's three-part comedy series The Great Outdoors, which followed the hikes, heartaches, friendships and rivalries of a misfit rambling club, first aired on 28 July 2010. In 2010–2011 she appeared in Season's Greetings at the National Theatre and in 2011 as Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal (directed by Deborah Warner) at the Barbican Centre.

Parkinson starred in The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, a four-part BBC comedy series which premiered on BBC Two on 19 December 2011. Parkinson next appeared in series 2 episode 3 of Sherlock, "The Reichenbach Fall", as journalist Kitty Riley in January 2012.

In 2013, she filmed The Honourable Woman for the BBC and SundanceTV.

In 2014, she co-starred in TV advertisements for Kit-Kat.

In 2015 Parkinson starred in the BBC One TV comedy series The Kennedys, written by Emma Kennedy about growing up on a Stevenage New Town estate in the 1970s. She also played one of the lead roles as Laura Hawkins in the British-American science fiction series Humans broadcast on Channel 4 and AMC between 14 June and 2 August 2015.

Personal life

Parkinson is married to actor Harry Peacock.