British Comedy Guide
Extras. Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen). Copyright: BBC
Ashley Jensen

Ashley Jensen

  • 55 years old
  • Scottish
  • Actor
Agatha Raisin. Agatha Raisin (Ashley Jensen)

Ashley Jensen is a Scottish actress and narrator, best known for her Emmy-nominated role as Maggie Jacobs on television series Extras, in which she appeared from 2005 to 2007, and as main character Agatha Raisin on the crime-based Sky One comedy-drama Agatha Raisin.

Year Production Role
2023 The Graham Norton Show - Series 31
  1. E7 - Diddy, Ashley Jensen, George MacKay, Chris & Rosie Ramsey, Jessie Ware
Guest
2022 Agatha Raisin - Series 4
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Agatha Raisin
2021 Agatha Raisin - Kissing Christmas Goodbye Agatha Raisin
2021 After Life - Series 3
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Emma
2020 Agatha Raisin - Series 3
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Agatha Raisin
2020 After Life - Series 2
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Emma
2019 Agatha Raisin - Series 2
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Agatha Raisin
2019 After Life - Series 1
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Emma
2019 Catastrophe - Series 4
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Fran
2017 Sisters - Series 2 Fiona
2017 Catastrophe - Series 3
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Fran
2017 Parenting For Idiots
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  1. E1 - Chaos
  2. E2 - Fun
  3. E3 - Rules
Narrator
2016 Agatha Raisin - Series 1
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Agatha Raisin
2015 Catastrophe - Series 2
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Fran
2015 The Lobster Biscuit Woman
2015 Sisters - Series 1 Fiona
2015 Catastrophe - Series 1
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Fran
2015 The Legend Of Barney Thomson Actor
2014 Agatha Raisin - Agatha Raisin And The Quiche Of Death Agatha Raisin
2013 Love And Marriage
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Sarah Paradise
2012 John Bishop's Big Year
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Announcer
2012 Ronna & Beverly
  1. E5 - Episode Five
Guest
2012 Hysteria Fannie
2012 The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (Voice)
2011 Arthur Christmas Bryony (Voice)
2011 Lee Mack's All Star Cast
  1. E6 - Episode Six
Guest
2011 Gnomeo & Juliet Nanette (Voice)
2010 Accidental Farmer Erin Taylor
2009 Nativity! Jennifer Lore
2009 The Graham Norton Show - Series 5
  1. E10 - Episode Ten
Guest
2009 No Holds Bard Isobel Braid
2007 Extras - Special Maggie Jacobs
2007 The Graham Norton Show - Series 2
  1. E11 - Episode Eleven
  2. Special - Best Bits
Guest
2006 Extras - Series 2
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Maggie Jacobs
2006 A Cock And Bull Story Lindsey
2005 Friday Night With Jonathan Ross - Series 9
  1. E15 - David Tennant, Ashley Jensen, Chico, Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Richard Ashcroft
Guest
2005 Meet The Magoons - Series 1
  1. E3 - The Samosa Triangle
Policewoman 1
2005 Extras - Series 1
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Maggie Jacobs
2002 Breeze Block
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  1. E1 - Angels
  2. E3 - Saturday, Sinday
  3. E4 - Kid
  4. E5 - Unspeakable
  5. E6 - Wet
Leanne
1996 Bad Boys - Series 1
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  1. E1 - No Pain, No Gain
Morag Hood
1995 Waiting Amanda Cookson
1994 Takin' Over The Asylum
  1. E1 - Hey Jude
Kathleen
1994 The Tales Of Para Handy - Series 1
  1. E4 - A Night Alarm
Catriona MacLean
1994 May To December - Series 6
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Rosie MacConnachy
1993 Rab C. Nesbitt - Series 3
  1. E4 - Wean
Sheena
1992 Rab C. Nesbitt - Series 2
  1. E1 - Country
2nd Girl
1990 City Lights - Series 5
  1. E6 - The Front!
Moira

Non-comedy TV and film credits may be found here:
Ashley Jensen on IMDb

Born
Monday 11th August 1969 (55 years-old)
Nationality
Scottish
Son
Frankie Beesley

Across the pond, Jensen has achieved success as a cast member of the ABC series Ugly Betty and the short-lived CBS sitcom Accidentally On Purpose.

After coming to attention with her first major television role as Clare Donnelly in 1993 BBC drama Down Among The Big Boys, in which she played the daughter of Billy Connolly's character, Jensen's first comedic appearance came in the final series of BBC comedy May To December. Shortly thereafter, she was offered the part of the socially inept Maggie Jacobs in the BBC Two/HBO comedy series Extras, co-starring with Ricky Gervais. For her work on this show she would receive best television comedy actress and newcomer awards at the 2005 British Comedy Awards. The year after, she won two more British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA nomination, and her role in the 2007 Christmas special earned her an Emmy Award nomination.

Following the success of Extras, Jensen took on her first significant role in US television, playing regular character Christina McKinney on the ABC series Ugly Betty. Although this role was originally intended for an American actor, when she met the show's producers they liked her accent and personality and changed the nationality of the character. She left the show in 2009 after the city of production was changed to West-Coast America.

In January 2009, Jensen starred in No Holds Bard, a BBC Scotland one-off comedy special celebrating Robert Burns, and in this same year she premiered in the American CBS sitcom Accidentally On Purpose, playing Olivia.

Jensen has appeared in several British comedy films, including Lindsey in A Cock And Bull Story, Fannie in Hysteria, Jennifer Lore in Nativity!, and the voices of Nanette and Bryony in the animated films Gnomeo & Juliet and Arthur Christmas respectively.

In 2014 Jensen a central protagonist role in the Sky One crime-based comedy drama Agatha Raisin, in which she plays an amateur detective. Starring alongside Katy Wix and Mathew Horne, her PR whizz character gives up a successful life in London and take-up residence in the village of Carsely, hoping to begin a new dream life. In 2015, Jensen began her role as Fran in the Channel 4 sitcom Catstrophe, playing the friends of the central couple, played by Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney.

In March 2019, Jensen reunited with Ricky Gervais on the Netflix dark comedy series After Life, about a cynical, pessimistic man who can hardly see the point of life after his wife dies from breast cancer.

TV Choice Awards 2021
Best Actress (Longlisted)
BAFTA Scotland Awards 2016
Best Actress - Television (Nominee)
Annie Awards 2012
Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (Nominee)
British Comedy Awards 2008
Best TV Comedy Actress (Nominee)
Primetime Emmy Awards 2008
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Nominee)
Loaded LAFTAs 2007
Funniest Woman (Nominee)
BAFTA Television Awards 2006
Best Comedy Performance (Nominee)
Rose d'Or Awards 2006
Sitcom Performance (Female) (Winner)
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 2006
Best Actress (Nominee)
Loaded LAFTAs 2006
Funniest Woman (Winner)
British Comedy Awards 2005
Best TV Comedy Actress (Winner)
Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist (Winner)

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