Ashley Jensen

Ashley Jensen born August 11 1969 is a Scottish actress She is best known for her roles as Maggie Jacobs in Extras 20052007 for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award Christina McKinney in Ugly Betty 20062010 Agatha Raisin in Agatha Raisin 2014present and DI Ruth Calder in Shetland 2023present Jensen trained in Drama at Edinburghs Queen Margaret University Her first significant television role was as Clare Donnelly daughter of Glasgow criminal JoJo Donnelly played by Billy Connolly in the 1993 BBC drama Down Among the Big Boys In 1994 she played eccentric secretary Rosie McConnichy in the final series of BBC comedy May to December as a replacement for the character of secretary Hilary Rebecca Lacey and Heather in Roughnecks a BBC television series about workers on a North Sea oil platform Jensen had a small role in a Dangerfield episode Contact as the mother of a young girl with meningitis She then appeared as Fiona Morris in EastEnders She also appeared in the 2003 BBC drama Two Thousand Acres of Sky Jensen costarred alongside Ricky Gervais in the BBC TwoHBO television programme Extras as the socially inept Maggie Jacobs For her work on the first series she received best television comedy actress and newcomer awards at the 2005 British Comedy Awards In 2006 Jensen received two British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA nomination for her role in Extras Her role in the 2007 Christmas Special earned her an Emmy Award nomination In January 2006 she starred in the shortlived drama series Eleventh Hour on ITV Later that year she played Steve Coogans agent in A Cock and Bull Story In 2007 she provided the narration for the film Taking Liberties In 2014 she played the eponymous lead character in the television film adaptation of the M C Beaton novel Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death for Sky1 She also starred in the eightpart series that first aired on Sky1 on 7 June 2016 In 2017 she starred in a sixpart TV series for BBC TV Love Lies Records depicting the gritty life and entwined storylines working in Leeds Registry Office In March 2019 Jensen reunited with Gervais in the Netflix black comedy series After Life a role she continued for all three series In April 2019 she played Debbie Dorell in the second series of BBC TV drama Trust Me When an injured soldier discovers patients in his hospital ward dying he attempts to investigate the suspicious deaths Also in 2019 she played the voice of Jacqueline in Lady and the Tramp