Sarah Parish

Early life

Parish was born in Yeovil, Somerset, to Bill and Thelma Parish; she has a sister, Julie, and a brother, musician John Parish. She was educated at the local Preston School and Yeovil College. She began acting at an early age and believes her first stage appearance was aged two in a pantomime in the village of Tintinhull in Somerset, playing the pearl in an oyster. She later attended Yeovil Youth Theatre.

Career

After training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London, her appearance in a cult advert for Manchester-based Boddingtons bitter in 1994 (as Vera, who likes nothing better than "a good rub down with chip fat"), led to a series of roles as Northern women, including Dawn Rudge in Peak Practice (1993), Allie Henshall in Cutting It (2002), Annie Naylor in Trust and Natalie Holden in Blackpool (2004). She starred alongside Debra Messing in the movie The Wedding Date, had a small role in The Holiday, which starred Jude Law, and appeared as the Empress of the Racnoss in the Christmas 2006 Doctor Who episode "The Runaway Bride".

Parish appeared in the one-off drama Recovery. She also starred in the BBC series ShakespeaRe-Told in which she played Beatrice. She returned as GP Katie Roden in series two and three of Mistresses, which debuted on BBC One in February 2009. She played Lady Catrina in the BBC television series Merlin.

In 2011, Parish co-starred in ITV's medical drama Monroe, alongside James Nesbitt. From 2013 to 2015, she appeared in the BBC TV series Atlantis, playing one of the main characters, Pasiphaë. From 2014 to 2017, she played the role of Anna Rampton in three series of the BBC TV comedy W1A. Since November 2015, Parish has portrayed Cheryl Fairweather in Sky One sitcom Trollied.

In December 2017, she played Supt Elizabeth Bancroft in the ITV miniseries Bancroft. The second series was broadcast in January 2020.

In December 2019, she appeared in The Cockfields as Melissa, girlfriend of Nigel Havers' character, Larry. From 2020 to 2024, she has appeared in the HBO/BBC drama Industry. In December 2021, Parish appeared in the Netflix original Stay Close as Lorraine.

Co-stars

She has frequently co-starred opposite David Tennant – in the 2004 musical serial Blackpool; the Tony Marchant drama Recovery; the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas special episode, "The Runaway Bride"; in the third series of the ITV crime drama Broadchurch; and in the 2017 film You, Me and Him. She has joked: "We're like George and Mildred – in 20 years' time we'll probably be doing a ropey old sitcom in a terraced house in Preston."

Personal life

Parish married James Murray on 15 December 2007 in Hampshire. It was announced in January 2008 that she was pregnant with their first child, due on Parish's 40th birthday. Their daughter Ella-Jayne was born with Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome and died in 2009. In her memory, Parish and Murray raise funds for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Southampton General Hospital. As of December 2019, they had raised £5.2 million towards the PICU. Their second daughter, Nell, was born on 21 November 2009.

When asked about her hobbies and interests, Parish cites her vegetable garden.

On 2 March 2018, Parish sustained an accident, breaking her leg when sledging in the snow. She commented: "Note to self: cheap plastic sledges are for sitting in and gently trundling down primary slopes – NOT a substitute for a stand-up snowboard".

Honours

Parish and her husband, James Murray, were appointed MBEs in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to "children with an illness and their families" through their charitable foundation, The Murray Parish Trust, and as patrons of Friends of Picu at Southampton Children’s Hospital.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (2024-12-30). "Jim Murray and Sarah Parish recognised in New Year Honours 2025".
2. [http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Sarah-Parish-interview-Acting-wish-comes-true/story-15861554-detail/story.html Sarah Parish interview] at [[Western Daily Press]] 19 April 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2015
3. "Merlin: Series 2". Merlins Keep.
4. Power, Vicki. (18 January 2014). "Atlantis actress Sarah Parish on dates, parties and being a noisy neighbour". Express.
5. "ITV commissions second series of Bancroft, starring Sarah Parish".
6. "When is Bancroft back on TV for series 2?".
7. "The Cockfields".
8. (8 October 2006). "Who's new".
9. Dempster, Sarah. (21 February 2007). "Scissor sister". [[The Guardian]].
10. [http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/01/20/sarah-parish-mourning-death-of-daughter-ella-jayne "Sarah Parish Mourning Death of Daughter"] Celebrity Baby Blog, 20 January 2009
11. "Read Rosemary's story".
12. Cripps, Charlotte. (29 December 2019). "Sarah Parish: 'I have a look about me that says death... I'm not a fluffy bunny'". [[The Independent]].
13. "rosie mitchell is fundraising for Friends of PICU".
14. "Interview with Atlantis star and Alton resident Sarah Parish".
15. (3 March 2018). "Broadchurch actress breaks leg on sledge".
16. "Sarah Parish on Instagram: "Day 2 in Winchester Hospital. Looks like I'll be operated on today. They're putting a bloody great big pin right through my shin!! No sleep…"".
17. "Page N23 {{!}} Supplement 64607, 31 December 2024 {{!}} London Gazette {{!}} The Gazette".
18. (1 May 2024). "Piglets".
19. Craig, David. (25 April 2024). "Doctor Who's Anita Dobson among new cast joining Mandip Gill and more in Curfew".
20. "DNA Journey With Ancestry".
21. "National Television Awards, UK (2003)".
22. "Gold Derby Awards (2006)".