Leanne Jones (born 21 March 1985) is a British actress best known for her role as Tracy Turnblad in the West End production of the musical ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

''. In 2008, she won both the

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awar ...

and the Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Critics Circle Award for Best Newcomer.

Early life

Jones was born in

Stoke on Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

and grew up in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, where she attended St Ivo School, before studying at the

Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, formerly Mountview Theatre School, is a drama school in Peckham, south London, England, founded in 1945. The Academy provides specialist vocational training in acting and musical theatre, as well as production ...

Wood Green Wood Green is a suburban district in the borough of Haringey in London, England. Its postal district is N22, with parts in N8 or N15. The London Plan identifies it as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London, and today it forms a maj ...

, north London, graduating in 2006.

Career

Theatre -

(Shaftesbury Theatre), Jack & The Beanstalk (Alhambra Theatre, Bradford), Hairspray (DUCTAC, Dubai) The Naked Truth (UK Tour), Tick Tick Boom (Union Theatre), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Tabard Theatre), Beauty & The Beast (Gordon Craig, Stevenage), Bedroom Farce (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich) The Sunny Side of The Street (The Jermyn Street Theatre), Saucy Jack & The Space Vixens (Leicester Square Theatre) and

Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to: Animals * ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes ** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species * A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid) People * Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...

(The Lyric Theatre Belfast & Edinburgh Fringe 2012 and in the West End in 2014), 'Bea Pig' in the original west end cast of Stiles and Drewe

The Three Little Pigs "The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house t ...

(Palace Theatre), Jack & The Beanstalk (The Woodville). Television & Film , ''Unforgotten'' 2018. Sarah Bradley 'Rumble' directed by Charlie Manton 2017. ''Silent Witness'' 2017.

Awards and honors

Jones' performance as Tracy Turnblad in ''Hairspray'' won her a number of awards, including a Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Critics Circle Award 2008 for Most Promising Newcomer and the 2008

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

for Best Actress in a Musical.Hairspray's Leanne Jones wins Olivier Award – Telegraph
/ref> She was also nominated in 2009 for a Glamour Woman of the Year Award for Best Actress.

Personal life

Jones has two sons called Oscar and Barnaby, born in 2013 and 2015. In 2016, she married Stephen Porter.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Leanne 1985 births People educated at St Ivo School Living people Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts English stage actresses People from Romford People from Stoke-on-Trent Laurence Olivier Award winners Actresses from Cambridgeshire