Rebecca Louise Front (born 16 May 1964) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She won the 2010 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for '' The Thick of It'' (2009–2012).Jennifer Lipma
"Bafta for Jewish actress Rebecca Front"
''The Jewish Chronicle''. 7 June 2010 She is also known for her work in numerous other British comedies, including the radio show '' On The Hour'' (1992), '' The Day Today'' (1994), '' Knowing Me, Knowing You… with Alan Partridge'' (1994), '' Time Gentlemen Please'' (2000–2002), sketch show '' Big Train'' (2002), and '' Nighty Night'' (2004–2005). Front has also been seen in a number of dramatic roles, including Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent in '' Lewis'' (2006–2014), Mrs. Bennet in '' Death Comes to Pemberley'' (2013), Mrs. Landau in '' The Eichmann Show'' (2015), Vera in ''

Humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

'' (2015), and '' Death in Paradise'' (2019). Her theatre credits include the musicals ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

'' and '' The Fix'' at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours ...

Early life

Front was born in

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area in the northwest part of the London Borough of Hackney, England. The area is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington (parish), Stoke Newington, the ancient parish. S ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, to Sheila and Charles Front. Her mother wrote children's books, which her father illustrated. Her father also designed the title-logo on the cover of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' album '' Rubber Soul''. Her father is

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish and her mother is of Jewish and Welsh descent. Front was brought up in

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish religious movements, Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its Jewish ethics, ethical aspects to its ceremo ...

. She gained admission to Ilford County High School for Girls, which converted to a

comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...

during her time there. Front became involved in comedy while at St Hugh's College at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, where she read English and became the first female president of The Oxford Revue. She also trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

Career

While at Oxford in 1984, Front took part in the revue ''Stop the Weak''. The tour played in Oxford itself, the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, Edinburgh,

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

, and Romsey. In 1985, Front teamed up with Sioned Wiliam and Jon Magnusson to take the show ''The Bobo Girls go BOO'' to Edinburgh. She made a short promotional video on energy conservation with Michael Simkins in the late 1980s. Front achieved a higher profile as a result of her work with Stewart Lee and Richard Herring on the radio shows '' Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World'' and '' On the Hour'', and the television and radio series '' Fist of Fun''. She went on to form a close professional association with Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci,

Doon Mackichan Sarah Doon Mackichan (; born 7 August 1962) is a British actress, comedian and writer. She co-created, wrote and performed in the double-Emmy awards, Emmy-award-winning ''Smack the Pony''. She frequently collaborates with Armando Iannucci and S ...

and Steve Coogan, who all transferred with Front to ''The Day Today'', the television version of ''On the Hour''. Completing ''The Day Today'' were Patrick Marber, who was part of the 1984 Oxford University revue with Front and David Schneider, who took part in the 1985 revue. This cast continued to contribute to the Alan Partridge comedy canon throughout the 1990s. In recent years Front has also become a fixture on comedy panel shows on British television and radio including '' The News Quiz'', '' Have I Got News for You'' and '' If I Ruled The World''. She has also had minor roles in '' The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer'', '' Absolute Power'' and '' Absolutely Fabulous'' and she has also played straight acting roles in television drama, including ''You Can Choose Your Friends'', ''The Rotters' Club'', '' Kavanagh QC'', '' Lewis'' and '' Jonathan Creek''. In 2003, she was listed in ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. From 2006, she has written columns for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. In 2007, she guest-starred in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

audio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

'' The Mind's Eye''. Between 2006 until 2014, Front had a recurring role as Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent on the detective drama series '' Lewis'', the successor to ''

Inspector Morse Endeavour Morse, GM, is the namesake character of the series of "Morse" detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, a Detective Chief Inspector in the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, England. On television he was portrayed by John ...

'' on ITV. In 2009 and 2012, respectively, she appeared in the third and fourth series of political satire '' The Thick of It'', playing Nicola Murray MP, Secretary of State for Citizenship and Social Affairs and in charge of the dysfunctional 'DoSAC', and later, Leader of the Opposition. Front featured in the 2010 BBC comedy series '' Grandma's House'' playing the part of Simon Amstell's mother Tanya, and '' Just William'', as the mother of William Brown and also starred in the 2011 live-action 3D family comedy film '' Horrid Henry: The Movie'' as Henry's headmistress, Miss Oddbod. In 2012 Front starred as the psychiatrist in the Sky Arts sketch series ''

Psychobitches ''Psychobitches'' is a Sky Arts British sketch comedy show directed by Jeremy Dyson, in which famous women from history and fiction seek help from a psychologist (played by Rebecca Front). Broadcast history ''Psychobitches'' was originally air ...

'', where Front's character offers therapy to notable women of history and the present day, including

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

Mary Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

, Enid Blyton, Eva Braun,

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English word , meaning ''wealth'' or ''prosperity'', in combination with the Old English , meaning '' strife'', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian lang ...

, and Anna Nicole Smith. The series aired on the British television channel Sky Arts 1. The first episode of a second series was broadcast on 25 November 2014. In 2013, she starred in the new

Sky Living Sky Living was a British pay television television channel, channel owned and operated by Sky Limited, Sky. The channel's programming was aimed mainly at women and young adults. It originally launched as UK Living yet became Sky Living by 2011. H ...

comedy '' The Spa'', in the role of Alison Crabbe. She plays Cox in '' The Wrong Mans'', a six-part comedy-thriller for

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

. The premiere was on 24 September 2013. She reprised this role in December 2014 for a special two-parter. She narrated '' Fox Wars'' which was broadcast on 22 October 2013. In December 2013, Sky Atlantic aired a new comedy series called ''Little Cracker''. The second programme in the series was an autobiographical story written by Front and her brother Jeremy. It concerns the time she witnessed the near-drowning of her father in a lake; that incident was closely followed by the death of her grandfather. The proximity of these two experiences caused Front considerable personal anguish. Front was eleven years old at the time and, because of the trauma she suffered, she went through a period of not wanting to attend school. The programme included a comedic treatment of this time in her life, followed by Front and her brother explaining the background to the story, and how they came to write and dramatise it. In the programme, Front was played by Lucy Hutchinson, and her father was played by the actor Richard Lumsden. Samantha Spiro played her mother and Front played her headmistress, Miss Dyson. Front's school friend character, Karen, was played by Imogen Front. For their 2013 Christmas season, the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

commissioned '' Death Comes to Pemberley'', a three-part television drama based on the novel by P. D. James. The story returns to the world of

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

's '' Pride and Prejudice'', and involves its characters in a new tale of murder and emotional mayhem. Front played the part of Mrs Bennet. The first episode aired on BBC One at 8.15pm on Boxing Day. In January 2014, Front appeared in the '' Midsomer Murders'' episode "Let Us Prey", about a serial killer who uses medieval torture methods to dispatch their victims. She appeared in the BBC series '' Outnumbered'', playing the headmistress at Karen's school in early 2014. Front portrayed Fiona in the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

series ''Love in Recovery''. She also starred in the sitcom '' Up the Women'' as Helen Bute, the antagonist for three episodes in mid-2013 and a six-episode series in 2015. From 2014 to 2019, she narrated the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

series '' The Supervet''. In 2017, she co-wrote and appeared in the sitcom ''Shush!'' on

, a sitcom set in a library.

Personal life

Front is married to Phil Clymer, previously a radio producer at the BBC World Service; they have two children. Front was part of the BBC English/World Service rep company. Front's book ''Curious: True Stories and Loose Connections'' (published 2014) is a collection of autobiographical stories. A second book, ''Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Adventures in the Ordinary'' (published 2018), is a collection of true stories about surprising turns of events, bizarre misunderstandings and improbable life lessons. Jeremy Front, her brother, is a writer and comic actor. They have collaborated on writing and performance projects. The most recent is a series of spoof documentaries, ''Incredible Women'', for

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Rebecca Front
on Twitter * {{DEFAULTSORT:Front, Rebecca 1964 births 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses 20th-century English Jews 21st-century English Jews 21st-century English memoirists 21st-century English women writers Living people Actresses from London Writers from the London Borough of Hackney Alumni of St Hugh's College, Oxford Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Best Female Comedy Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners English women memoirists English comedy writers Jewish English writers English people of Welsh descent English television actresses English television writers English voice actresses The Guardian journalists Jewish English actresses Actors from the London Borough of Hackney English women television writers English women comedians Jewish English comedians Comedians from the London Borough of Hackney People from Stoke Newington Jewish women comedians