Since she launched her career 20 years ago, Anna Maxwell Martin has become one of TV's most consistently impressive actors. Indeed, she already has two BAFTA TV awards (and two further nominations) to her name. With her new crime drama series Hollington Drive premiering tomorrow (November 18) on AMC+ and Sundance Now, here's a guide to 10 of her most memorable roles.
1. Doctor Who (2005)
Maxwell Martin guests in "The Long Game," a Christopher Eccleston episode that also features Simon Pegg and Tamsin Greig. She plays Suki, an intrepid young journalist who wants to expose Pegg's scheming space station editor, but is thwarted before she gets the chance. It's definitely a promising early role.2. Bleak House (2005)
Maxwell Martin won her first BAFTA award for her pitch-perfect work in the BBC’s hit Charles Dickens adaptation. She brings great charm to the role of Esther Summerson, an orphan raised to be the companion of a flinty older woman, Miss Barbary. Esther is shy and self-effacing as a result, but Maxwell Martin makes sure she's no sap.3. Poppy Shakespeare (2008)
Maxwell Martin won another BAFTA for her scintillating performance in this illuminating TV movie about mental illness. She plays N, a long-term patient at a psychiatric hospital who bonds with Naomie Harris' title character, a new patient who believes she shouldn't be there at all. Their chemistry adds sweetness to a story that might otherwise be bleak.4. The Night Watch (2010)
Set during World War II, this semi-forgotten BBC TV movie based on a Sarah Waters novel is well worth seeking out. Maxwell Martin plays Kay, an affluent young queer woman who’s become reclusive because of the drudgery of wartime life. Claire Foy and Jodie Whittaker co-star in a complex and evocative story that unfolds rather daringly in reverse. 5. South Riding (2011)
Maxwell Martin picked up another BAFTA nomination for her work in this BBC adaptation of Winifred Holtby's 1936 novel. She gives a typically stirring performance as Sarah Burton, an independent young woman who embraces life as a Yorkshire headmistress after losing her fiancé in World War I. You'll root for her all the way.6. Death Comes to Pemberley (2013)
Adapted from a P.D. James novel, this inventive costume drama series takes the characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and drops them into a murder mystery. It's set six years after Austen's book, which means Maxwell Martin plays Elizabeth Darcy, now married to Fitzwilliam Darcy (Matthew Rhys) and worried he is becoming distant.7. And Then There Were None (2015)
This three-part Agatha Christie whodunnit has a terrific ensemble cast. Charles Dance, Aidan Turner, and Miranda Richardson are among the guests who arrive at a secluded Devon manor house for a vacation, only to find they're being killed off one-by-one. Maxwell Martin has a spooky role as Mrs. Rogers, the house's deathly-pale resident cook.8. Motherland (2017-)
Co-written by Sharon Horgan, this British sitcom about the stresses of parenthood is well observed and relatable. Maxwell Martin shines as Julia, a mother-of-two who knows she can't keep up with the slick "Alpha Mums" who rule the roost in her fancy north London neighborhood. You can watch all three seasons on Sundance Now.9. Line of Duty (2019-)
This riveting police procedural is one of the U.K.'s most popular shows. Maxwell Martin has a scene-stealing role in the fifth and six seasons as Patricia Carmichael, a senior officer who manages to antagonize everyone without trying. It's impossible to work out her deadpan character's motivations, which only makes her more sinister.10. Hollington Drive (2021)
This crime series premiering Thursday (November 18) on AMC+ and Sundance Now pivots on a terrible dilemma: what if you suspected your children of committing a crime? Maxwell Martin and Rachael Stirling play two sisters grappling with the possibility that their kids may have played a part in the disappearance of a local boy. Expect things to get seriously intense.What is your favorite Anna Maxwell Martin role?