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Maxine Peake is an actress who definitely makes bold choices. Her latest role, in the Acorn TV miniseries Anne, sees her portray Anne Williams, a Liverpool woman who campaigned tirelessly for justice after her son was killed in 1989's Hillsborough disaster. He was crushed to death at an English soccer stadium.
Ahead of its premiere Monday (August 22), we're taking a look back at 10 of Peake's other career highlights. 
1. Dinnerladies (1998-2000)
Peake's career breakthrough came in this hit BBC sitcom written by and starring Victoria Wood. She plays Twinkle, the youngest member of a catering team working at a factory in Northern England. Many of Peake's subsequent roles have leaned into more serious subject matter, but as unenthused and frequently hungover Twinkle, she gets to show off her cracking comic timing. 

2. Shameless (2004-2007)
Peake appeared in the first four seasons of the original British version of Shameless, which was set in Manchester as opposed to Chicago. She's in raucous form as Veronica Ball, the no-nonsense next-door neighbor of the chaotic but close-knit Gallagher family. In the U.S. remake, Peake's character is reimagined as "V" and played by Shanola Hampton. 

3. See No Evil: The Moors Murders (2006)
Peake has never shied away from tough roles, but this one must have been particularly daunting. In this two-part true-crime drama, she plays Myra Hindley, one of the most notorious and despised serial killers in British history. It's a difficult series to watch given the devastating subject matter, but Peake's haunting performance deservedly earned her a BAFTA nomination.

4. Hancock & Joan (2008)
This BBC TV movie dramatizes the love affair between British comedian Tony Hancock (Ken Stott) and Joan Le Mesurier, wife of Hancock's close friend John Le Mesurier (Alex Jennings). Peake earned her second BAFTA nomination for portraying Joan as a patient and uplifting woman who helped Hancock during his long battle with alcoholism. 

5. Silk (2011-2014)
Peake plays a brilliant London barrister in this classy BBC/PBS legal drama series. Her character Martha Costello is already a success, but her ambition to become a super-senior member of the prestigious "Queen's Counsel" puts her up against high-flying co-worker Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones). Peake is on great form here and the show's excellent supporting cast includes Nina Sosanya, Indira Varma, and Natalie Dormer.

6. The Village (2013-2014)
Peake picked up another BAFTA nomination for her heartbreaking performance in this BBC series following the inhabitants of a small rural community during the First World War. Peake's character Grace has to contend with more than her fair share of tragedy, and some of her emotional scenes are almost too sad to watch.

7. Funny Cow (2017)
This British indie film is built around a character it's hard to imagine anyone but Peake playing. Her "Funny Cow," as she's known throughout the movie, is a hard-nosed stand-up trying to forge a career in the male-dominated clubs of 1970s Northern England. You won't necessarily warm to Peake's character, whose humor is often pretty cruel, but you'll definitely admire her guts.

8. Black Mirror: Metalhead (2017)
Peake's episode of Black Mirror is one of the simplest, but also one of the most terrifying. She plays Bella, a woman living in a dystopian future who is mercilessly pursued by a robotic dog that always seems to be one step ahead. Intensity is a Peake specialty and she definitely delivers it here – frankly, this episode must have been exhausting to shoot.

9. Peterloo (2018)
This historical film tells the story of 1819's Peterloo Massacre, a British tragedy in which 15 people lost their lives while protesting for parliamentary reform. As a tough mother struggling to make ends meet, Peake takes pride of place in a large ensemble cast that includes Rory Kinnear, Nico Mirallegro, and Sam Troughton. It's exactly the sort of sensitive, socially conscious project she's become known for.

10. Talking Heads (2020)
In early 2020, when all filming had to be socially distanced, the BBC decided to remake Alan Bennett's iconic series of Talking Heads monologues with a skeleton crew. Peake leads one of the lighter episodes, "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet," playing a lonely middle-aged woman who finds an unexpected way of making some extra cash. She gives a warm and poignant performance in a role originally made famous by Dame Patricia Routledge.

Are you going to go back and revisit some of Maxine Peake's earlier performances?