Pauline Quirke
Updated: 12/20/2025, 9:27:15 PM Wikipedia source
Pauline Perpetua Sheen (née Quirke; born 8 July 1959) is a retired English actress. She began her career with roles on various television series, before fronting her own comedy sketch show, Pauline's Quirkes, in 1976. She later starred as Vicky Smith on the BBC drama series Angels (1982–1983), and achieved fame with her portrayal of Sharon Theodopolopodous on the long-running sitcom Birds of a Feather (1988–1999, 2014–2017), for which she won a British Comedy Award and was nominated on three occasions for a National Television Award. In 1997, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her role in the BBC miniseries The Sculptress. Between 2010 and 2012, Quirke played Hazel Rhodes on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Quirke's film appearances include The Elephant Man (1980), Little Dorrit (1987), and Getting It Right (1989). Other television credits include Shine on Harvey Moon (1984–1985, 1995), Maisie Raine (1998–1999), David Copperfield (1999), Down to Earth (2000–2003), Cold Blood (2007–2008), Missing (2009–2010), Skins (2010), Broadchurch (2013–2015), and You, Me and the Apocalypse (2015).
Infobox
Tables
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | Junket 89 | Molly | Main role |
| 1971 | Dixon of Dock Green | Jane Taylor | 1 episode |
| Softly, Softly: Task Force | Janice West | 1 episode | |
| 1972 | The Problem with 2B | Molly | Main role |
| 1973 | Malachi's Cove | Store Girl | Supporting role |
| 1974 | The Tomorrow People | Student | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
| Play for Today | Checkout Girl | 1 episode | |
| 1975 | Shadows | Dawn | 1 episode |
| Jenny Can't Work Any Faster | Jenny | Television film | |
| 1975–1976 | You Must Be Joking! | Various | (3 episodes) |
| 1976 | Beasts | Noreen Beale | 1 episode |
| 1976 | Pauline's Quirkes | Herself - presenter | 6 episodes |
| 1976–1983 | Angels | Kate Morahan/Vicky Smith | Regular roles (66 episodes) |
| 1977 | Television Club | Pud | Regular role (6 episodes) |
| The Duchess of Duke Street | Pearl | (2 episodes) | |
| 1978 | Crown Court | Patsy Donovan | 1 episode |
| 1979 | Lovely Couple | Carole Richards | Regular role (11 episodes) |
| 1980 | Ain't Many Angels | Various | Television film |
| The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist | Charlotte | Regular role (9 episodes) | |
| Both Ends Meet | Cissy White | Television film | |
| The Elephant Man | 2nd Whore | Minor role | |
| 1982 | Play for Today | Eleanor | 1 episode |
| The Story of the Treasure Seekers | Eliza | Regular role (6 episodes) | |
| The Return of the Soldier | Girl in Hospital | Minor role | |
| Q.E.D | Jane | 1 episode | |
| 1984–1995 | Shine on Harvey Moon | Veronica | Recurring roles (13 episodes) |
| 1986 | Girls on Top | Cleaner | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Hardwicke House | Gladys | 1 episode |
| Little Dorrit | Maggie | Supporting role | |
| 1988 | Rockliffe's Babies | Lorraine Morelli | 1 episode |
| Distant Voices, Still Lives | Doreen | Supporting role | |
| Casualty | Mary Taylor | 1 episode | |
| 1989 | Getting It Right | Muriel Sutton | Supporting role |
| 1989–1998, 2014–2017 | Birds of a Feather | Sharon Theodopolopodous | Main role (128 episodes) |
| 1995–1996 | Jackanory | Storyteller | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | The Sculptress | Olive Martin | Main role (4 episodes) |
| Waiting for Giro | Bo | Short film | |
| 1997 | Our Boy | Sonia Williamson | Television film |
| The Canterville Ghost | Madame Murielle | Television film | |
| Deadly Summer | Linda Topping | Television film | |
| 1998–1999 | Maisie Raine | Maisie Raine | Main role (12 episodes) |
| 1998–1999 | Real Women | Mandy Evans | Regular role (7 episodes) |
| 1999 | Last Christmas | Gwen | Television film |
| David Copperfield | Peggotty | Main role (2 episodes) | |
| Real Women 2 | Mandy Evans | Main role | |
| 2000 | Checkout Girl | Lynda | Short film |
| 2000–2003 | Down to Earth | Faith | Regular role (18 episodes) |
| 2001 | Office Gossip | Jo | Regular role (6 episodes) |
| Arthur's Dyke | Janet | Main role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990–1991 | Cinderella | Ugly Sister | Hackney Empire |
| 1991–1992 | Dick Whittington | Dick | Hackney Empire |
| 2012 | Birds of a Feather | Sharon Theodopolopodous | UK Tour |
| 2016–2017 | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | The Beck Theatre, Hayes |
| Year | Nominated For | Award | Category | Result |
| 1990 | Birds of a Feather | British Comedy Awards | Best TV Comedy Newcomer | Won |
| 1990 | Best TV Comedy Actress | Nominated | ||
| 1997 | The Sculptress | BAFTA TV Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 1997 | Birds of a Feather | National Television Awards | Most Popular Comedy Performer | Nominated |
| 1998 | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | ||
| 1999 | Most Popular Comedy Performer | Nominated | ||
| 2001 | Office Gossip | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Down to Earth | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Emmerdale | British Soap Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated |
| 2011 | TV Choice Awards | Best Soap Actress | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Best Newcomer | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | Broadchurch | Crime Thriller Awards | Best Supporting Actress Dagger | Nominated |
References
- The Gazettehttps://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63714/supplement/B23
- The Book of Beasts: Folklore, Popular Culture and Nigel Kneale's ATV TV Serieshttps://books.google.com/books?id=XjfaEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22pauline+quirke%22+%221959%22&pg=PT201
- Where Have I Gone?https://books.google.com/books?id=1xmqS8irP20C&pg=PP1
- The Book of Beasts: Folklore, Popular Culture and Nigel Kneale's ATV TV Serieshttps://books.google.com/books?id=XjfaEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22pauline+quirke%22+%221959%22&pg=PT201
- "BBC TV & Food Masterchef Bio's"https://web.archive.org/web/20071127133107/http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/masterchef/celeb_biogs_index2.shtml
- "Jenny Can't Work Any Faster"https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fe2g8x/jenny-cant-work-any-faster/
- "PAULINE'S QUIRKES 1976"https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/paulines-quirkes/
- "Beasts (1976)"http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1232046/index.html2
- Fun with the Famous
- Bedford Todayhttps://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/education/pauline-quirke-academy-hosts-free-open-day-in-bedford-3533628
- "Pauline Quirke Academy - Our Story"https://www.pqacademy.com/what-we-do/our-story/
- Digital Spyhttp://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s12/emmerdale/news/a222433/pauline-quirke-joins-emmerdale.html
- "You, Me and the Apocalypse – Character Guide – British Comedy Guide"http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/you_me_apocalypse/characters/
- "'Birds of a Feather' returning for Christmas special without Pauline Quirke"https://finance.yahoo.com/news/birds-of-a-feather-christmas-special-pauline-quirke-154129158.html
- Digital Spyhttp://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a634764/birds-of-a-feather-renewed-for-12th-series-by-itv.html#~p6JzUcgaezVaUG
- "Pauline Quirke MBE"https://www.pqacademy.com/about-us/pauline-quirke-mbe/
- "The Stage Scholarships 2014 – Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts"https://web.archive.org/web/20140714185743/http://www.thestage.co.uk/columns/scholarships/2014/04/stage-scholarships-2014-pauline-quirke-academy-performing-arts/
- The London Gazettehttps://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63714/supplement/B23
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxengknyvgo
- Digital Spyhttps://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a319276/british-soap-awards-2011-the-winners/
- "TV Choice Award Winners 2011"https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2011/0914/432278-tvawards/
- Digital Spyhttps://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a342413/inside-soap-awards-2011-the-full-winners-list/
- Crime Time UKhttps://www.crimetime.co.uk/Specsavers-Crime-Thriller-Awards-Shortlist-Announcement-heralds-the-return-of-the-TV-Book-Club/