Born:
November 24, 1963
in
London
Best Known For:
The Bill and Loose Women.
Early-life:
Born on November 24, 1963, in Elephant and Castle, London. She was raised by her mother Val, a solicitor's receptionist, after her father walked out on them; she met him again when she was 45. Thanks to her performances at the Italia Conti Stage School, she was encouraged to pursue a showbusiness career by her mum. At 11, she won a role in the stage production Annie, appeared in the TV drama Ballet Shoes and made the schools programme A Place Like Home.
Career:
Maxwell's first big break came in the early 1980s, when she was picked to front youth programme No Limits. She also provided the voice of Kira in 1982's cult movie The Dark Crystal. A role in the film Remembrance followed, as did TV series Splash. She became a household name while appearing alongside Russ Abbot and Les Dennis in their comedy series. Her popularity led to her own show, and in 1993 she moved to America. Maxwell landed the role of Daphne in Frasier but, after criticising the scripts, was replaced by Jane Leeves. She returned to the UK where she worked on stage and appeared in In Deep, before joining The Bill as Sam Nixon in 2002. She has appeared as a regular contributor on Loose Women since 2009.
Quote:
On working with Russ Abbott: 'They were happy, happy days. Just imagine this, you get up every morning and all you've got to do is go and play silly beggars.'
Trivia:
Maxwell proposed to her partner Paul Jessup, on the traditional Leap Year Day (29 February 2012).