Siobhan Finneran
Known for
Born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1966, Siobhan Finneran is a British character actress prized for her precision with working-class voices and quiet menace. She broke through as the sharp-tongued Rita in Alan Clarke Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987) and became a household name as the scheming ladys maid Sarah O Brien across Downton Abbey (2010). She has since anchored ITV crime drama Happy Valley (2014) as the vulnerable Clare Cartwright, and appeared in The Stranger (2020) and The Reckoning (2023). Understated and completely unshowy, she can turn a single glance into a whole subtext.
Siobhan Finneran
11 Movies
47 Series
Born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1966, Siobhan Finneran is a British character actress prized for her precision with working-class voices and quiet menace. She broke through as the sharp-tongued Rita in Alan Clarke Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987) and became a household name as the scheming ladys maid Sarah O Brien across Downton Abbey (2010). She has since anchored ITV crime drama Happy Valley (2014) as the vulnerable Clare Cartwright, and appeared in The Stranger (2020) and The Reckoning (2023). Understated and completely unshowy, she can turn a single glance into a whole subtext.
Movies
Plays Helga
The Damned
2025
Plays Kelly
Boy A
2008
Plays Mrs. Swift
The Selfish Giant
2013
Plays Elizabeth Traven
Nobody from Nowhere
2014
Plays Ivanna
Apostasy
2017
Plays Rita
Rita, Sue and Bob Too
1987
Plays Kath Edlington
Pond Life
2019
Plays Kathleen Adanski
Harold Shipman: Doctor Death
2002
Plays Verity
Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday
2009
TV Shows
Plays Janice Garvey
Benidorm
2007
Plays Narrator
Forensics: The Real CSI
2019
Plays Sarah O'Brien
Downton Abbey
2010
Plays Julie O'Neill
Clocking Off
2000
Plays Various Characters
The Russ Abbot Show
1986
Plays Clare Cartwright
Happy Valley
2014
Plays Nikki Kirkbright
Cold Feet
1998
Plays Lin
Alma's Not Normal
2020
Plays Marilyn
The Other One
2020
Plays DS Johanna Griffin
The Stranger
2020
Plays Sister Ruth
Apparitions
2008
Plays Marie-Louise O'Dell
Time
2021
Plays Beverley Clarke
The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
2006
Plays Mandy Atkinson
The Syndicate
2012
Plays DCI Lauren Quigley
The Loch
2017
Plays Elaine Pickford
A Confession
2019
Plays Mrs Phillips
Unchosen
2026
Plays DI Liz Nyles
Protection
2024
Plays Beryl Hullighan
The Reckoning
2023
Plays Angela Purefoy
Midwinter of the Spirit
2015
Plays Sue Bolton
Sparkhouse
2002
Plays Izzie Ingram
Unforgiven
2009
Plays Self - Narrator (voice)
Dictator: The Hitler Interviews
2025
Plays Marina Marquess
Bob & Rose
2001
Plays Mrs. Bushell
Johnny and the Bomb
2006
Plays DC Christine Freeman
The Moorside
2017
Plays Helen Keyes
Passer By
2004
Plays WPC Melanie Whitaker
Blood Strangers
2002
Plays Susie Ferdinand
Dalziel and Pascoe
1996
Plays Sally Newell
The Widow
2019
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Damned
Full Filmography
Unchosen
Mrs Phillips · 6 episodes
2026–
TV
Dictator: The Hitler Interviews
Self - Narrator (voice) · 3 episodes
2025–
TV
The Damned
Helga
2025
Film
Protection
DI Liz Nyles · 6 episodes
2024–
TV
Huggo
Julia
2024
Film
Time
Marie-Louise O'Dell · 6 episodes
2021–2023
TV
The Reckoning
Beryl Hullighan · 4 episodes
2023–
TV
The Other One
Marilyn · 11 episodes
2020–
TV
Alma's Not Normal
Lin · 12 episodes
2020–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Siobhan Finneran and where are they from?
Siobhan Finneran is 60 years old, born on April 27, 1966 in Oldham, Lancashire, England, UK.
What are the most famous roles of Siobhan Finneran?
Siobhan Finneran is best known for roles in Boy A, The Selfish Giant, The Damned.
How many movies has Siobhan Finneran been in?
Over a 39-year career (since 1987), Siobhan Finneran has appeared in 11 movies and 45 TV shows.
What was Siobhan Finneran's first movie?
The career of Siobhan Finneran began with Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987).
What is Siobhan Finneran's most recent movie or series?
Siobhan Finneran's most recent release is Unchosen, which premiered on April 21, 2026.
What TV shows has Siobhan Finneran appeared in?
On television, Siobhan Finneran has appeared in Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, The Stranger, Happy Valley.
Siobhan Finneran
1966-04-27 · Oldham, Lancashire, England, UK
Siobhan Margaret Finneran is an English television and film actress. She made her screen debut in the 1987 independent film Rita, Sue and Bob Too, and subsequently worked consistently in television drama including roles in Coronation Street (1989–1990), Clocking Off (2000–2002) and The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006). In 2005, Finneran originated the lead female role in the stage play On the Shore of the Wide World and was awarded the Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Also a comedy performer, Finneran appeared as Janice Garvey, a leading character in the first seven series of ITV sitcom Benidorm (2007–2015). Later television roles include portraying a lawyer in the mini-series Unforgiven (2009), an embittered servant in the first three series of the costume drama Downton Abbey (2010–2012) and a recovering addict in Happy Valley (2014–2023), for which she was nominated for the 2017 British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress. Later film credits include Mrs Swift in the 2013 film release The Selfish Giant, which earned her a British Independent Film Award nomination. Finneran is also a prolific television documentary narrator.
Finneran was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, then in Lancashire, to Irish parents. She moved with her family to Saddleworth as a young child, and has lived in the area ever since. During childhood Finneran was always drawn to the performing arts and was a fan of the celebrated English comedian Eric Morecambe, recalling that "as a little girl I wanted to be Eric Morecambe. Not to be like him but to actually be him". She completed a theatre studies course.
In 2023, Finneran became patron for Manchester based charity Contact Hostel, an organisation that provides support and accommodation for teenage girls facing homelessness.