Anna Acton
Anna Acton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anna Smith[1] 29 January 1977 Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Citizenship |
|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Anna Smith (born 29 January 1977), known professionally as Anna Acton, is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Geri Evans in the Channel 5 soap opera Family Affairs, Rochelle Barratt in the ITV procedural series The Bill and DC Emma Summerhayes in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Early and personal life
[edit]Acton was born as Anna Smith on 29 January 1977 in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.[1][2] She holds both British and American citizenship.[3] Her interest in acting began as a child in her friend's back garden, where her friend's mother held a small drama group.[1]
Acton is married to actor and former Family Affairs co-star Ben Hull. They got married in 2007.[4] The couple reside in Buckinghamshire and have two daughters.[5]
Career
[edit]Acton made her professional acting debut in a production of Cor, Blimey! at the Watford Palace Theatre in 2000.[6] She continued making minor appearances in various projects, including her television debut as a guest character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2001. Then, in 2002, she was cast as Geri Evans in the Channel 5 soap opera Family Affairs.[7] She remained in the role until 2005, during which time she received a nomination for Best Actress at the British Soap Awards.[8]
Following her role in Family Affairs, Acton was cast as Rochelle Barratt in the ITV1 procedural drama The Bill in 2005.[9] She also appeared in two episodes of Doctors in 2006 and 2008, as well as an episode of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.[10] In 2007, she starred as Louise Martin in two episodes of HolbyBlue, followed by a role in Harley Street in 2008.[3] From 2013 to 2015, Acton played the role of Joy in the CBeebies programme Topsy and Tim.[11]
In 2014, she was cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, marking her second role in the soap.[12] She portrayed DC Emma Summerhayes, a police officer investigating Lucy Beale's (Hetti Bywater) murder, until 2015 when the character was killed off.[13] From 2015 to 2016, Acton appeared in the BBC medical series Casualty as Nikki Chisom.[14] In 2018, she appeared in Birches, a UK-based feature based on the novel Silver Birches by Adrian Plass.[15][16]
In 2018, Acton returned to theatre work, appearing in The Gulf at the Tristan Bates Theatre.[17] A year later, she appeared in a production of The Permanent Way at the Vaults in London.[18] In 2021, Acton appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Vicki.[19] In 2023, she returned to Casualty, this time in the guest role of Piper Fulley.[9] A year later, she appeared in an episode of the Disney+ period series Rivals. Then in 2025, Acton appeared in a stage production of Blessings at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith.[20] 2026 saw her appear in the ITV1 thriller series Gone.[21]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Killers | Danielle | |
| 2010 | Little Deaths | Annabel | |
| 2018 | Degenerates | Susan Moore | |
| 2019 | Mapped | Izzy | Short film |
| Birches | Jessica | ||
| 2020 | Shapes | Ms Roberts | |
| 2021 | Smudged Smile | Laura | Short film |
| 2025 | Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die | Jillian |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | EastEnders | Jane Madden | 2 episodes |
| 2002–2005 | Family Affairs | Geri Evans | Regular role |
| 2005 | The Bill | Rochelle Barratt | Main role |
| 2006 | Doctors | Rachel Cook | Episode: "Home from Home" |
| Hollyoaks | D.C. Mullins | 2 episodes | |
| 2007 | HolbyBlue | Louise Martin | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Harley Street | Claudia | 1 episode |
| The Wrong Door | Various roles | Episode: "The Wizard of Office" | |
| Doctors | Kira Chesterton | Episode: "Hopelessly Devoted" | |
| 2010 | The Little House | Ruth's Mother | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Casualty | Alex Scotton | Episode: "The Ties That Bind" |
| 2012 | Crime Stories | Polly Andrews | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Doctors | Dorothy Bale | Episode: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" |
| 2013–2015 | Topsy and Tim | Joy O’Dell | Main role |
| 2014–2015 | EastEnders | DC Emma Summerhayes | Regular role |
| 2015–2016 | Casualty | Nikki Chisom | Recurring role |
| 2016 | Doctors | Colette Pendleton | Episode: "Cold Facts" |
| 2018 | Joanne Webber | Episode: "Playtime" | |
| 2019, 2023 | Brassic | Lydia McCann | Recurring role |
| 2020 | Roadkill | Stella Faber | 1 episode |
| 2021 | Doctors | Vicki | Episode: "This is Not a Pipe" |
| 2023 | Casualty | Piper Fulley | Episode: "The Ostrich Effect" |
| 2024 | Rivals | Mary Gordon-Lennox | 1 episode |
| 2026 | Gone | Phillipa Dyce | 1 episode |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hue | Hue's Mom (voice) |
Stage
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Cor, Blimey! | Sally | Watford Palace Theatre |
| 2007 | Noises Off | Brooke Ashton | Liverpool Playhouse |
| 2009 | The Hokey Cokey Man | Jenny/Eileen | New End Theatre |
| 2018 | The Gulf | Betty | Tristan Bates Theatre |
| 2019 | The Permanent Way | Investment Banker/Second Bereaved Mother | The Vaults |
| 2025 | Blessings | Dorie | Riverside Studios |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | British Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Family Affairs | Nominated | [22] |
| 2003 | Best Actress | Nominated | [8] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "From a Marlow back garden to a family soap". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Marlow's Family Affairs star is up for Soap Award". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Anna Acton". United Agents. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ Acton, Anna. "Then & Now - 12 years ago today I married this gorgeous man, and what a brilliant day it was! ❤️ #thenandnow #anniversary #wedding #growingoldtogether #married". Instagram. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Holby City's Ben Hull on Family Life, Nappy Changing & Life in the Country". My Baba. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Production of Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick". Theatricalia. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ Kris Green (28 April 2005). "Ex-'Family Affairs' actress joins 'The Bill'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ a b "The British Soap Awards 2003". Celebrities Worldwide. 10 May 2003. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Casualty fans STUNNED after EastEnders star makes a surprise cameo". What to Watch. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Watch EastEnders' Anna Acton in behind the scene video". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "Topsy And Tim returns to CBeebies this autumn". BBC News. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ Kris Green (20 May 2005). "315: Scott confesses all". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ "21/04/2014, EastEnders - BBC One". BBC. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ Dainty, Sophie (5 January 2016). "Casualty spoilers: New pictures show Dixie putting her life in danger during explosive episode". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "'Silver Birches' Feature Film Coming to Theaters in 2017". christiancinema.com. 19 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ "Adrian and Bridget Plass Day with Film Premiere Wednesday 16th May". baylink.org. 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ "Anna Acton Joins Cast of Blessings at Riverside Studios". Theatre Weekly. Archived from the original on 20 January 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "NEWS: Anna Acton Joins the Cast of 'Blessings' at the Riverside Studios". Love London Love Culture. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ Timblick, Simon. "Doctors spoilers: Is there romance in store for Al Haskey?". What's on TV. Future plc. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Anna Acton Joins Gary Webster, Freddie Webster, Emily Lane and More in BLESSINGS at Riverside Studios". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ "'Gone' new thriller with Claire Goose & Anna Acton (8 March)". EastieOaks. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ Welsh, James (16 May 2002). "British Soap Awards 2002: Nominations". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
External links
[edit]- Anna Acton at IMDb