Ashley Jensen

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Ashley Jensen
Born	Ashley Samantha Jensen 10 August 1969 (1969-08-10) (age 40) Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Terry Beesley (2007-present)

Ashley Samantha Jensen (born 10 August 1969) is a BAFTA and Emmy Award nominated Scottish actress, best known for her roles in Extras and Ugly Betty.

In September 2009 she began co-starring in the CBS Monday night sitcom Accidentally on Purpose as Olivia.

Television

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Jensen trained at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Her first big television role was as eccentric secretary Rosie McConnichy in the final series of BBC comedy May to December, as a replacement for the popular character of secretary Hilary. In 1994 she played Heather in Roughnecks, a BBC television series based around the workers on a North Sea Oil platform. In 1996 she played Clare Donnelly, the daughter of Glasgow criminal Jo-Jo Donnelly (played by Billy Connolly) in the BBC drama Down Among the Big Boys. She then appeared as Fiona Morris in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. Jensen also had a small role in a Dangerfield episode called "Contact," in which she played the mother of a young girl with meningitis.

Jensen starred alongside Ricky Gervais in the BBC Two/HBO television programme Extras as the socially inept Maggie Jacobs. For her work on the first series, she received best television comedy actress and newcomer awards at the 2005 British Comedy Awards. In 2006, Jensen received two British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA nomination for her role in Extras. Her role in the 2007 Christmas Special earned her an Emmy Award nomination.

In January 2006 she starred in the short-lived drama series Eleventh Hour on ITV1, alongside Patrick Stewart. Stewart had also appeared in an episode of Extras. Later that year she played Steve Coogan's agent in A Cock and Bull Story. In 2007, she provided the narration for the UK film Taking Liberties, directed by Chris Atkins.

In September 2006, Jensen began her role as Christina McKinney on the ABC series Ugly Betty. Her character in Ugly Betty was originally an American, but when she met with the show's producers they liked Jensen's accent and decided to change the nationality of the character. After three years, as of May 7, 2009, Jensen left Ugly Betty due to location conflicts. The show's production move to New York from Los Angeles in Summer 2008 caused great conflict. However, she will remain as a recurring member of the cast.

In January 2009, Jensen starred in No Holds Bard, a BBC Scotland one-off special comedy shown on Burns Night as part of a line-up of special programming to mark the 250th Birthday of Robert Burns.

Jensen is the narrator of Channel 4's Embarrassing Illnesses and Embarrassing Bodies.

Jensen also narrates Bank of Scotland's current advertisement campaign and Persil detergent adverts for both television and radio.

As of September 2009 she will be starring alongside Jenna Elfman in the new sitcom Accidentally on Purpose as Olivia.

Jensen is set to star in BBC comedy Nativity as Jennifer Lore, a Hollywood producer. Nativity is set for release 27th November 2009.

Personal life

Ashley Samantha Jensen was born to Margaret and Ivar Jensen and raised single-handedly by her mother, a special-needs teacher living in Annan, Scotland. She has no contact with her father and is very private about the matter. In June 2008 Jensen's father claimed that she has a half-sister, Gillian, whom she has never met ^[1].

After six years together, Jensen married English actor Terence Beesley in a ceremony in the woods of Big Sur, California on Monday 29 January 2007 ^[2]. They met in 1999 while working on a stage production of King Lear. The couple live with their dog Barney in Los Angeles, and have a flat in Holland Park, West London ^[3]. The couple also own property in Umbria, Italy. The couple welcomed their first child together, a boy called Francis Jonathan Beesley, on 20th October 2009.^[4]

In December 2008, Jensen and Beesley were granted a restraining order against Jeff Lewis from Bravo TV's Flipping Out. Jensen and Beesley live next door to a Los Feliz house Lewis was renovating and conflict arose after a deck that Lewis had constructed on the home crossed the property line onto the Jensen-Beesley property. Jensen/Beesley sued seeking $100,000 for an easement ^[5]. Lewis reacted negatively and Jensen/Beesley filed a restraining order. In mid April 2009 the two parties settled ^[6] for $30,000 easement and agreed the deck would not have to be demolished.

In 2009 Jensen was photographed wearing an organic cotton t-shirt featuring the slogan "Don't be a drop in the ocean"^[7] by designer Allegra Hicks in aid of environment and human rights charity the Environmental Justice Foundation's 'Pick Your Cotton Carefully' campaign to raise awareness and funds to stop forced child labour and use of toxic pesticides in the cotton industry.

References

External links

• Ashley Jensen at the Internet Movie Database
• Effortlessly Ashley Jensen (fansite)