| Ellen Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Thomas in 2016 | |
| Born | (1964-02-03) 3 February 1964 (age 60) Sierra Leone |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Teachers EastEnders Mount Pleasant |
Ellen Thomas (born 3 February 1964) is a Sierra Leonean-British actress, known for her roles as Liz Webbe in the Channel 4 sitcom Teachers and Claudette Hubbard in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She is also known for her recent voice role in the Netflix animated show Arcane as Noxian Warlord, Ambessa Medarda.
Career
In Teachers, Thomas played Liz Webbe, a school secretary, and appeared in all four series, from 2001 to 2004. She was a regular cast member in BBC Radio 4's Clare in the Community and in BBC Three's Coming of Age, in which she portrayed the principal. For her role in Rev, she was nominated for "Best TV Comedy Performance" at the Black International Film Festival and Music Video & Screen Awards. In 2010, she had a minor role in Come Fly with Me, as Mrs Mbutu.
Thomas is known for the number of characters she has portrayed in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She initially played Pearl Chadwick in 1990, Estella Hulton in 2002, Grace Olubunmi from 2010 to 2011, and most notably Claudette Hubbard from 2015 to 2016. From 2018 to 2019, Thomas appeared in the medical drama by the BBC Casualty, in the recurring role of Omo Masters. In 2020, she appeared in an episode of Death in Paradise. In 2021 she appeared in the first season of Netflix's Arcane, voicing Ambessa Medarda and reprised the role for season 2 in 2024. In 2023, she appeared in The Madame Blanc Mysteries. In 2024, she appeared in two episodes of the BBC crime drama Silent Witness.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Gentle Touch | Laura | Series 5, Episode 4 |
| 1981 | Sunday Night Thriller | Assistant | 1 episode |
| 1982 | O.T.T. | Herself, various | 12 episodes |
| 1983 | Don't Wait Up | Receptionist | Series 1, Episode 5 |
| 1984 | Shroud for a Nightingale | Staff Nurse | 3 episodes |
| 1987 | The Lenny Henry Show | Rose | Series 1, Episode 1–6 |
| 1988 | French and Saunders | Various characters | Christmas special |
| The Lenny Henry Show | Rose | Series 2, Episode 1–6 | |
| 1989 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Mrs. Holmes | Series 3, Episode 10 "Outpost" |
| 1990 | Hallelujah Anyhow | Unnamed Character | |
| EastEnders | Pearl Chadwick | Recurring role | |
| 1991 | Grange Hill | Pregnancy Advisor | Series 14, Episode 14 |
| 1993 | Screenplay | Aunt Mafe | 1 episode |
| 1994–1996 | Cardiac Arrest | Sister Jackie Landers | 14 episodes |
| 1994 | The Bill | Iris Davareux | "Lesson to Be Learned" |
| Home Away from Home | Miriam | ||
| 1995 | London Bridge | Diane Symmons | Series 2, Episode 1–2 |
| 1996 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Laurette Akande | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Holding On | Florrie | Series 1 Episode 1–8 |
| Kavanagh QC | Chief Usher | Series 3, Episode 1 "Mute of Malice" | |
| 1998 | Ultraviolet | Maria | Series 1, Episode 5 "Terra Incognita" |
| 2000 | The Bill | Mrs. Okin | "White Lies" |
| In Defence | Mrs. Hope | Series 1, Episode 1 | |
| Where There's Smoke | Counsellor Edwards | ||
| Never Never | Brenda | Short drama | |
| 2001–2004 | Teachers | Liz Webb | Series 1–4 (39 episodes) |
| 2002 | Doctors | Mrs. Foster | 1 episode |
| The Bill | Aisha Danvers | ||
| Holby City | Marcia Lyme | 1 episode | |
| The Jury | Ruby Thomas | Series 1, Episode 1–4 | |
| EastEnders | Estella Hulton | ||
| 2003 | Strange | Mrs. Andoh | Series 1, Episode 2 "Kaa-Jinn" |
| Lenny Henry in Pieces | Unnamed Character | Series 2, Episode 2 | |
| Good Food Live | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | Casualty | Stephanie Mellor | Episode: "Aftermath" |
| William and Mary | Mrs. Morris | Series 3, Episode 2 | |
| 2006 | Doctor Who | Clockwork Woman | Series 2, Episode 4 "The Girl in the Fireplace" |
| Little Miss Jocelyn | Unnamed Character | Series 1, Episode 1 and 3 | |
| Trial & Retribution | Judge Joyce Addo | "Sins Of The Father" | |
| Doctors | Marie Crossley | Series 7, Episode 140 "Ashes to Ashes" | |
| The Play's the Thing | Herself | Series 1, Episode 2 | |
| 2007 | Outnumbered | Jehovah's Witness | Series 1, Episode 4 |
| One of Us? | Mum | Short film | |
| 2008 | Coming of Age | The Principal | All episodes since series 1, episode 3 |
| New Tricks | Cora Trimble | Series 5, Episode 8 "Mad Dogs" | |
| 2009 | Off the Hook | Angela | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Doctor Who | Carmen | Easter 2009 special; "Planet of the Dead" | |
| Moses Jones | Libby Jones | Series 1, Episodes 2 and 3 | |
| 2010–2011 | EastEnders | Grace Olubunmi | Recurring role |
| 2010 | Rev. | Adoha Onyeka | All 6 episodes |
| 2011 | Come Fly with Me | Mrs. Mbutu | Episode 2 |
| EastEnders: E20 | Grace Olubunmi | ||
| 2012 | Doctors | Mrs Francelle Ndebele | "Paradise Lost" |
| Casualty | Florence Asike | 2 episodes | |
| 2015–2016 | EastEnders | Claudette Hubbard | Regular role |
| 2015 | Humans | Lindsey Kiwanuka | Episode 1–2 |
| 2015–2017 | Mount Pleasant | Nana Miller | Regular role |
| 2016 | New Blood | Joan Philips | Episode 1 |
| 2018–2019 | Casualty | Omo Masters | Recurring role |
| 2018–2019 | In the Long Run | Mama | 5 episodes (voice role), 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Midsomer Murders | Ruth Crane | 1 episode |
| The Queen and I | Philomena Troussaint | Television film | |
| 2019 | Doctors | Liz Maberry | 1 episode |
| Dark Money | Maggie Mensah | Main role | |
| 2020 | Death in Paradise | Georgine Perault | Series 9, Episode 7 |
| 2021–2024 | Arcane | Ambessa Medarda | Voice, 5 episodes |
| 2022 | A Birthday Party | Aunty Fatou | Short film |
| Say Nothing | Ms Araali Mabele | Short film | |
| Murder, They Hope | Nanny | Episode: "A Midsummer Night's Scream" | |
| A Birthday Party | Aunty Fatou | Short film | |
| 2023 | Such A Lovely Day | Claude | Short film |
| 2024 | The Madame Blanc Mysteries | Reme Benson | Episode: "Kidnap" |
| Silent Witness | Esther Daniels | 2 episodes | |
| TBA | Finding Forever | ||
| Sources: | |||
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | South West 9 | Mrs. Ashware | |
| Buried Treasure | Martha | ||
| 2002 | Jeffrey Archer: The Truth | First Judge | |
| 2006 | Basic Instinct 2 | Prosecutor | |
| Losing It | Paula | ||
| Breaking and Entering | Judge | ||
| 2008 | Clubbed | Mrs. Smith | |
| 2010 | The Future Wags of Great Britain | Auntie Deborah | |
| The Santa Trap | Tooth Fairy | ||
| 2011 | Johnny English Reborn | Colin Tucker's mother | |
| 2016 | Golden Years | Thelma | |
| 2022 | Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris | Vi Butterfield | |
| The Pay Day | Ms Boomer | ||
| Sources: | |||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The British Soap Awards | Villain of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Bad Girl | Longlisted |
References
- "BBC Three Counties Radio - Edward Adoo, Doorstep befriending, tackling domestic violence, and Big Guest Ellen Thomas, Ed's Big Guest: Ellen Thomas". BBC. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- Review, Alt A. (12 January 2023). "Talking to Ellen Thomas on stage in The Wife of Willesden as play is set for Broadway - Alt A Review". alt-africa.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- "EastEnders up for four MVSAs". EastEnders. BBC Blogs. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- Kilkelly, Daniel (3 October 2016). "Revealed! Here's how Claudette leaves EastEnders". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- "EastEnders casts new character played by Ellen Thomas". HELLO. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- "Actress, Ellen Thomas to host 2011 GUBA Awards". GhanaWeb. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- "English actress Ellen Thomas, Kadi out and about in Sierra Leone". Swit Salone. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- Griffiths, Eleanor Bley (27 February 2020). "Meet the cast of Death in Paradise series 9". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- https://thedirect.com/article/arcane-season-2-cast-characters-voice-actors-guide-photos-ella-purnell-hailee-steinfeld
- updated, Martin ShoreContributions from Steven Perkins last (23 May 2023). "The Madame Blanc Mysteries season 3: how to watch, cast, episode guide and all you need to know". What to Watch. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- Cremona, Patrick (12 February 2024). "Silent Witness season 27 cast: Meet the characters". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- "Ellen Thomas". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- "Ellen Thomas". TV Time. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- "Ellen Thomas". Plex.tv. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- "Ellen Thomas | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- "British Soap Awards 2016 full winners list: Did your favourites take home prizes?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- Sandwell, Ian (21 June 2016). "Inside Soap Awards 2016 longlist revealed". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
External links
- Ellen Thomas at IMDb