Sarah Parish returned to our screens in Piglets on ITV over the summer, comedy that some had labelled “offensive” even before it got a start date.
And while the actress made her name in the likes of romcoms such as Cutting It, and Hearts & Bones, she’s also played a serial killer in Bancroft, a sexual abuser in Industry, and a witch in Atlantis… There’s no typecasting her!
In real life, Sarah has endured more tragedy than most have to deal with in a lifetime. But she’s faced it with her long-term partner, now husband, who’s also a top TV actor.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sarah Parish, her career, family life, and the horror fall that left her in a wheelchair.
Who plays Superintendent Julie Spry in Piglets?
Actress Sarah Parish portrays Superintendent Julie Spry in Piglets, a new comedy from ITV. And, that’s a wig, incase you were wondering!
The series follows a fresh intake of police trainees as they arrive at Norbourne Police Training College. No-nonsense Superintendent Julie Spry and the less-strict Superintendent Bob Weekes (Mark Heap) have the job of overseeing the training of the new recruits.
All of the rookies have motives for being there, but some are more legitimate than others…
A synopsis from ITV1 says: “The government’s stated policy of recruiting 20,000 new police officers in double quick time has not come at the cost of lowering standards. Or has it?
“Set in a fictional police training college, Piglets is about a newly-recruited group of six very different would-be cops and the handful of key staff whose thankless task it is to knock them into some kind of shape.”
From the writing team behind the excellent Green Wing, Piglets already managed to cause controversy. The Police Federation called for the title of to be changed, saying it was “highly offensive” and a “disgusting choice”.
Of course, the word pigs is a slang, and insulting, nickname for the police. Piglets, in turn, is a reference to trainee police.
What else has Sarah Parish been in?
Sarah Parish is a well liked TV, film and theatre actress. She’s been on our screens ever since 1994, when she made her first ever TV appearance in The Bill, playing Linda Fincham in one episode.
She went on to play Dawn Rudge in Peak Practice, Amanda Thomas in Damian Lewis‘ romantic drama Hearts & Bones, and Allie Henshall in the popular Amanda Holden drama Cutting It.
Other notable roles include Annie Naylor in Trust opposite Robson Green, Natalie Holden in Blackpool, and Lady Catrina in Merlin. Between 2008 and 2010, Sarah portrayed Dr. Katie Roden in Mistresses, before moving on to play Regan Hamleigh in The Pillars of the Earth, Levicy Hatfield in Hatfields & McCoys, and Jenny Bremner in Monroe.
She played Margaret Dalton in Breathless, Pasiphae in Atlantis, Marjorie Stutter in The Collection, and suspect Cath Atwood in Broadchurch.
Between 2015 and 2018, Sarah portrayed Cheryl in the supermarket-based comedy Trollied, before doing something totally different – playing Lucrezia de’ Medici in Medici.
She famously starred as DSU Elizabeth Bancroft – a senior detective who was also a serial killer – in the dark thriller of the same name. For six years, between 2014 and 2010, she played Anna Rampton in the comedy W1A. More recently, she’s portrayed Melissa in The Cockfields, Lorraine Griggs in Harlan Coben thriller Stay Close, Nicole Craig in Industry, and Jude Paignton in Geek Girl.
She’s a film star, too
Sarah has also appeared in multiple films, including The Holiday, The Wedding Date, Aftersun, and Sirens.
And she’s on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on Sunday (November 3).
Is Sarah Parish in Industry?
Sarah Parish played the Alpha Female Nicole Craig in Industry on BBC One. Nicole was involved in one of the show’s most shocking scenes – when she committed a sexual assault in the back of a taxi.
The HBO show, produced by Girls creator Lena Dunham, starred a glossy crop of previously unknown actors opposite well-known faces Sarah Parish and Derek Riddell.
The series follows graduate recruits at a London investment bank who have six months to prove themselves before half of them are fired. Uncomfortable scenes include nightclub excesses, trading floor bullying, sex and sexual harassment.
Who is Sarah Parish married to?
Sarah Parish is married to English actor James Murray. The pair wed on December 15, 2007, in Hampshire surrounded by friends and family. The cast of Cutting It were present, including her real life mates Amanda Holden, and Angela Griffin.
They met on the set of Cutting It in 2004, where he played Liam Carney. James is probably best known for his roles in Primeval, Chaos, Cucumber, and Defiance.
Between 2020 and 2021, he portrayed CS John Houseman in McDonald & Dodds. He’s also famous for playing Prince Andrew in The Crown, and Col. ‘Chick’ Harding in the recent hit drama Masters of the Air.
James and Sarah have appeared together on screen in several TV shows. As well as Cutting It, they both starred in Geek Girl in 2024.
They continue to live in Hampshire with their daughter.
Does Piglets actress Sarah Parish have children?
A year after getting married to James Murray, Sarah fell pregnant with their first child, who was due on Sarah’s 40th birthday. However, their happiness was tragically cut short. Ella-Jayne was born with a rare genetic disease called
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