Leanne Best

Leanne Best (born 15 June 1979) is an English actress whose career has been marked by a steady climb from regional theatre to high‑profile screen roles. Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, she grew up amid the cultural vibrancy of the city before enrolling at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, where she honed her craft and earned a solid foundation in classical and contemporary performance techniques. Her early stage work included productions with local repertory companies, allowing her to develop a versatile range that would later prove essential for television and film. After graduating, Best moved to southwest London, where she began auditioning for screen parts, quickly securing a recurring role as Jane Cobden in the BBC period drama Ripper Street, a performance that showcased her ability to blend historical nuance with emotional depth. The role opened doors to further genre‑bending opportunities, most notably her turn as Celia Donnelly in the Arctic‑set thriller series Fortitude, where her portrayal of a conflicted scientist added a human anchor to the show's chilling narrative.

In 2014, Best took on the title role in The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, delivering a performance that balanced spectral menace with palpable vulnerability, earning her recognition among horror aficionados. She subsequently appeared as Min Sakul in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), a brief but memorable cameo that placed her within one of the most iconic franchises in cinema history. Recent years have seen Best diversify her television résumé with comedic timing in ITV’s Cold Feet as Tina Reynolds, a gritty investigation in Line of Duty Series 3, and a heartfelt guest spot as Jamie Tartt’s mother in the globally popular Ted Lasso. Throughout her career, Leanne Best has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to her roles, seamlessly transitioning between period pieces, sci‑fi epics, and contemporary dramas, establishing herself as a dynamic and reliable talent in the British entertainment industry.