Cathryn Bradshaw, born on 13 January 1964 in Blackpool and raised in Poulton-le-Fylde, attended Breck School before training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 1987 alongside Louise Plowright and Mark Strong. An accomplished English actress, she is widely known for her role as Melanie in the acclaimed BBC drama Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1990), opposite Charlotte Coleman. Bradshaw married actor Mark Strong in 1989 in Lancashire, though the marriage ended in divorce after a few years.
Her first television role was in 1988, playing the Princess in an episode of The Storyteller. She followed this with roles in Inspector Morse (“The Secret of Bay 5B”) and the comedy-musical film Bert Rigby, You’re a Fool (1989), starring alongside Robert Lindsay and Robbie Coltrane. In the 1990s, Bradshaw made numerous TV appearances, including a recurring role in the ITV crime drama Chancer and work on productions such as Midsomer Murders. She also joined the National Theatre in 1996 for Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of War and Peace and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1997 to 1999.
In 2003, Bradshaw starred as Paula in the romantic drama film The Mother opposite Daniel Craig. A year later, she played Mary Webb in the BBC musical drama Blackpool. In 2006, she appeared in two films: the romantic comedy Venus, as Jillian, and the psychological thriller Like Minds, as Helen Colbie. Her television work includes the black comedy Suburban Shootout (2006–2007), where she played Margaret Littlefair, and an appearance in the BBC sitcom Lead Balloon in 2007. Bradshaw’s extensive career spans theatre, film, and television, with a reputation for versatility and depth in her performances.
THE MOTHER (2003) CATHRYN BRADSHAW WITH DANIEL CRAIG
