Adjoa Andoh
Born: 14th January 1963 (as Adjoa Aiboom Helen Andoh)
Episodes Broadcast: 2006-2008
Bristol-born Adjoa Andoh was the daughter of a Ghanaian musician and a
British teacher of modern dance. Her parents encouraged her interest in
the performing arts from a young age, and Andoh herself aspired to be a
punk bassist. But her father prevailed upon her to attend Bristol
Polytechnic, where she embarked upon a degree in law. During her time
there, Andoh became politically active, which led to her involvement in
left-wing fringe theatre. She left her studies to pursue a career in
acting, eventually joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. Andoh married
lecturer Howard Cunnell; they would have daughters Jessie, Lily and
Daisy. Andoh's first television opportunity came in several episodes of
EastEnders across 1990 and 1991. Subsequent work during the
decade included recurring stints in Health And Efficiency, the
revival of The Tomorrow People, Peak Practice and Close
Relations.
Andoh's major break came on Casualty; having appeared in a single
episode in 1993, she rejoined the cast as a new character in 2000 and
remained for three years. She then took guest roles in shows like The
Bill and Dalziel And Pascoe before joining Doctor Who
for its 2006 season premiere, New
Earth. Because she was concealed beneath heavy make-up as the
Catkind nurse Sister Jatt, Andoh was able to reappear in the programme a
year later as Francine Jones, the world-weary mother of Martha, the new
companion to David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. Francine was first seen in Smith And Jones, and Andoh
returned to the character for six more episodes over the next two
years, latterly in the 2008 season finale The Stolen Earth / Journey's
End. Meanwhile, she took yet another Doctor Who role for
Year Of The Pig, a 2006 Sixth Doctor audio adventure from Big
Finish Productions.
After her time as Francine came to an end, Andoh made appearances in the
movies Adulthood, from fellow Doctor Who alumnus Noel
Clarke, and Invictus, Clint Eastwood's critically-acclaimed
Nelson Mandela film starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. On
television, Andoh made regular appearances in Missing and MI
High. In 2009, she became a lay preacher for the Church of England.
During the 2010s, Andoh's credits on the small screen included
everything from Law & Order: UK to The Awakening to
Cucumber to Liar. A prolific voice artiste, she was also
part of the cast of Thunderbirds Are Go. Amongst Andoh's
occasional work on the silver screen were Closed Circuit,
Fractured, and Adulthood sequel Brotherhood. her
career continued into the Twenties, on programmes such as
Bridgerton and The Witcher.
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