Ruth Jones

For other people named Ruth Jones, see Ruth Jones (disambiguation).
Ruth Jones
MBE

Jones in 2007
Born Ruth Alexandra Elizabeth Jones
(1966-09-22) 22 September 1966
Bridgend, Wales
Residence Cardiff
Nationality Welsh
Occupation Actress, writer, producer
Years active 1991–present
Spouse(s) David Peet (1999 – present)
Children 3

Ruth Alexandra Elizabeth Jones, MBE (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh television actress and writer. She co-starred in and co-wrote the award-winning British comedy Gavin & Stacey and has appeared in many television comedies and dramas, such as Jimmy McGovern's The Street with Timothy Spall (2009), and starring as Hattie Jacques in Hattie for BBC Four.

She takes the lead role in the comedy drama series Stella for Sky 1 in which the series is produced by Tidy, the company she co-founded in 2008 with her husband David Peet, who is managing director.

Early life

Ruth Jones was born on 22 September 1966 in Bridgend in South Wales. Ruth went to Porthcawl Comprehensive School. Her father was a legal executive for British Steel, Port Talbot, and her mother was a child psychiatrist.[1] She has two older brothers and a younger sister.[2] Jones was brought up in Porthcawl where she attended the same school as Rob Brydon. After graduating from Warwick University with a degree in English and Theatre, she spent a year at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.[3]

After graduation Jones found it difficult to get acting work, and considered training as a solicitor. However she then received her first professional role in pantomime in Cardiff. She was also helped by Rob Brydon, who invited her to join an improv group in Bath; the group also included Julia Davis, with whom Jones would later appear in Nighty Night.[3]

Career

She first worked in TV and radio comedy for BBC Wales in 1991. Theatre roles with the RSC and The National Theatre were followed by her performance in the hit British movie, East Is East.

After this Jones appeared on television as Kelly in four series of ITV's comedy Fat Friends, where she met future Gavin & Stacey co-writer James Corden. She also appeared in several BBC comedies, playing Myfanwy in Little Britain, Magz in Saxondale, and Linda in Nighty Night.[4]

Jones achieved prominence in 2008 with the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, which she co-wrote with James Corden, and in which she took a lead role as Nessa Jenkins. The programme became a hit for BBC 3 and moved to BBC 1. Jones has said of it, "It wasn't as deliberate as us saying, 'Right, we're going to react against cynical comedy'. We just wrote what we wanted. And it just so happens that the show does generate a lot of warmth. People seem to like that, especially when things aren't terribly jolly. It's nice to have your cockles warmed."[1] The series won a number of awards, including two BAFTAs and four British Comedy Awards.[2] Jones and co-star Rob Brydon recorded "Islands in the Stream" (a song performed by their characters in the programme) as a single for Comic Relief in 2009; the song reached No. 1 in the chart.[5]

In 2008 Jones narrated the 2008 TV movie Chaos at the Zoo about Anna Ryder Richardson's Manor House Wildlife Park.[6] The same year she featured in the two BBC One television period costume dramas, Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Little Dorrit, as well as two episodes of The Street. In December 2009 Jones starred in A Child's Christmases In Wales. In 2010 she starred in the BBC Four comedy The Great Outdoors alongside Mark Heap, and in December presented a one-off chat show on BBC Two, Ruth Jones' Christmas Cracker.[2] In January 2011 she starred as Carry On actor Hattie Jacques in the BBC Four drama Hattie, which tells the story of Jacques' affair with her young driver John Schofield while she was married to Dad's Army actor John Le Mesurier.[4]

In 2008, Jones co-founded Tidy Productions with producer David Peet. The company produced the series Jones presented on BBC Radio Wales in 2008-9, Ruth Jones' Sunday Brunch.[1][7] In 2010, the company had comedy and light entertainment production credits with BBC Two and BBC Three. It has made two 90-minute comedy dramas for S4C and light entertainment shows for BBC Wales.

Jones's company has also produced the comedy drama Stella for Sky TV. The first series aired in 2012. It was Jones' first major comedy project since Gavin and Stacey; as well as producing, Jones created the series, stars in the title role, and wrote four episodes. Jones has stated that she was worried about comparisons to Gavin and Stacey when setting a second programme in Wales, leading to the decision to set Stella in the Valleys rather than the South Wales coast: 'I know people from the Valleys and it is just a joyously colourful place and full of characters. My sister is actually a GP up there and the stories are fantastic.'[8] A second series of Stella was filmed in summer 2012 and aired in early 2013.[9]

She lives in Cardiff with her producer husband David Peet, whom she met while working on a comedy pilot in the early 1990s. She has three grown-up step-children, Fiona, Louise and Alex.[1][10][11]

Since October 2015, Jones along with Ben Miller and Will Close, appears in adverts for British supermarket Tesco as Jo with Miller as her husband Roger and Close as their son Freddie.

Recognition and awards

Jones was judged the Best Female Comedy Newcomer at the 2007 British Comedy Awards, and was also nominated for Best Television Comedy Actress.[12] She was also recipient of the Ultimate Funny Woman award at the annual Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards in November 2009.[13] In July 2013 Jones received an honorary degree from the University of Warwick.[14]

Jones was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to entertainment.[15][16]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Character Production
2002 Heartlands Mandy Miramax
1999 East Is East Peggy Film4
1998 The Theory of Flight Becky Fine Line Features
1996 Emma (1996 theatrical film) Bates’ Maid Miramax Films

TV

Year Title Character Production Notes
2015–present One In Front and others Jo Series of adverts for Tesco
2012–present Stella Stella Morris Sky 1 Tidy Production. 5 series and 1 Special
2011 Ruth Jones' Christmas Cracker Chatshow BBC Two Special
2011 Hattie Hattie Jacques BBC Four 1 episode
2011 Ruth Jones' Summer Holiday Chatshow BBC Two Special
2011 Ruth Jones' Easter Treat Chatshow BBC Two Special
2010 Ruth Jones' Christmas Cracker Chatshow BBC Two Special
2010 The Great Outdoors Christine BBC Four 3 episodes
2010 Marple Miss Blenkinsopp ITV The Secret of Chimneys
2010 Igam Ogam Birdie and Narator Calon, Telegael 52 episodes
2009 Ruth Jones' Christmas Cracker Chatshow BBC Two Special
2009 A Child's Christmases in Wales Mum BBC Four TV Movie
2009 The Street BBC One Series 3, Episodes 5 and 6
2009 Ar Y Tracs Ingrid Crenski S4C
2008 Little Dorrit Flora Finching BBC One
2008 Tess of the D'Urbervilles Joan Durbeyfield BBC One
2008 Torchwood Nikki Bevan BBC Three episode "Adrift"
2008 Chaos at the Zoo Narrator Crackit Productions
2007–2010 Gavin and Stacey Vanessa Shanessa Jenkins BBC
2006–2007 Saxondale Magz BBC Two Series 1 and 2
2006 Mayo Cal Andrews BBC One
2005–2006 I'm With Stupid Jean BBC Three
2005 Born and Bred Ruby Moss BBC One Episode – The Element Of Surprise
2004–2005 Nighty Night Linda BBC
2004 The Baby Juice Express Gladys
2003 Midsomer Murders Rachael Rose ITV Episode – Bad Tidings
2003–2006 Little Britain Myfanwy BBC Three
2003 Roger Roger Angelica BBC One Episode "Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose"
2003 EastEnders Jenny Morgan BBC One Dot's Story
2002 Heartlands Mandy
2001 Tales from Pleasure Beach Mandy BBC Two
2001 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years Sharon Bott BBC
2000–2005 Fat Friends Kelly Chadwick ITV
2000 Human Remains Elaine BBC Episode "All Over My Glasses"
2000 A Likeness in Stone Joan Poole
1998 Picking Up The Pieces Marie
1998 As Time Goes By Gilly BBC One Episode "Pardon?"
1997 Drovers' Gold Mary

Guest appearances

Year Title Appearance Series
2015 The Apprentice: You're Fired Herself Series 11, Episode 10
2014 Duck Quacks Don't Echo Herself Series 1, Episode 1
2012 Hit The Road Jack Herself Series 1, Episode 1
2012 Edinburgh International Television Festival 2012 Herself
2012 The Matt Lucas Awards Herself Series 1, Episode 6
2012 Just a Minute Panelist Series 1, Episode 3
2012 Chris Moyles' Quiz Night Herself Series 5, Episode 7
2011 Alan Carr Chatty Man Herself Series 7, Episode 7
2010 The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Herself 2010
2010 Chris Moyles' Quiz Night Herself Series 3, Episode 4
2010 The Graham Norton Show Herself Series 7 Episode 6
2010 Would I Lie to You? Panelist Series 4, Episode 2
2010 A League of Their Own Panelist Series 1 Episode 2
2009 The Graham Norton Show Herself Series 5 Episode 2
2009 Chris Moyles' Quiz Night Herself Series 1, Episode 2
2009 Have I Got News for You Guest Presenter Series 37 Episode 7
2009 Comic Relief Nessa ‘’(Barry) Islands In The Stream’’ video

Writing work

Year Title Episodes Notes
2012–present Stella 5 series
2007–2009 Gavin & Stacey 3 series co-written with James Corden
2009 Ar Y Tracs TV movie
2006 The Chase 1 episode
2005 Fat Friends 1 episode Series 4 Episode 3 "Angels Delight"

Production work

Music work

Charity work

In 2010, Jones took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ruth Jones: ‘Gavin & Stacey generated a lot of warmth. It’s good to warm your cockles’". The Independent (London). 3 July 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Wilson, Sophie (13 December 2010). "Ruth Jones: I have been fortunate to play parts that have not just been, ‘Oh, you need a fat person’". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  3. 1 2 "What’s occurring with Ruth Jones?". BBC South East Wales. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Ruth Jones profile". BBC Wales Arts. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Comic Relief single (Barry) Islands In The Stream tops charts". The Telegraph (London). 16 March 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "IMDb – Chaos at the Zoo (TV movie 2008)". Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Sunday Brunch programme page". BBC Radio Wales. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  8. ↑ Cadwalladr, Carole (1 January 2012). "The Observer : Ruth Jones: queen of comedy". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  9. ↑ "Ruth Jones’ comedy Stella to have second series". Wales Online. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  10. ↑ Philby, Charlotte (6 September 2008). "My Secret Life: Ruth Jones, Actress, age 42". The Independent (London). Retrieved 2011-12-24.
  11. ↑ Garratt, Sheryl (5 January 2012). "Ruth Jones: "I enjoy it when characters love each other"". The Telegraph (London). Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  12. ↑ "The British Sitcom Guide – News". Retrieved 2007-11-07.
  13. ↑ "Cosmo’s Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2009". Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  14. ↑ "Warwick honorary degrees for stars of Gavin & Stacey & Hustle, RSC & Royal Court Artistic Directors, scientists, historians, philanthropist & a US government adviser". University of Warwick. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60728. p. 22. 31 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "MBE 'proper tidy' for Ruth Jones". bbc.co.uk. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.

External links

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