Amy Nuttall

Amy Abigail Nuttall (born 7 June 1982) is an English actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Chloe Atkinson in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2000–2005), housemaid Ethel Parks in the ITV/ PBS period drama ''Downton Abbey'' (2011–2012), and "Little" Jane Butterfield in '' Beetlejuice Beetlejuice''.

Early life

Nuttall was born in Blackburn, Lancashire. She was educated at Bury Grammar School for Girls and trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. She performed with the National Youth Music Theatre, notably playing the lead role of Princess Ismene in ''Aurelius'' at the Tyne Opera House, Newcastle and the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh in August 1997.

Career

Nuttall is credited as the youngest actress to understudy and play the lead role of Christine in '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (at age 17) (National Tour), she has sung at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Old Trafford and won an edition of ''Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes'' as Sarah Brightman.

Shortly before leaving ''Emmerdale'', Nuttall appeared in ''Notes from New York'' at the Trafalgar Studios opposite Jon Lee and Julie Atherton. In 2005, she released her debut album as a classical vocalist, ''Best Days'', on EMI Classics and filmed music videos for her tracks "Best Days", "No Greater Gift" and a version of " Scarborough Fair", which was heavily requested on Classic FM TV. ''Best Days'' peaked at number four in the UK classical chart and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2006 Classic BRIT Awards.

In the same year, Nuttall took part in the reality TV programme ''Celebrity Shark Bait'', which also featured Richard E. Grant and Ruby Wax and appeared in ''Celebrate Oliver'', a musical special for BBC1.

In the autumn of 2005, Nuttall toured the UK extensively as Eliza Doolittle in '' My Fair Lady'' to critical acclaim. She shared the role with Lisa O'Hare on the National Tour due to other commitments with her first album. The tour started on 5 October 2005 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester and ended on 12 August 2006 at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

In January 2007, Nuttall performed on BBC Radio 2's ''Friday Night is Music Night'' with an 80-piece live orchestra and in May 2007, she joined the cast of the stage revival of '' Boeing-Boeing'' at the Comedy Theatre opposite Patricia Hodge, Mark Rylance and Roger Allam. On 2 October 2007, Nuttall replaced Kim Medcalf in the London production of '' Cabaret'' at the Lyric Theatre, transferring directly from her role in ''Boeing-Boeing''. In April 2008, Nuttall's initial six-month contract was extended until the production's closure on 21 June. Nuttall appeared in '' Hotel Babylon'' in 2009 as Melanie Hughes, the new hotel receptionist.

In June and July 2010, Nuttall played one of the lead roles in the revival of the hit musical '' The Hired Man'' at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton. Later that year, she returned to the Octagon Theatre, Bolton to play Stella Kowalski in the Tennessee Williams classic A Streetcar Named Desire. She shared the role of the Lady of the Lake in the UK tour of '' Spamalot'', which began on 18 October 2010 at the Edinburgh Playhouse. From September 2011, Nuttall began appearing in the second series of ''Downton Abbey'', appearing as the new maid, Ethel.

In December 2011, she appeared in '' Noises Off'' at London's Old Vic until March 2012. On 14 July 2011, Nuttall was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts by the University of Bolton. On 8 June 2013, Nuttall starred in the Saturday Drama on BBC Radio 4. Entitled ''The Weather Girl'', she played the lead role of Abigail, a prisoner whose mental state is assessed by a clinical psychologist.

In 2019, Nuttall lent her voice to ''Olga'' in HISTORY's podcast ''Letters of Love in WW2'' - a series based on the real-life letters of a couple separated by the Second World War.

In 2024, Nuttall played a grown-up "Little" Jane Butterfield in '' Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'', a sequel to 1988's '' Beetlejuice'', replacing Rachel Mittelman, who originated the role in the original film.

Personal life

Nuttall dated fellow ''Emmerdale'' cast member Ben Freeman for four years. She married actor Andrew Buchan on 8 September 2012, having been in a relationship since 2007. They have two children, a daughter and a son. In February 2023, it was reported Nuttall and Buchan had split up before Christmas.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Scarborough Fair Video

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nuttall, Amy
1982 births
Living people
Actresses from Blackburn
Musicians from Blackburn
English television actresses
English stage actresses
English women singers
English musical theatre actresses
People educated at Bury Grammar School (Girls)
Actors educated at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts
21st-century English actresses
20th-century English actresses