Suzanne Packer (born Suzanne Jackson on 26 November 1962) is a Welsh actress, known for playing the role of Tess Bateman in the BBC medical drama '' Casualty'' from September 2003 to August 2015. She later returned to the series as a guest for the 30th-anniversary episodes. Since departing from ''Casualty'', she has appeared in various television series including '' Bang'', '' In My Skin'' and '' The Pembrokeshire Murders''.

Early life

Packer is the daughter of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

n immigrant parents to Abergavenny, and her mother worked as a

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

. She is the elder sister of the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

hurdler

Colin Jackson Colin Ray Jackson, (born 18 February 1967) is a Welsh former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles. During a career in which he represented Great Britain and Wales, he won an Olympic silver medal, became wo ...

. While studying at

Llanedeyrn High School Llanedeyrn High School () was an 11–16 mixed, community comprehensive school in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1970 as the first purpose-built comprehensive school in Wales and closed in 2014. History Because of falling ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

, she showed an interest in acting, playing the lead in school plays including '' Oklahoma'' and ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the child ...

''. Packer attended the National Youth Theatre of Wales before earning a BA in theatre and drama at the

University of Warwick , mottoeng = Mind moves matter , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £7.0 million (2021) , budget = £698.2 million (202 ...

. She then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Prior to acting professionally, Packer worked as a drama supply teacher. After working at one particular school for three months, she was offered a permanent contract, which she declined due to wanting to pursue acting full-time.

Career

In 1991, Packer co-founded BiBi Crew, Britain's first comedy theatre troupe made up entirely of Black women. After she gained an audition for the BBC drama '' Casualty'' and was cast as Tess Bateman, she began appearing onscreen from September 2003. On 22 August 2015, she announced her decision to leave ''Casualty'' after playing the character of Tess for over 11 years. Packer appeared with her brother Colin on the first series of '' Pointless Celebrities'' on 6 July 2011. They were eliminated in the first round. In 2018, she began portraying the role of Nurse Digby in the

BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, cov ...

series '' In My Skin''. On 4 November 2018, Packer played Eve Cicero in the '' Doctor Who'' episode, "

The Tsuranga Conundrum "The Tsuranga Conundrum" is the fifth episode of the eleventh series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, directed by Jennifer Perrott, and firs ...

". In 2021, she starred in the ITV miniseries '' The Pembrokeshire Murders''.

Personal life

Packer met American actor Jesse Newman while on a tour in Europe, and the pair later got married, and had a son together, Paris. The pair later got divorced.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Packer, Suzanne 1962 births Living people Actresses from Cardiff Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London Alumni of the University of Warwick Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Black British actresses Black British schoolteachers People from Abergavenny People of Jamaican Maroon descent Welsh people of American descent Welsh people of Jamaican descent Welsh people of Taíno descent Welsh schoolteachers Welsh soap opera actresses Welsh television actresses