Helen Baxendale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helen Baxendale
Baxendale in 2013
Born	Helen Victoria Baxendale (1970-06-07) 7 June 1970 (age 55) Pontefract, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actress film producer
Years active	1991–present
Partner(s)	David L. Williams
Children	3; including Nell Williams

Helen Victoria Baxendale (born June 7, 1970) is an English actress. She has starred in many TV shows and plays. You might know her best as Rachel Bradley in the British show Cold Feet (from 1997 to 2003). She also played Emily Waltham in the American TV show Friends (from 1998 to 1999).

Helen Baxendale's early acting work included a play called The Soldiers in Glasgow. This play helped her get nominated for an award in 1993. She has also appeared in other TV shows like Cardiac Arrest (1994–1996), An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1997–1999), Cuckoo (2012–2019), and Noughts + Crosses (2020).

About Helen's Early Life

Helen Baxendale was born on June 7, 1970, in Pontefract, a town in West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Her sister, Katie Baxendale, is a writer for TV and movies.

Helen grew up in a place called Shenstone, Staffordshire. She went to King Edward VI School, Lichfield. When she was younger, she dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. She even trained at the Elmhurst School for Dance. However, at age 17, she decided to become an actress instead. She then studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. After that, she worked at the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre from 1992 to 1995.

Helen's Acting Career

Helen Baxendale has had a busy career in television, on stage, and even on the radio.

Television Roles

Helen's TV career started with some important roles that made her well-known.

First TV Appearances

While working at the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre, Helen was cast in a hospital TV series called Cardiac Arrest. This was not her very first TV role, but it was a big one. She played Dr. Claire Maitland and was nominated for an award in 1995. Later, her role as Rachel Bradley in Cold Feet also earned her an award nomination. She also starred as Cordelia Gray in An Unsuitable Job for a Woman.

Being on Friends

When Helen was 27, she got a recurring role in the very popular American TV show Friends. She played Emily Waltham, who was Ross Geller's girlfriend, then wife, and finally ex-wife. She appeared in 14 episodes during Season 4 and the start of Season 5.

Helen has talked about her time on Friends. She mentioned that the actors on the show were often followed by fans. She said, "They weren't able to walk into a supermarket and buy something..." She also felt that the huge attention she got from being on Friends was "bonkers."

After Friends

After Friends, Helen took on other interesting roles. She played Lorna Johnson in Truth or Dare and Caroline Meagher in The Investigator. She was nominated for another award in 1997 for her role as Lorna Johnson.

She also played Pandora Braithwaite in Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years in 2001. From 2012 to 2019, she starred as Lorna in the TV show Cuckoo. In 2020, she played Meggie McGregor in Noughts + Crosses.

Stage Performances

Helen has also performed in many plays. She played Christine in After Miss Julie and Romy in The Woman Before. She also played Ophelia in a version of Hamlet. For her performance in Soldiers in 1993, she was nominated for an award for best classical actor under 30. In 2009, Helen played Lara in the play Amongst Friends.

Radio Work

In 2008, Helen Baxendale was a guest star in an episode of the award-winning BBC radio comedy Cabin Pressure.

Helen's Personal Life

Helen Baxendale has been with her partner, David L. Williams, since her time in Glasgow. They have three children together. Helen's first child is the actress Nell Williams.

Because Helen was pregnant with her first child and lived in the UK, her character on Friends had to leave the show earlier than planned. Even though her character dated, married, and divorced Ross Geller, she only appeared in 14 episodes.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Helen Baxendale para niños