Pearl Mackie (born 29 May 1987) is a British actress. She is best known for playing Bill Potts in the long-running television series Doctor Who. Mackie is a graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her first major television role came in 2014, when she played Anne-Marie Frasier in BBC One soap opera Doctors.
Early life Pearl Mackie was born on 29 May 1987 in South London. She grew up in Brixton in south London and is of paternal West Indian and maternal English descent. She is the granddaughter of Philip Mackie, who wrote the screenplay for The Naked Civil Servant. She was educated at Burntwood School in Tooting. She earned a degree in Drama from the University of Bristol, and speaks English, French and Spanish. During her studies she went to workshops and took part in many extra-curricular plays.
In 2010 she graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In the same year Mackie was nominated for the BBC Carleton Hobbs Award for outstanding duologues in the school play Noughts & Crosses.
Career Mackie appeared in an early mainstream role as a front of house girl in the 2013 music comedy Svengali. In 2014, Mackie played Anne-Marie Frasier in Doctors and the young computer genius Mia in Crystal Springs at the Park Theatre in London. She could also be seen in the political satire Obama-ology at the Finborough theatre in west London, playing Cece and Caits, two young women finding their voice.
In 2015, she performed in the National Theatre's West End production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. In the same year Mackie appeared in the short film Date Aid by Bond, a satirical public service announcement. Mackie has also worked as an acting tutor for Troupers, a company that teaches theatre skills to children and young people.
On 23 April 2016, it was announced that Mackie would be playing Bill Potts, the companion of The Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who. It was also announced in March 2017 that Bill would be the first openly gay main companion in the series.
After production on Series 10 of Doctor Who had wrapped, Mackie joined a production of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party as Lulu. The production – costarring Stephen Mangan, Toby Jones, and Zoë Wanamaker – opened in January 2018 at London's Harold Pinter Theatre.
In 2020, she guest starred as Lucy 1 in Friday Night Dinner. In addition, she had a recurring role on the American television series The Diplomat as Alysse.
In 2025, she appeared in the Death in Paradise Christmas special, with Kate Ashfield, Josie Lawrence and Billy Harris.
Personal life On 28 June 2020, Mackie came out as bisexual in an Instagram post. She and her partner Kam Chhokar announced their engagement on 19 January 2022, and married on 4 May 2024.
Filmography +Key Denotes productions that have not yet been released
Film Year Title Role Notes 2013 Svengali Front of House girl 2015Date AidSarah Short film2018OrigamiHeather Short film 2019 Greed Cathy 2020 Horizon Line Pascale The Lennox ReportTarnia Short filmCopycatsLady Isabelle Sausage Short film 2022 The Deal Kabira 2023Your MovePatriciaShort film2024 Tyger Sarah
Television Year Title Role Notes 2014 Doctors Anne-Marie Frasier Episode: "Love Is Blind" 2017 Doctor Who Bill Potts 13 episodes 2018 The Crystal Maze Sleeping Beauty Episode: "Celebrity Christmas Special" Gods of Medicine Elsa Powers 2 episodes 2019 Urban Myths Kay Episode: "Andy & The Donald" Pops and Branwell Pops Popowski (voice) Short animated film 2020 Friday Night Dinner Lucy One 2 episodes 2021 The Long Call DS Jen Rafferty 4 episodes2022 Lloyd of the Flies Gena (voice) 17 episodesBest & BesterGrafifi (voice)13 episodes 2023 Tom Jones Honour Newton 4 episodes 2023–2024 The Diplomat Alysse 12 episodes 2025 Death in Paradise Karen Hickson 1 episode
Radio Year Title Role Production Notes 2013 Great Expectations Miss Havisham BBC Radio 4 Romeo and Juliet Juliet 2017 Adulting Charlotte BBC Radio 26 episodes 2018 Proposal Lucy BBC Radio 2 2019 Prepper Rachel BBC Radio 44 episodes Forest 404 Pan BBC Radio 427 episodes2021Doctor FaustusWagnerBBC Radio 3
Theatre Year Title Role Theatre Location 2010The Comedy of ErrorsAdrianaCircomedia BristolThe CrucibleTituba Theatre Royal Bristol2012Only HumanNinaTheatre503 LondonHomeWoman 1 / Pattie MaeThe Last Refuge London2014Crystal SpringsMiaPark Theatre LondonObama-ologyCeceFinborough Theatre LondonDisnaturedReganRIFT Theatre LondonHello Kind WorldThe Drayton Arms London2015The Helen ProjectHelen of TroyThe Face to Face Festival LondonA Mad World, My MastersTruly Kidman Theatre RoyalBrighton2015–2016The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TimePunk Girl / Information Lady / No.40Gielgud Theatre London2018The Birthday PartyLuluHarold Pinter Theatre London 2020BubbleAshley Nottingham PlayhouseNottingham 2024–2025Ballet ShoesSylviaNational Theatre London 2026BabyAll roles Brixton HouseLondon
Audio Year Title Role Notes 2017 The Last Namsara Asha 2019 The Conception of Terror Mika Chantry 2020 Ladybird Stories for Rainy Days Narrator Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales Narrator Paper Thin Vanessa Cold Comfort Farm Narrator2021 Sour HallAsh6 episodes2022Delphine Jones Takes a ChanceNarrator
Music videos Year Title ArtistDirectorRole 2014 "Real" Years & YearsRobert Francis MüllerClubber
Commercials Year BrandCompany 2020 Westgate OxfordVCCP Uber72andSunny BarclaysPublicis Sainsbury'sGlobal Radio Diet CokeWieden+Kennedy
Accolades
Awards
2018: Screen Nation Film & TV Awards – Female Performance in TV for Doctor Who
Nominations 2010: BBC Carleton Hobbs Awards – Outstanding Duologues for the BOVTS play Noughts & Crosses (shared with Roddy Peters)
2017: TV Times Awards – Favourite Newcomer for Doctor Who
2017: Heat's Unmissables Awards – Best Actress for Doctor Who
2021: Critics' Choice Documentary Awards – Best Narration for The Real Charlie Chaplin 2022: DIVA Awards – Actor of the Year
Honorable mentions
2020: Screen Nation Film & TV Awards – Female Performance in TV for various roles
References
External links