Saskia Reeves (born 16 August 1961) is a British actress. She has appeared in films including Close My Eyes (1991), I.D. (1995) and Our Kind of Traitor (2016). On television she has appeared in the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and as a series regular in Luther (2010), Shetland (2016) and Slow Horses (2022–present).
Early life and education Saskia Reeves was born on 16 August 1961 to a Dutch mother and English father, and brought up in Twickenham and Paddington, London. Reeves attended the Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton.
According to Reeves, her father was an actor, writer and singer. As a teenager, while her parents did not encourage her, she and her sister attended weekend acting workshops "for a laugh". Reeves was faring poorly in secondary school, missing classes and not doing homework, and did not take her university-qualifying A-level exams. She discovered "drama school" as an alternative to university that didn't require A-levels; it sounded like "brilliant fun" and would give her three years to figure out her future. She attended London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She then worked for a year and a half as a waitress before getting a "decent job in a theatre in Wales", followed by other jobs, until she concluded, "I could earn a living at this".
Career Early in her career Reeves performed in puppet shows and in satirical revues at the Covent Garden Community Theatre. Her stage work includes productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at London's Royal National Theatre. She was a member of the Cheek by Jowl international theatre company. In 2008, she starred in the English Touring Theatre revival of Athol Fugard's Hello and Goodbye at the Trafalgar Studios in London.
Reeves work in film includes: Close My Eyes (1991); I.D. (1995); Butterfly Kiss (1995) co-starring with Amanda Plummer – described in the New York Times as "a disturbing road movie that suggests a twisted British answer to 'Thelma and Louise' spiced with dashes of 'Heavenly Creatures' and 'Natural Born Killers'"; and Our Kind of Traitor (2016).
Reeves's numerous television credits include Spooks, The Commander and the Bodies finale. In 1997, Plotlands, a six-part BBC One miniseries about the creation of the suburbs in the 1920s, was her first major TV series role. In 2010, she starred as Anne Darwin, the wife of John Darwin, in BBC Four's Canoe Man, a dramatization of the John Darwin disappearance case, and co-starred as DSU Rose Teller in the first season of the BBC One series Luther. In 2011, Reeves played the matriarch, Anna Brangwen, in the first part of William Ivory's two-part adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's novels The Rainbow and Women in Love, first shown on BBC Four. She co-stars with Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas in the Apple TV series Slow Horses (2022–present).
Reeves has also done voice work, including commercials, narration and book readings.
Personal life Reeves has two children.
Filmography Film Year Title Role 1991 December Bride Sarah Gilmartin 1991 Close My Eyes Natalie / Sister 1991 The Bridge Isobel Heatherington 1994 Traps Louise Duffield 1995 Butterfly Kiss Miriam 1995 I.D. Lynda 1996 Different for Girls Jean1998L.A. Without a MapJoy1999HeartMaria Ann McCardle2003The TesseractRosa2008Me and Orson WellesBarbara Luddy2013Anna (originally Mindscape)Michelle Greene2013Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1Nurse2015The ProgramConference doctor 2016 Our Kind of Traitor Tamara2016The Prime MinisterUS President2020Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary TapesMaddalena Fagandini / Jen / Actor / Mary Wollstonecraft 2020 Shadows Mother2021Creation StoriesHelen2024The OutrunAnnie
Television Year Title Role Notes 1984 Last Day of Summer Linda TV movie 1985 A Woman of Substance Edwina Episode: #1.31985Lytton's DiaryPretty GirlEpisode 1.2: "Daddy's Girls" 1989 Theatre Night Greta Samsa Episode: "Metamorphosis" 1990 Screen Two Rosie Episode: "Children Crossing" 1990 Screenplay Antonia McGill Episode: "Antonia and Jane" 1991 4 Play Helen Episode: "In the Border Country" 1994 Citizen Locke Lady Marsham TV movie 1994 Performance Irina Shestova Episode: "Summer Day's Dream" 1995 The Perfect Match Bridget TV movie 1995 Cruel Train Selina Roberts TV movie 1997 Plotlands Chloe Marsh 1999 A Christmas Carol Mrs. Cratchit TV movie 2000 Frank Herbert's Dune Lady JessicaEpisodes 1.2-32003SuspicionJulie HopcroftEpisodes: 1.1-32003Waking the DeadDr. Laurie PooleEpisodes 3.5-6: "Breaking Glass: Part 1 & 2"2004A Line in the SandMeryl RodgersTV mini-series 2004 Island at War Cassie Mahy 2005 The Commander Eileen JuddEpisode: #2.1-2: "Virus (Part One & Two)"2005If...Mary AltonEpisode 2.4: "If... TV Goes Down the Tube"2005The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan DoyleLouise DoyleTV movie2005 AfterlifeSheila Rabey2006The Inspector Lynley MysteriesEileen EdwardsEpisode 5.1: "Natural Causes"2006MI-5Sally / Sally BernardEpisodes 5.6-7: "Hostage Takers: Part 1 & 2"2006 BodiesMary DoddEpisode 2.11: "The Finale"2007The Last Days of the RajLady Mountbatten TV movie 2007 Silent Witness DS Maureen Steele 2008The FixerAndrea GreeneEpisode 1.42009Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1983Mandy WymerTV movie2010Canoe ManAnne DarwinTV movie 2010 Luther DSU Rose TellerSeason 1 2010–12 Wallander Vanja Andersson Episodes 2.3 "The Fifth Woman" (2010), 3.1 "An Event in Autumn" (2012) 2010–2016 Midsomer Murders Marcia Macintyre, Summer Pitt Episodes 13.2: "The Sword of Guillaume" (2010), 18.4: "A Dying Art" (2016) 2011 Lewis Alison McLennan Episode 5.1: "Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things" 2011 Women in Love Anna BrangwenTV mini-series2011 Page Eight Anthea Catcheside TV movie 2012 One Night SallyTV mini-series2012Playhouse PresentsTeddy BrookmanEpisode 1.1 "The Minor Character" 2013 Vera Laura Marsden Episode 3.2 "Poster Child"2013NTSF:SD:SUVP.M.O.T.R.N.Episode 3.10 "U-KO'ed"2014Salting the BattlefieldAnthea CatchesideTV movie2014From There to HereClaireTV mini-series. Episodes 1.1-3 2015 Wolf Hall Johane WilliamsonTV mini-series. Episodes 1.1 "Three Card Trick", 1.2 "Entirely Beloved", 1.3 "Anna Regina", 1.4 "The Devil's Spit", 1.6 "Master of Phantoms" 2016 Shetland Freya Galdie Series 3 (5 episodes)2017Silent WitnessDS Maureen SteeleEpisodes 20.3 "Discovery: Part 1", 20.4 "Discovery: Part 2)"2017Redemption RoadMrs. HalesTV movie2017The Child in TimeThelmaTV movie 2018 Collateral Deborah Clifford TV mini-series. Episodes 1.1, 1.4 2019 Death in Paradise Frances Compton Episode: "Beyond the Shining Sea: Part Two" 2020 Belgravia EllisTV mini-series 2020 Us Connie PetersenTV mini-series 2020 Roadkill Helen LaurenceEpisodes 1.2-42022–presentSlow HorsesCatherine StandishMain role 2024 Secrets & Spies: A Nuclear Game Herself (Narrator) 3 Episodes (BBC)
Shorts Year Title Role 1999 Ticks 2001 Bubbles Annie 2004 The Knickerman Mum 2006 Fast Learners Lynda2013Unoriginal Beatrice2015Be NowKaren2015Out for a WalkMother
Stage YearTitleRoleNotes1985The Man ModeHarrietCheek by Jowl1986A Midsummer Night's DreamHerminaRSC1986MetamorphosisGreta1987Who's Afraid of Virginia WoolfHoneyHampstead Theatre1987Measure for MeasureIsabella1988Twelfth NightViolaRSC1989IcecreamJaqRoyal Court Theatre1991The Two Gentlemen of VeronaSilviaRSC1991-1992The VirtuosoMirandaRSC1992Tis Pity She's A WhoreAnnabellaRSC1992A Woman Killed with KindnessAnne FrankfordRSC1993King LearReganRoyal Court1996Sweet PanicMrs. TrevelHampstead Theatre1998Much ado about NothingBeatriceCheek by Jowl1999The Darker Face of the EarthAmalia Jennings LafargeNational Theatre2000Orpheus DescendingCarol CutrereDogmar Warehouse2010National Theatre Live: A Disappearing NumberRuth MinnenNational Theatre Live2014The Mistress ContractShe2017King Lear: Live from Shakespeare's GlobeKent2018CurtainsKatherine2019The Tragedy of King Richard the SecondBushy / Green / Duchess of YorkNational Theatre Live2025National Theatre: EndJulieNational Theatre Live
Audio YearTitleRole2019Dr. Who: The Monthly AdventuresCarmen Rega (voice)
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