Heather Peace

Heather Mary Peace (born 16 June 1975) is an English actress, musician and LGBT rights activist.

Peace's break into television came when she joined the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, playing the character Anne Cullen for seven episodes between January and June 1997.

Her first professional stage role was in the 1997 Harrogate Theatre production of My Fair Lady, playing Eliza Doolittle.

She subsequently has played Miranda in Shakespeare's The Tempest and the same character in the actor-musician spoof Return to the Forbidden Planet.

After leaving Emmerdale, Peace took parts in The Bill and Dangerfield, before being cast as Firefighter Sally "Gracie" Fields in the ITV series London's Burning from 1998 until the programme's cancellation in 2002.

During this time, Peace made a TV movie called Thunder Road, in which she played Sonia.

Between 2003 and 2005, Peace played minor roles in television series including Casualty and Where the Heart Is.

Peace played Special Air Service Trooper Becca Gallagher on the ITV action series Ultimate Force alongside Ross Kemp.

Becca was part of the 3rd and 4th series, aired between 2005 and 2008.

Peace has given credit to the writers for making Becca 'one of the lads', rather than an overly emotional character and said she had 'so much fun' playing the hero in the show.

Ross Kemp has argued the show is made far more interesting by including a female role and believes Peace was the perfect choice for the part ("she is absolutely superb").

During 2006 and 2007, Peace starred in Kay Mellor's TV series The Chase as single mum Fiona Jones.

Quite a different character to the action girls often played by Peace, Fiona is portrayed as a left out family member whose resentment and betrayals lead into unexpected sinister behaviour.

She then appeared in television series including Coronation Street, Heartbeat and Holby City.

In 2008, Peace appeared as the secretly abusing wife in the "Private Sins" episode of Blue Murder.

She also starred in the film 31 North 62 East where Peace plays again part of a Special Air Service unit.

Peace is Captain Jill Mandelson, who will seek help in her twin Kimberly (also played by Peace) to unfold the political corruption that lead to the death of the rest of her unit.

In 2010, Peace was cast as Detective Sergeant Sam Murray in the BBC Three TV series Lip Service.

Peace argued that being the only openly lesbian cast member influenced the attention she received regarding the show.

The series revolves around the loves and lives of group of aged-30-something lesbians in Glasgow, Scotland.

The show reached cult status within the first few episodes, with Peace's character Sam, and the actor herself, becoming also the object of a cult following ("Team Sam" movement among fans of the show).

Filming of the second series finished in July 2011 with a transmission date of spring 2012.

Since the end of the second and final season fans of the drama called for a third season to be made but Peace said in an interview with Cult Box where she said she would 'definitely' return as the character.

In 2011, Peace was cast as Head of English Nikki Boston, before being appointed Deputy Headteacher in 2013 for the BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road.

Following a tour of her debut album, she returned to the series for the second part of Series 8.

She is known for her role as Nikki Boston in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road from 2012 to 2014.

Her other credits include Sally 'Gracie' Fields in ITV's long-running series London's Burning, Fiona Murray in Kay Mellor's drama series The Chase, Sam Murray in the BBC Scotland drama series Lip Service and Eve Unwin in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Heather Peace was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

She has been playing piano since she was six years old, and guitar since her teens.

Peace decided to be an actress at an early age and credits her parents for the encouragement they gave her to achieve that goal.

She went to St Joseph's Primary School in Little Horton, Bradford, and St Joseph's Catholic College in Manningham, Bradford.

Her mother was a long-serving cantor at St Joseph's Catholic Church (which is next to the primary school) and also did readings.

Peace was also a cantor at St Joseph's Catholic Church which is where her love of music and singing started.

Peace and her mother are no longer Catholics, due to the Catholic church's stance on LGBT relationships.

Peace studied acting at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she obtained a BA(Hons).

She also featured in Series 9, which screened on BBC One in September 2013.

She took another break from Waterloo Road at the end of Series 9 Spring Term but has hinted that she may return in Series 11.

In 2014, Peace took part in ITV's three-part drama Prey as Abi Farrow, wife of main character Detective Constable Marcus Farrow (played by BAFTA nominee John Simm).

The drama was directed by BAFTA winner Nick Murphy.

In 2016, she appeared in the BBC TV series The Coroner Episode 2.3: "Those in Peril" as Chrissy Woodward.