Maxine Peake

Surely it's time to accept that Maxine Peake is the greatest actress of our times. Humble yet glorious. She played a comic character in Victoria Woods Dinnerladies, her breakthrough role was probably as Veronica, the Gallaghers next door neighbour in the early series when it was still good. The episode when she is barred from her local and makes repeated attempts, in various disguises usually ending in her getting recognised, headbutting or going down fighting. Thats my sort of a girl. 'See no Evil' , she played Myra Hindley and ,apparently, noe rgrets being involved in a project digging up buried memories. In the second part of channel 4s attempt to visualise David Peaces Red Riding books she played a high ranking policewoman brought over the pennines to sort out the corruption of the 70's west yorkshire police force.. The Dewvils Whore, she stole the series from The Wire's Dominic Wests Cromwell, no mean feat. 'Criminal Justice' starts on monday and runs for 5 consequtive nights. She plays a woman who has an affair, murders her husband and faces the consequences. There is no coincidence that she was a rugby league player for Wigan ladies. She has moved back up north to salford, near to her native Bolton. The greatest actress at work today.