# Suzanne Packer

Suzanne Packer (born Suzanne Jackson on 26 November 1962) is a British actress from Cardiff, Wales, known for playing the role of Tess Bateman in the BBC medical drama Casualty from September 2003 to August 2015. She later returned to the series as a guest for the 30th-anniversary episodes. Since departing from Casualty, she has appeared in various television series including Bang, In My Skin and The Pembrokeshire Murders.

## Early life

Packer is the daughter of Jamaican and Panamanian immigrant parents to Abergavenny, and her mother worked as a nurse. She is the elder sister of the hurdler Colin Jackson.
While studying at Llanedeyrn High School in Cardiff, she showed an interest in acting, playing the lead in school plays including Oklahoma and The King and I. Packer attended the National Youth Theatre of Wales before earning a BA in theatre and drama at the University of Warwick. She then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Prior to acting professionally, Packer worked as a drama supply teacher. After working at one particular school for three months, she was offered a permanent contract, which she declined due to wanting to pursue acting full-time.

## Career

In 1991, Packer co-founded BiBi Crew, Britain's first comedy theatre troupe made up entirely of Black women. After she gained an audition for the BBC drama Casualty and was cast as Tess Bateman, she began appearing onscreen from September 2003. On 22 August 2015, she announced her decision to leave Casualty after playing the character of Tess for over 11 years.
Packer appeared with her brother Colin on the first series of Pointless Celebrities on 6 July 2011. They were eliminated in the first round. In 2018, she began portraying the role of Nurse Digby in the BBC Three series In My Skin. On 4 November 2018, Packer played Eve Cicero in the Doctor Who episode, "The Tsuranga Conundrum". In 2021, she starred in the ITV miniseries The Pembrokeshire Murders.

## Personal life

Packer met American actor Jesse Newman while on a tour in Europe, and the pair later married, and had a son together. The pair divorced.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Channel | Notes |
| 1990–1993, 2000 | Brookside | Josie Johnson/Brooks | Channel 4 | Recurring roles |
| 1992 | Crime Story | Barbara Pilkington | ITV | Episode: "All Good Friends" |
| 1994 | The Lifeboat | Helen Mitchell | Unknown | Episode: "Shadow of Doubt" |
| 1995 | Grange Hill | Miss Foster | BBC | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Some Kind of Life | Dr. Judson | Unknown | |
| 1996 | Wales Playhouse | Veronica | BBC Wales | Episode: "Strangers in the Night" |
| 1996 | Porkpie | Trish | Channel 4 | Episode: "Fatal Distraction" |
| 1996 | Casualty | Candice Francis | BBC1 | Episode “Trapped” |
| 1997 | Tiger Bay | Marie | Unknown | 4 episodes |
| 1998 | Brothers and Sisters | Siobhan Etienne | Unknown | |
| 1999 | The Bill | Katherine Adams | ITV | Episode: "Treading Water" |
| 2000 | Dirty Work | Rhiannon | Unknown | 6 episodes |
| 2002 | Third Watch | Dr. Sharon Reid | NBC | Episode: "The Greater Good" |
| 2003–2015, 2016, 2021 | Casualty | Tess Bateman | BBC | Series regular |
| 2004–2005 | Holby City | Tess Bateman | BBC | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Casualty @ Holby City | Tess Bateman | BBC | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Under Milk Wood | Mrs. Beynon | BBC | Television film |
| 2015 | Doctors | Rose Blair | BBC | Episode: "The Heart of England" |
| 2016 | Stella | Carol | Sky 1 | Series 5 |
| 2016 | The Level | Teresa Devlin | ITV | Recurring role |
| 2017 | Vera | Sophia | ITV | Episode: "Natural Selection" |
| 2017 | Bang | Layla | S4C/BBC | Main role |
| 2017, 2019, 2021 | Un Bore Mercher / Keeping Faith | Delyth Lloyd | S4C/BBC | Main role |
| 2018 | Death in Paradise | Maya Oprey | BBC | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Hold the Sunset | Mrs. Pool | BBC | Episode: "Roger the Carer" |
| 2018 | Doctor Who | Eve Cicero | BBC | Episode: "The Tsuranga Conundrum" |
| 2018 | The ABC Murders | Capstick | BBC | 3 episodes |
| 2018–2021 | In My Skin | Nurse Digby | BBC Three | Recurring role |
| 2020 | Cyswllt (Mewn COVID) | Ruth | S4C | |
| 2021 | The Pembrokeshire Murders | Chief Constable Tyler | ITV1 | Miniseries |
| 2023 | Silent Witness | Miriam Harper | BBC1 | s26 Southbay pt1&2 |
| 2024 | The Night Caller | Rosa | Channel 5 | 4 episodes |
| 2025 | The Bay | Anne Jackson | ITV | Series 5 |