Esther Hall
Esther Jane Hall (born 28 August 1970) is an English actress who has appeared in a number of television dramas. Early life. Born in Manchester in 1970 and brought up in Cheshire, she took A levels in Manchester before training in theatre arts for three years at the University of Leeds's Bretton Hall College, where she gained a Bachelor of Arts. Career. Hall's first high-profile role was as Romey Sullivan in the television drama "Queer as Folk" (1999–2000), in which she played one half of a lesbian couple who conceive a baby with the help  of their gay best friend. In 2001 she appeared in the award-winning TV drama "Men Only" as Katie, the wife of Mac (Marc Warren). Roles in "Always and Everyone" (2000–01), "Serious and Organised" (2003) and an adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Sons and Lovers" (2003) followed. Hall played Ellie Simm, the girlfriend of main character Tom Quinn in "Spooks" from 2002 to 2003. In 2004 Hall starred in the second episode of the seventh series of "Midsomer Murders" ("Bad Tidings") as Cassie Woods, a school friend of Cully Barnaby. In 2005 Hall joined the main cast of "Waking the  Dead" as Felix Gibson, replacing Holly Aird in the cast as the resident team pathologist, but the character lasted only one series. Subsequent roles included BBC dramas "Rome" (2005–2007) and "True Dare Kiss" (2007). She also spoke to Nelson Mandela about Iraq. Hall is also known for co-starring in the high-profile BT advertisements opposite Kris Marshall from 2005 to 2011, in which she played a single mother with two children who started a relationship with Marshall's character and later moved in with and married him. In the summer of 2014, Hall joined the cast of the BBC  daytime soap "Doctors" playing the part of Toni Macpherson. In 2014 she appeared as Lady Macbeth in "Macbeth" at The Mercury Theatre, Colchester. In 2016, she appeared in the "Black Mirror" episode "Hated in the Nation" and as DI Nina Ryman in “Flight: Parts 1 and 2” S19:E3&4 of "Silent Witness". In 2017 she played Cindy Watson (editor of "The Weatherfield Gazette") in "Coronation Street" (a role she later reprised in February 2020), and also appeared in rival soap "EastEnders" in 2019 playing the role of Dr Elinor Waters. Her most recent roles have been as Cat Barling in  BBC drama "Casualty," and a brief cameo appearance in an episode of "Killing Eve".