Catherine Tate

A chameleonic comic star, Catherine Tate conquered British comedy with her self-titled series "The Catherine Tate Show" (BBC Two, 2004-07). She earned boatloads of awards, as well as a reputation as a one of the most fearless and funny voices in modern comedy for her work, creating unforgettably hilarious characters such as "Nan" Taylor, a foul-mouthed Cockney grandmother, and moody Chav teen Lauren Cooper, whose catchphrase of "Am I bovvered?" became a cultural phenomenon. Besides her comedy work, Tate also appeared in projects as varied as the acclaimed adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" (BBC One, 2005) and the popular made-for-TV movie "The Bad Mother's Handbook" (ITV, 2007) opposite Robert Pattinson. Her turn as Donna Noble, the strong-minded traveling companion of "Doctor Who" (BBC One, 2005- ) showed Tate's ability to play both comedy and drama effectively, and enlarged her fan base as well as the scope of her career. She earned laughs for small turns in the Jack Black comedy "Gulliver's Travels" (2010) and the Selena Gomez adventure "Monte Carlo" (2011), but made her biggest stateside impact with a cameo as a kooky candidate interviewing to replace Michael Scott (Steve Carell) on "The Office" (NBC, 2005-13); subsequent rumors flew that she was atop the producers' wish-list to fill the job in real-life. Whip-smart and razor sharp in both comedy and drama, Catherine Tate built one of the entertainment industry's most unpredictable careers.