Kate Ashfield

Although prolific in English film and television since the early 1990s, actress Kate Ashfield wasn't introduced to American film audiences until a decade later. Ashfield began acting in movies in 1994 with a small part in the ensemble cast of the period drama "Princess Caraboo" and went on to guest star in various British television series such as the military drama"Soldier Soldier," the dramatic miniseries "No Bananas," and the comedy "Fist of Fun." Ashfield began to take more roles in feature films during the 2000s, which is when she landed her most notable role as Simon Pegg's girlfriend, Liz, in the horror spoof "Shaun of the Dead." The movie became an instant classic and officially introduced international audiences to the acting and comedic talents of not only Pegg but Ashfield. Her work in the film led to more consistent roles in television, with parts in the relationship drama "Talk to Me," the comedy "Never Better," and the miniseries "Collision," as well as a much more dramatic key role in the BBC miniseries version of "The Diary of Anne Frank." In 2011, Ashfield appeared in, among other productions, the feature romantic drama "Late Bloomers," starring William Hurt and Isabella Rossellini, and "United," a 1950s-set movie based on a real-life tragedy involving the Manchester United soccer team.