Lucy Punch has made a name for herself playing overbearing cow Amanda in Motherland, a character viewers love to hate – but who is her real-life boyfriend?
How old is Lucy, and why did she move to America?
The actress is currently playing uptight Jo in Bloods on Sky Comedy.
Here’s everything you need to know about Lucy in our in-depth profile…
Read more: Bloods series 2 on Sky Comedy: Katherine Kelly joins the cast of medical comedy drama!
What is Lucy Punch famous for?
Lucy Punch is an unmissable addition to the amazing ensemble cast that makes up Motherland.
She’s played Amanda in the BBC sitcom since 2016.
But Lucy has actually been acting for an impressive 24 years!
The actress first appeared on our TV screens in 1998 when she starred as Queen Stephanie in The New Adventures of Robin Hood.
She went on to play Sue White in Renford Rejects, Helen Foreman in Days Like These, and Sally Peep in The 10th Kingdom.
One of her earliest jobs was with her idols French and Saunders in the Versailles-set sitcom, Let Them Eat Cake.
She played the wily Eveline de Plonge, daughter of Madame de Plonge, played by Alison Steadman.
Her multitude of TV roles includes appearances in Big Bad World, People Like Us, Midsomer Murders, and My Family.
It was perhaps her role as receptionist Elaine Denham in Doc Martin that bought her the most recognition in 2004.
She played Holly Ellenbogen in The Class, DI Kate Bishop in Vexed, and BJ in Ben and Kate.
Film roles have included Hattie in Ella Enchanted, Verity Thwaites in St Trinian’s, Amy Squirrel in Bad Teacher, and Lucinda in Into The Woods.
More recently, Lucy has played Esmé Squalor in A Series of Unfortunate Events, Saskia Bates in Gossip Girl, and now Jo in Bloods.
Lucy Punch boyfriend: Who does she play in Bloods?
Lucy Punch portrays boisterous ex-army member Jo.
Jo oversees the paramedic team and acts as Incident Commander at complex scenes.
Of course, fans of the show know she has a strong affection for Lawrence (played by Julian Barrat).
Lucy Punch says of her character’s love life in series 2: “Lawrence has moved on but not with me and I’m furiously jealous and trying to sabotage everything.
“And then I make a move… a serious move and I’m rebuffed.”
Read more: Motherland on BBC Two: Will there be a series four of comedy starring Anna Maxwell Martin?
Who does Lucy play in Motherland?
Lucy Punch plays Amanda in the brilliant Motherland.
Amanda is a horrifying snob, who treats all of those around her like her personal assistants.
However, viewers have begun to suspect that her mighty ego might actually be hiding something more fragile.
Still, she’s the character we all love to hate – as do her fellow school mums.
In series 3 of Motherland, fans had to pick their jaws off the floor when the Alpha Mum slept with Beta Dad Kevin.
And we are DESPERATELY hoping their secret passion will continue into another series.
Will Motherland return for series four?
The BBC has not yet confirmed a series 4 of Motherland.
But no news is good news, right?
None of the cast have said they won’t return, and the BBC would be bonkers not to recommission it.
Motherland has a strong fan following, and a cast of dreams.
Tanya Moodie, who plays Meg, issued an update earlier this year.
She told RadioTimes.com: “Well, we’re trying to figure out if there’s any more Motherland.
“That’s sort of in the ether.
“But we don’t know how or when.”
How old is Lucy Punch and where is she from?
Lucy Punch was born on December 30 1977 – so almost a New Year’s Eve baby!
She is currently 44 years of age.
The actress was born in Hammersmith, London.
Her parents Johanna and Michael Punch ran a market research company.
She was educated privately at Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith, and went on to perform with the National Youth Theatre from 1993 to 1997.
She began a course at University College London but dropped out to become an actress.
And the rest is history!
Is Lucy Punch married? Does she have a boyfriend?
Lucy Punch is insanely private about her personal life.
Although she has referred to a partner or boyfriend in several interviews when discussing her son.
She refuses to name Rex’s father.
In 2019, she said: “I’ve just bought a house in LA with my partner, but for the first few years of my son’s life I was travelling a lot.
“I didn’t want to get a nanny – it was just me, my partner and my mum.
“Sometimes I think if I’d stayed put, or got some permanent help, that would have been better but you’re constantly figuring out how to do it best.”
Lucy did, however, date Broadchurch actor James D’Arcy in her youth.
Lucy dated the fellow actor after they met on the set of the film Come Together in 2002.
They reportedly dated for three years.
Does Lucy Punch and her boyfriend have any children?
Lucy Punch gave birth to her first child, a son, in July 2015.
That year, she told Conan O’Brien that she’d recently had a baby – just six weeks before appearing on his TV chat show in the States.
She said: “I had a baby boy six weeks ago.
“He’s very sweet and we named him Rex.
“It took 10 days to come up with that little name.
“Now I realise it’s very similar to my dog’s name Astrix.”
She went on to say that she was “disorganised during the pregnancy”.
Lucy has also revealed that she can relate to her character in Motherland, because even as she was filming the series, she was living an imperfect life.
She has said: “My home’s in America but, when I was filming, I stayed in London with my son and enrolled him in a different school.
“He was jet-lagged and not sleeping, so I was rattled and exhausted.
“I was in the perfect mood for the show.
“I’m fascinated by how other working mums do it and look so normal.”
Is Lucy Punch really posh?
Many of Lucy Punch’s characters have similar traits – Cameron Diaz’s know-it-all rival in Bad Teacher, confident and capable Jo in Bloods, and school mum from hell Amanda in Motherland…
She says: “I have rather beady eyes. And a pointy nose. It helps for looking snide or smug.
“I really think my face lends itself quite well to looking unpleasant.
“I have played a lot of bitches and witches and ugly stepsisters.”
Her character in Silent Night is, she says, “another posh idiot” and she admits she often plays the “posh bitch”.
In fact, Lucy says she moved to the States because she kept on getting cast as “posh idiots”.
She told the Independent: “I moved to the States because I kept getting cast as posh idiots.
“I was like: ‘This is boring. I know I can do more than this’.”
In real life, though, is she posh? Well, she was educated privately at Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith.
She has previously talked about the “amusing” class system in the UK.
She says: “Here [as opposed to in the States], you can’t get out of it.
“All class systems are disgusting, but I like that you can change yours in the States.”
Where does Lucy live?
In 2006, Lucy moved to LA to work on a TV show, The Class.
But, when that was cancelled, she feared that the work had dried up.
She was contemplating giving it all up when Nicole Kidman dropped out of Woody Allen’s 2010 film You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger.
Lucy won the scene-stealing role of prostitute Charmaine.
She now lives in LA with her partner and their son Rex.
Lucy obviously lives in the UK when she films over here, though.
Lucy Punch is currently starring in Bloods on Sky Comedy and NOW TV.
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