Claire Skinner (born 1965) is an English actress, known in the United Kingdom for her television career, particularly playing Sue Brockman from the BBC television series Outnumbered. She is also known for her collaboration with director Mike Leigh on two of his films, Life is Sweet (1990) and Naked (1993).
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Early life
Claire Skinner was born and brought up in Hemel Hempstead, the youngest daughter of a shopkeeper and an Irish-born secretary, and was shy as a child. Her dream was to be an actress and she immersed herself in her ambition. She acted, neglecting school work at Cavendish School, and "barely scraped through [her] A-levels". She went on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Career
Her first role was in Hanky Park, by Walter Greenwood at the Oldham Repertory Theatre, which she describes as a "really traditional start". She is best known as Clare on the British television comedy Life Begins and as Lucinda, the sous chef in the first series of Chef! alongside Lenny Henry. From 2007 to 2016, she portrayed Sue Brockman in the sitcom Outnumbered. Skinner reprised her role in a one-off special that aired at Christmas 2024. For many years, she has preferred theatre to screen roles because she has been disappointed with her TV projects ("apart from Mike Leigh's stuff"), "not just when you see the final thing, but also because it hasn't taken off."
Skinner has worked with directors including Mike Leigh – in Life Is Sweet, and Naked – Trevor Nunn, Tim Burton and Sam Mendes, but according to her, Alan Ayckbourn "was a great influence for me as he pushed me so hard, but every director you work with has a big influence in some way, they really push you."
She has made appearances in TV shows such as Lark Rise to Candleford where for two episodes she played Mrs Macey. She appeared in the 2011 Doctor Who Christmas special "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe".
In 2019, she played Sheila in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, which ran in Trafalgar Studios in the West End from September to November.
In 2026, she completed an MA/Masters by Research postgraduate degree in Drama and Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Personal life
Skinner was previously married to director Charles Palmer, with whom she had two sons. Her marriage to Palmer ended in 2016. Since 2017, she has been in a relationship with her Outnumbered co-star Hugh Dennis. In 2025, it was revealed that the couple had married in 2022.
Filmography
Awards
1992 – Won – Geneva Stars de Demain Best Actress for Life Is Sweet
1995 – Won – Critics' Circle Theatre Award Best Actress for The Glass Menagerie
1995 – Won – Time Out Award for Best Performance Off West End for The Glass Menagerie
1996 – Nominated – Laurence Olivier Award Best Supporting Performance for The Glass Menagerie
2009 – Nominated – BAFTA Best Comedy Performance for Outnumbered
