DATE OF BIRTH : 19th February 1972
BORN : London
LIVES : Flat in West Hampstead, North London.
FAMILY : Mother, Julie who died of cancer when Lisa was 16. ‘It was the most horrible time of my life. We were so close. She was my best friend and it was horrible to watch her die.’ She also has a younger sister, Victoria (who has two daughters Lola and Eva)
PARTNER : Currently dating Masterchef presenter John Torrode
CHILDREN : Adopted daughter, Billie.
PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS : Divorced from actor Chris Coghill (2005-2011).
Was Engaged to actor Jonny Lee Miller. Also Previous seven month relationship with Hollyoaks star, Nick Pickard, and Dangerfield co-star Sean Maguire, Dodgy lead singer Andy Miller, Michael Grecco and South Park Creator Trey Parker.
SCHOOL : Tiffin School in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey.
TRAINED : Was ‘head girl’ at her grammar school in Kingston, Surrey. Dropped out of school to pursue a modelling career in Paris. She has a Speech and Drama degree from the Artists’ Collective Theatre School.
PREVIOUS JOBS : Part time modelling for adverts and teen magazines.
CAREER CHOICES WHEN YOUNGER : After her mother died, Lisa wanted to become a nurse. ‘I loved the way nurses were in the Royal Marsden. They were wonderful to my Mum and dealt with patients and relatives so well. It made me want to be like them.’ She was due to start her first term at Whittington Hospital in North London, when she landed a role in a French film, followed next by Dangerfield.
ON CHARACTER VICTORIA : ‘Victoria is fiercely bright, and has always wanted to be a doctor. Her father is an eminent surgeon, so she has a lot to live up to but she tries to disguise the family connection. She loves learning about diseases and sometimes looks at people very much as objects.’
REAL LIFE CASUALTY INCIDENTS : ‘As a kid I was always in and out of hospital. I was terribly accident prone and had various broken bones plus a whole range of childhood problems from adenoids to appendicitis. But I was an odd child – I loved hospitals. I even loved hospital food.’ While working on Brookside, she also ended up in hospital when a car ran over her foot leaving her with a broken ankle.
HOBBIES : Gym, yoga
FAVE MUSIC : Madonna, Travis, Stereophonics, Oasis
FAVE TV : South Park, Friends
FAVE FILM : Thelma & Louise
FAVE FOOD : Sushi
FAVE PERFUME : Emporio Armani’s She
FAVE SONG : Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel
FAVE SHOPS : Whistles, Shop in Brewer Street Soho and also Top Shop.
HATES : ‘I’m not scared of doctors or anything medical but I absolutely hate even the idea of the dentist. I’ll make all kind of excuses not to go. I think my fear of dentists must be connected with the needles. I just can’t bear the thought of them.’
MOST EXPENSIVE PIECE OF CLOTHING : ‘I spent £300 on a pair of Armani shoes that I’ve never worn. I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them, but I knew they were completely impractical and that I’d never wear them, so why the hell did I buy them?’
PREVIOUS CASUALTY APPEARANCE : Lisa has also appeared in CASUALTY. In S9 E23, she plays surfer, Cassie Tolchard, who suffers chemical burns.
TELEVISION CREDITS : The Home; Dangerfield; Casualty; And the Beat Goes On; Brookside; Holby City; Soapacabana; Friends Like These; Celebrity Ready Steady Cook; Sisters; The Priory; Brian Conley Show; Spooks; Burn It; Murder in Suburbia; Swiss Toni; The Afternoon Play – The Trouble with George; New Tricks; Hotel Babylon; New Street Law; Murdoch Mysteries;
* Lisa won Celebrity Masterchef 2010.
FILM CREDITS : L’ Amant; A Feast at Midnight; Le Peril jeune; The Scarlet Tunic; Sweet Thing; Les Annees Lycees; The Legend of Lily and Lizzy; The Parent Trap; The Baby Juice Express; Stiff Lips; Honeymooner
THEATRE CREDITS : The Vagina Monolgues
BOOKS : ‘Recipes from My Mother for my Daughter’ released in March 2012
AGENT : ARG, 4 Great Portland Street, London W1W 8PA.
DID YOU KNOW?
* Lisa supports the ‘Pink Ribbon’ campaign – a charity magazine which promotes breast cancer.
Twitter : @lisafaulkner1
