Ashley Jensen

Biography: Skilled at playing saucy second bananas, this Scottish actress is best known stateside for her side-splittingly funny turns as a lovesick bit player on Extras and a sloshed seamstress on Ugly Betty. But Jensen didn't set out to become a comedian. An aspiring performer from an early age, she joined London's National Youth Theatre at 15 years old and worked extensively on stage in both classical and contemporary productions before turning to TV. Although she quickly became a familiar small-screen face in her homeland, appearing on long-running series such as EastEnders and Clocking Off, ironically it was her role as a no-name actor on Extras that turned her into a Hollywood up-and-comer in 2005. The next year, she signed on to the campy dramedy Ugly Betty as the title character's workplace confidante, and in 2009, she joined the cast of the short-lived sitcom Accidentally on Purpose as the party-girl best friend to the main character. Quirky as her characterizations are, JensenSkilled at playing saucy second bananas, this Scottish actress is best known stateside for her side-splittingly funny turns as a lovesick bit player on Extras and a sloshed seamstress on Ugly Betty. But Jensen didn't set out to become a comedian. An aspiring performer from an early age, she joined London's National Youth Theatre at 15 years old and worked extensively on stage in both classical and contemporary productions before turning to TV. Although she quickly became a familiar small-screen face in her homeland, appearing on long-running series such as EastEnders and Clocking Off, ironically it was her role as a no-name actor on Extras that turned her into a Hollywood up-and-comer in 2005. The next year, she signed on to the campy dramedy Ugly Betty as the title character's workplace confidante, and in 2009, she joined the cast of the short-lived sitcom Accidentally on Purpose as the party-girl best friend to the main character. Quirky as her characterizations are, Jensen is just as delightfully odd in real life: when she eloped with longtime boyfriend, actor Terence Beesley, in 2007, their dog Barney served as a ring bearer.… Expand