Amanda Abbington

Amanda Abbington (born Amanda Jane Smith; 28 February 1974) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Miss Mardle in Mr Selfridge and Mary Watson in Sherlock, the BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. An only child, Abbington was brought up in Hertfordshire, England. She appeared in the TV series The Bill until 2007 playing various characters. During that time she also appeared in the TV series Wycliffe, Casualty, Dream Team, The Sins, Shades, Doc Martin, Coupling, and Teachers. She appeared in the 2005 comedy sketch show Man Stroke Woman and the 2007–2008 comedy After You've Gone with Nicholas Lyndhurst. She has also appeared in recurring series such as Bernard's Watch and Case Histories.