Belinda Stewart-Wilson is an English actress, best known for her role in the TV sitcom The Inbetweeners as Polly McKenzie.

Born 16 April 1971 in London, England, UK



Early life

The daughter of Sir Blair Stewart-Wilson, a British Army officer, Stewart-Wilson grew up on military postings in the UK, Germany, and Austria before her family settled in London, her father becoming an Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II. She was educated at Hurst Lodge School in Ascot, Berkshire, before training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, in London.


Career

Stewart-Wilson's first television role was in the series Shine on Harvey Moon, a show based on 1950s London. Her next two roles were one-time appearances in the popular British sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart and playing a secretary in a TV adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot story The Murder on the Links.

From there Stewart-Wilson went on to do more one-time appearances, playing roles in British sitcoms Days Like These and Starting Out as well as Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang), a feature film starring Chris Penn and Stellan Skarsgård. She also played Dina in La Passione, a feature film based on the life of Chris Rea.

In 2004 she made an appearance in the long-running British medical drama Holby City, before moving on to two satirical programs: making an appearance in Look Around You, which won the Rose d'Or award for best comedy, as well as in three episodes of the 24 hour news-mocking Broken News.

Throughout 2007 and 2008, Stewart-Wilson worked on a number of television shows, making mostly one-time appearances. Her most notable credits during this time period were the roles of Barbara, the widow of Denholm Reynholm (played by Chris Morris), in The IT Crowd, and Nikki in the TV series Jekyll alongside James Nesbitt and Gina Bellman. She also made an appearance in the commercially successful mockumentary feature film Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance. Belinda also played a cameo role in Stephen Poliakoff's Joe's Palace in a scene with Michael Gambon.

In 2007 Belinda played various roles in The Peter Serafinowicz Show, going on to appear in The Peter Serafinowicz Show Christmas Special in 2008 which was nominated for a Bafta for Best Comedy in 2009. A "best of" compilation was also aired in 2008.

More recently, she has taken on the role of the central character's mother in three series of the hit comedy The Inbetweeners, which was nominated for a Bafta for Best Sit-Com in 2009. Belinda also plays the recurring role of Christine Johnson in the third series of cult science-fiction show Primeval.

In 2010 she once again appeared in The IT Crowd, this time playing Victoria Reynholm, the wife of Douglas (Denholm Reynholm's son, played by Matt Berry, making her the daughter-in-law of her previous character), who mysteriously vanished two weeks into their marriage whilst washing the car.

In August 2010, Irish band Pugwash announced that they would be including a song called "Dear Belinda" on their next album, the track being written as a tribute to Stewart-Wilson for her forthcoming 40th birthday. Pugwash frontman Thomas Walsh (also of The Duckworth Lewis Method) added that Stewart-Wilson had requested that she appear on the final version of the song.

Filmography

* Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) (2000)
* Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance (2007)

Television movies

* Joe's Palace (2007)

TV appearances

* Shine on Harvey Moon (1995)
* Murder on the Links (1996)
* Goodnight Sweetheart (1999)
* Days Like These (1999)
* Holby City (2004)
* Look Around You (2005)
* Broken News (2005)
* Party Animals (2007)
* Jekyll (2007)
* The Peter Serafinowicz Show (2007)
* The IT Crowd (2007, 2010)
* The Inbetweeners (2008–2010)
* Primeval (2009)
* New Tricks (2010)
* Miranda (2010)
* The Impressions Show With Culshaw And Stephenson (2010)