Suranne Jones (born Sarah Anne Jones on January 2, 1979) is an English actress of Welsh origin. She is best known for playing the role of Karen McDonald (née Phillips) in ITV1's Coronation Street over a period of four years. She is also recognisable from an appearance in a high-profile commercial for Maltesers which was filmed shortly before she joined the programme, but frequently screened throughout her early career on the iconic soap opera.
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Background

She was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester and attended a public drama club the Oldham Theatre Workshop, Antony Cotton who plays Sean Tully on Coronation Street also attended the club.

Career

Before playing Karen McDonald, Jones had a very small role in Coronation Street in April 1997 as Mandy Phillips, a girlfriend of Chris Collins, worked in the theatre, appeared in a short film called Punch opposite fellow soap opera alumnus Jeff Hordley and guest-starred in episodes of series such as City Central. In 2003, Jones appeared on an edition of Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes as Catherine Zeta Jones and in May 2004 it was announced that she was to leave Coronation Street in November of that year after four years of playing Karen. Jones, who had just won the best actress award at the British Soap Awards left to "explore other roles" with Granada Television, the company that produces Coronation Street.

In Autumn 2005, Jones starred in an ITV's detective drama series Vincent, with Ray Winstone in the title role, this was Jones' first acting role since leaving Coronation Street the previous year. In the same year she starred on the West End stage in A Few Good Men opposite Rob Lowe and appeared in the musical special Celebrate Oliver! which was screened on BBC1.

In 2006, she starred as Snow White in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Manchester Opera House alongside Justin Moorhouse and fellow Coronation Street alumnus John Savident. She also appeared in Kay Mellor's Strictly Confidential in which she played a bisexual sex therapist.

On New Year's Day 2007, Jones starred in a Yorkshire and London based black comedy, Dead Clever with Helen Baxendale and Dean Lennox Kelly on ITV 1.

Jones has most recently been seen as a guest reporter on the long-running BBC travel programme Holiday alongside Anthony Crank and special guest on an edition of the BBC2 series A taste of my life with Nigel Slater which paid tribute to her friend, John Barrowman.

In Autumn 2007, Jones toured the UK extensively in the premiere stage run of the film Terms of Endearment opposite Linda Gray and she has recently appeared in a number of plays for BBC Radio 4.

In Popular Culture

* Is still great mates with her former Coronation Street co-stars, Simon Gregson and Kate Ford.
* Her best friend from childhood is ex-Hollyoaks star, Mikyla Dodd.
* She revealed to Inside Soap magazine that she would have become a barmaid if her acting hadn't worked out.
* Her favourite actresses are Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth.
* In his autobiography, John Barrowman revealed that Suranne Jones has offered to be surrogate mother to his children.

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