
Amanda Redman – Biography, Career and Best-Known Roles
Amanda Redman built a career across British film and television over four decades, earning a BAFTA nomination, a Chlotrudis Award, and an MBE along the way. Best known for leading the long-running BBC One crime drama New Tricks as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, she also appeared in the critically acclaimed film Sexy Beast and later starred in the ITV medical series The Good Karma Hospital.
Born in August 1957 in Brighton, Redman trained as an actress and began appearing on screen in the early 1980s. Her career has spanned stage, television, and cinema, with notable roles in At Home with the Braithwaites, Mike Bassett: England Manager, and The Trials of Jimmy Rose. Despite her public profile, details about her personal life and current activities remain relatively limited in widely accessible sources.
Who Is Amanda Redman? A Complete Biography
12 August 1957
Brighton, East Sussex, England
New Tricks (BBC One)
Sexy Beast (2000)
Redman’s career shows a steady trajectory from early film work to long-form television drama. She remains one of the few actresses of her generation to have led a major BBC series for a decade while also earning recognition for independent film work.
Key Insights
- Best known for her decade-long role as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman on BBC One’s New Tricks.
- Her most critically acclaimed film performance came in Jonathan Glazer’s British crime drama Sexy Beast.
- Has maintained a consistent acting career on screen since the early 1980s, moving between film, television, and stage.
- Received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for her leading role in At Home with the Braithwaites.
- Awarded an MBE in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
- Founded and serves as principal of the Artists Theatre School, focused on drama education.
- Despite public fame, relatively little detailed information about her personal life or current daily activities is available in top search sources.
Biography Snapshot
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Amanda Jacqueline Redman |
| Date of Birth | 12 August 1957 |
| Place of Birth | Brighton, East Sussex, England |
| Profession | Actress |
| Most Famous Role | Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman in New Tricks |
| Notable Film | Sexy Beast (2000) |
| Marital Status | Married to Damian Schnabel (since 4 September 2010) |
| Children | One daughter, Emily Glenister |
| Major Awards | MBE (2012), BAFTA TV Award nomination, Chlotrudis Award |
| Notable TV Series | New Tricks, At Home with the Braithwaites, The Good Karma Hospital |
What Is Amanda Redman Best Known For?
Redman’s public recognition rests primarily on two pillars: her long-running television lead role and a standout film performance that earned critical praise. Both have shaped how audiences and critics view her body of work.
Her Role in New Tricks
From 2003 to 2013, Redman played Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman on the BBC One drama New Tricks. The series followed a team of retired police officers who reopened cold cases, and Pullman served as their no-nonsense supervisor. The show ran for 12 series and became a staple of BBC weekend programming. Redman’s performance brought her widespread recognition and a nomination for Best Drama Performance at the BAFTA TV Awards, according to Wikipedia. The official BBC programme page for New Tricks confirms her as a central cast member across the series.
Film Appearances: Sexy Beast and More
In 2000, Redman played Dedee Dove in Jonathan Glazer’s crime thriller Sexy Beast, starring opposite Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley. The film earned a cult following and strong reviews. For her role, Redman won a Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her earlier film work includes Richard’s Things (1981) and For Queen and Country (1988). A full filmography is available via IMDb.
Redman spent a full decade—from 2003 to 2013—as the lead of a prime-time BBC drama. That kind of sustained television presence is rare and largely explains why she remains best known for New Tricks despite a diverse filmography that includes critically praised independent films.
Amanda Redman: Film and TV Career Highlights
Early Acting Career
Redman’s first known screen appearance was in Richard’s Things (1981), a BBC film adaptation of a novel by Frederic Raphael. She followed this with a role in the 1988 film For Queen and Country, starring opposite Denzel Washington. During the 1990s, she appeared in various British television series, building a foundation for her later lead roles.
Notable TV Series
Alongside New Tricks, Redman starred in At Home with the Braithwaites (2000–2003), a Yorkshire Television drama that earned her a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actress. She later appeared as Tommy Cooper’s wife in Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This (2014), a role that brought another BAFTA nomination. From 2017 to 2022, she led the ITV medical drama The Good Karma Hospital, set in India. Her television credits also include The Trials of Jimmy Rose (2015). More recently, Rotten Tomatoes lists her in the 2024 film Scoop and the 2025 production Murder Before Evensong.
Awards and Nominations
Redman has received several major industry recognitions. She was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for At Home with the Braithwaites and again for both New Tricks and Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This. She won the Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress for Sexy Beast and also received a Best Actress award for The Trials of Jimmy Rose. In 2012, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
Is Amanda Redman Still Acting? Current Status and Personal Life
Recent Projects
Redman has not retired from acting. Recent credits on BroadwayWorld and IMDb include Scoop (2024) and Murder Before Evensong (2025). The Murder Before Evensong project is a television adaptation of the novel by the Reverend Richard Coles. However, no major ongoing series or high-profile film projects have been publicly announced, and her public appearances in recent years have been limited. The extent to which she has stepped back from the industry is not fully clear from sources currently available.
While Redman’s recent film credits confirm she continues to work, the details of her current day-to-day activities, future projects, and public engagements are not widely documented in top search sources. This makes it difficult to assess the scope of her current professional involvement.
Marriage and Family
Redman was married to actor Robert Glenister from 1984 to 1992. The couple had one daughter, Emily Glenister, who has occasionally appeared in television roles. On 4 September 2010, Redman married Damian Schnabel, and IMDb lists that marriage as ongoing. She is also the founder and principal of the Artists Theatre School, where she teaches drama. A detail occasionally mentioned in biographical sources is that she suffered severe scald injuries as a toddler, which left scars on her left arm and required extensive treatment. More personal details about her life are available via Famous Birthdays.
Alongside her acting work, Redman has maintained a parallel career in drama education. As the founder and principal of the Artists Theatre School, she has taught acting to students, a fact that is frequently noted in biographical profiles but rarely explored in depth.
What Does Amanda Redman’s Career Timeline Look Like?
- 1957 — Born in Brighton, East Sussex, England.
- 1981 — First known screen role in Richard’s Things.
- 1988 — Appeared in the film For Queen and Country.
- 2000 — Starred as Dedee Dove in Sexy Beast, winning a Chlotrudis Award. Also began At Home with the Braithwaites.
- 2003 — Began her defining role as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman in New Tricks.
- 2012 — Awarded an MBE in the Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
- 2013 — Left New Tricks after 10 seasons.
- 2017–2022 — Starred in ITV medical drama The Good Karma Hospital.
- 2024–2025 — Featured in Scoop (2024) and Murder Before Evensong (2025).
What Information About Amanda Redman Is Confirmed and What Remains Unclear?
| Established Information | Information That Remains Unclear |
|---|---|
| Date of birth and birthplace are confirmed by Wikipedia, IMDb, and multiple sources. | Her current day-to-day activities and whether she has stepped back from regular acting are not well documented. |
| Her marriages and child are publicly recorded. | No recent interviews or personal statements about her life after The Good Karma Hospital are widely available. |
| Award nominations and wins are verified by Wikipedia and IMDb. | The full extent of her theatre work and teaching schedule is not comprehensively covered. |
| Known film and television credits are listed across multiple databases. | Whether she has future projects in development beyond Murder Before Evensong is not publicly known. |
What Is the Significance of Amanda Redman’s Career in British Television?
Redman’s career illustrates a pattern common among British actors who successfully transition from film to long-form television work. Her role in New Tricks placed her at the centre of a BBC drama that maintained high ratings across a decade, a stability that few actors in television achieve. The shift from independent film roles—such as her acclaimed turn in Sexy Beast—to a network television lead reflects broader trends in the British entertainment industry, where television increasingly provides the most prominent and sustained acting opportunities.
Her parallel career in drama education also sets her apart. As founder and principal of the Artists Theatre School, she has continued to work with students, maintaining a connection to theatre training alongside her screen work. This dual focus on performance and teaching is a lesser-known aspect of her professional life.
For readers interested in other British actresses of a similar generation, the biography of Catherine Zeta-Jones – Bio, Age, Movies and Awards 2025 offers a comparison with another actress who built a career spanning stage, television, and film. Those curious about casting confusions in British television may also find the article on Celia Imrie Harry Potter – The Truth and Why Fans Get Confused relevant.
Where Can You Find Reliable Information About Amanda Redman?
The most authoritative sources for factual information about Amanda Redman include Wikipedia, IMDb, and the BBC programme archives. These sources provide consistent and verifiable data on her birth date, roles, and awards. Below are key excerpts from these sources.
“Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman in the BBC One series New Tricks…”
— Wikipedia
“Amanda Redman was born on 12 August 1957 in Brighton…”
— IMDb
These two sources, alongside the BBC’s official programme pages and Rotten Tomatoes, form the core of publicly available biographical information. Notably, there is a gap in the availability of current personal life details and recent career updates across these sources.
What Is the Essential Summary of Amanda Redman’s Life and Career?
Amanda Redman is an English actress born on 12 August 1957 in Brighton, best known for playing Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman on BBC One’s New Tricks and for her award-winning role in Sexy Beast. Her career spans more than four decades, with significant television credits including At Home with the Braithwaites, The Good Karma Hospital, and The Trials of Jimmy Rose. She holds an MBE, a BAFTA nomination, and a Chlotrudis Award. Married to Damian Schnabel since 2010, she has one daughter and continues to act alongside running the Artists Theatre School. For a broader look at British actresses of her era, see the biography of Catherine Zeta-Jones – Bio, Age, Movies and Awards 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amanda Redman
What is Amanda Redman’s nationality?
She is English. She was born in Brighton, East Sussex, England.
Did Amanda Redman retire from acting?
There is no official confirmation of retirement. She has recent credits in Scoop (2024) and Murder Before Evensong (2025).
Is Amanda Redman related to any other actors?
No known relation to other celebrities with similar names has been publicly established.
What was Amanda Redman’s first role?
Her first known screen role was in Richard’s Things (1981).
Does Amanda Redman have any siblings?
This information is not publicly available in the top biographical sources.
How many seasons of New Tricks was Amanda Redman in?
She appeared in 10 seasons of New Tricks, from 2003 to 2013.
What award did Amanda Redman win for Sexy Beast?
She won the Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Dedee Dove.
Does Amanda Redman teach acting?
Yes. She is the founder and principal of the Artists Theatre School, where she teaches drama.