| Anna Friel (born July 12, 1976) is a Golden Globe-nominated English actress from Rochdale, in Greater Manchester. She currently stars as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, the female lead in the American television series Pushing Daisies. At the age of 13, she was hired for her first professional acting job in the Channel 4 drama serial G.B.H., as the daughter of Michael Palin's character. Her performance led to a series of appearances on various British television shows, including Emmerdale. In 1992, Friel was added to the cast on the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, where she gained greater exposure in the role of Beth Jordache. Though she only stayed on the programme for two years, Friel's lesbian kiss remains one of the most talked-about moments in British soap history. In 1995, Friel won the National Television Award for Most popular actress for her work on Brookside.In 1996, Friel courted further controversy when she appeared in the television film The Tribe by Stephen Poliakoff, which |
