British Actresses You Should Know: Joanne Froggatt

Joanne Froggatt is best known for playing the Crawley family's loyal maid. However, this North Yorkshire lass has portrayed various characters in her 20+ year career; many are not nearly as endearing as the compassionate and resilient Anna Bates, the role for which she won a Golden Globe in the 2014 season of Downton Abbey.

Froggatt may seem too young to have been in the business for over two decades, but she was serious about acting from a young age. So serious that she left her family's small sheep farm at 13 to attend the Redroofs Theatre School in Berkshire. She earned her first screen credit in 1996 on the long-running British crime drama, The Bill, and has worked every year since.

Below are some of Froggatt's roles over the years that demonstrate her development and range as an actor.

Coronation Street

From 1997-98, Joanne appeared as a regular on the British television institution Coronation Street, known affectionately as Corrie. At 16 years old, she played troubled pregnant teen Zoe Tattersall who initially sold her baby to a local couple before reneging on the deal. Sadly, Zoe's daughter died, causing her to lash out at her neighbors for her tragic misfortune. She later left Weatherfield for America with her cult leader boyfriend. It is a soap opera, after all...