Lesley Nicol was born 19 June, 1953 in Plymouth, Devon. She is an English actress who is best known for playing Mrs. Patmore in the ITV's period drama series Downton Abbey from 2010 until 2015, she has also been in Waterfront Beat, Extremely Dangerous, The Bill, Paul Merton: The Series, Casualty, Three Seven Eleven, Rose and Maloney, Heartbeat, The Silver Chair, Holby City, The Last Detective, Gems, Blackadder, The Practice, The Grand, Peak Practice, Supernatural, The Catch, Dinnerladies, Raising Hope, A Touch of Frost, Hotel Babylon, Shameless, Inspector George Gently, Doctors, The Nineteenth Hole, Castles and Agatha Christie's Marple.