Joanna Bending Explained

Joanna Bending
Occupation:Actress
Television:Doctors
EastEnders
Years Active:2005–present
Education:RADA

Joanna Bending is a British actress. She has appeared in numerous theatre productions, and after starring in a one-woman show, she was nominated for the Best Solo Performer accolade at the 2012 Stage Awards. As well as her extensive theatre credits, she has appeared in various British television series including Doctors, The Bill, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Career

Bending trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating in 1997.[1] After graduation, she began appearing in various stage productions. Her roles have included spending a year at the National Theatre in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, appearing at the Royal Court Theatre in Harold Pinter's Mountain Language and portraying all of the female characters in Intimate Exchanges.[2] Bending also portrayed Emily, an Alzheimer's sufferer, in Hand Over Fist, a one-woman show.[3] For her portrayal of Emily, she was nominated for the Best Solo Performer accolade at the 2012 Stage Awards.[4] Bending starred in a production of Macbeth that toured the United States, since she felt that it was a life experience as well as a good career decision. After returning to London, she starred in a West End theatre production of Kingmaker, a political play that coincided with the 2015 United Kingdom general election.[5]

On television, Bending made her first appearance in 2005 in Angel of Death: The Beverly Allitt Story, a BBC docudrama that detailed serial killer Beverly Allitt's crimes.[6] In 2007, she made her film debut in Tick Tock Lullaby.[7] Later that year, she made her first appearance in the BBC medical soap opera Doctors.[8] She appeared in one episode, before returning a further five times in different roles. Then in 2008, she appeared in an episode of the BBC series Love Soup,[9] as well as appearing in The Sarah Jane Adventures episode "Secrets of the Stars".[10] From 2013 to 2017, Bending appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in the recurring role of Dr. Alex Burham.[11] In September 2023, it was announced by her agency that she would be returning to Doctors, this time in the role of Dr. Michelle Walton.[12]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005Angel of Death: The Beverly Allitt StorySue PhillipsTelevision film
2005DipperMotherShort film
2007Tick Tock LullabyFionaFilm
2007DoctorsKaren JacobsEpisode: "Dying for a Drink"
2008Love SoupDillyEpisode: "Whose God is it Anyway?"
2008The BillMrs. WaverleyEpisode: "Frontline: End Game"
2008DoctorsHeather AlexanderEpisode: "The Power of Three"
2008The Sarah Jane AdventuresLindaEpisode: "Secrets of the Stars"
2010DoctorsMelissa ForthEpisode: "Legacy"
2011Coronation StreetMartina GauntGuest role
2013, 2015, 2017EastEndersAlex BurhamRecurring role
2014DoctorsAntonia DaviesEpisode: "The Curse of the Mummy"
2014Holby CityMartha KeaneGuest role
2014Second ComingRestaurant MumFilm
2016To the GraveDC LambShort film
2019DoctorsHarriet DeSouzaEpisode: "The Sharper the Tongue"
2019CasualtyKate McClairGuest role
2021An Admin Worker at the End of the WorldClaudiaFilm
2022Red RoseEpisode: "The Gardener"
2024DoctorsMichelle WaltonRecurring role

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Joanna Bending . . 13 September 2023 . 13 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230913151714/https://www.rada.ac.uk/profiles/joanna-bending/ . live .
  2. Web site: Essential Theatre . Introducing the cast - Joanna Bending . . 13 September 2023 . 13 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230913151713/https://m.facebook.com/essentialstagetheatrecompany/photos/a.146775865492827/607110556126020/?type=3 . live .
  3. Web site: Actor Jo Bending . Reduced Shakespeare . 13 September 2023 . 22 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230322222355/https://www.reducedshakespeare.com/2016/11/518-actor-jo-bending/ . live .
  4. News: It's a bird. It's a plane. It's the cast of MACBETH! . 13 September 2023 . . 16 January 2015 . 5 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221005125513/http://sites.nd.edu/shakespeare/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-the-cast-of-macbeth/ . live .
  5. News: Spainhour . Cheryl . Q&A with Joanna Bending of Actors from the London Stage . 13 September 2023 . CLC . 24 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924071832/http://clclt.com/charlotte/qanda-with-joanna-bending-of-actors-from-the-london-stage/Content?oid=3596512 . live .
  6. Web site: Angel of Death: The Story of Beverly Allitt . . 13 September 2023 . 22 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130622023520/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007cgbk . live .
  7. Web site: Tick Tock Lullaby . . 13 September 2023 . 31 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210731134621/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8c13cd1d . dead .
  8. Web site: Dying for a Drink . . 13 September 2023 . 15 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230715035055/https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/love_soup/episodes/2/10/ . live .
  9. Web site: Full Love Soup cast and crew credits . . 13 September 2023 . 13 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230913151715/https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/love_soup/cast_crew/full/ . live .
  10. Web site: Secrets of the Stars - The Sarah Jane Adventures . . 13 September 2023 . 17 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417141810/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00f67jg . live .
  11. Web site: 06/03/2015 . . 13 September 2023 . 23 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230423214628/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054yd4h . live .
  12. SoundcheckGrp. 1701891319122075682. The outstanding JOANNA BENDING @jobendy joins the cast of DOCTORS @BBCDoctors to play DR MICHELLE WALTON.. 13 September 2023. Soundcheck Group.