Daniela Denby-Ashe

Daniela Denby-Ashe (born 9 August 1978) is an English actress, best known for playing the character Sarah Hills in the soap opera EastEnders, Margaret Hale in the period drama North and South and Janey Harper in the sitcom My Family. She also played the character Lorraine Donnegan in the drama series Waterloo Road after previously playing a different character, "Jem Allen" in one episode a few years earlier.

Early life

Daniela's parents are of Polish descent, her paternal surname being Pszkit. Before they married, they decided to create a more British-sounding family name, so they looked in the telephone directory and each chose a name they liked and hyphenated them.

Denby-Ashe is fluent in English, Polish and French – the latter due to her grandmother, who was brought up in France until World War II.

Denby-Ashe began studying ballet at the age of 2 and tap at a later stage; from the ages of 10 to 16, she attended several stage schools including Corona Academy.

Career

Daniela first gained film experience on the children's video "Nursery Rhymes 2" from Pickwick Video.