Jessica Raine

Jessica Raine (born Jessica Lloyd; 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for playing midwife Jenny Lee in the first three series of BBC One drama Call the Midwife.

Early life

Raine was born in Eardisley, Herefordshire, where she was raised on her father's farm. She is the younger of two daughters of farmer Allan Lloyd (descended from the Lloyd family of Baynham Hall), and his wife Sue, who trained as a dancer but then worked as a nurse. Educated in Kington, Herefordshire, she wanted to be an actress from the age of 13, as her father starred in amateur dramatics with the Eardisley Little Theatre. In sixth form she studied theatre at A-Level and a BTEC in photography at Hereford College of Arts and then studied drama and cultural studies at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Turned down on graduation to enter every drama school that she applied to, Raine went to Thailand and taught English as a second language.

Career

Returning home after a year, she applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art a second time and was accepted. Moving to London in anticipation of starting her course, she worked part-time as a waitress and for the telecommunications company BT.