Maxine Peake – 46

Although she got her start in the lighthearted sitcom Dinnerladies, Maxine Peake made a career playing characters in productions with some sort of social substance. There’s her stint Veronica Fisher in the working-class drama Shameless and her role as a barrister (a type of lawyer in countries like the United Kingdom) in the TV series Silk.

She continued this tradition by co-starring in the acclaimed BBC comedy Mandy in 2020. Peake’s awareness of societal issues goes beyond on-screen portrayals as she’s vocal about personal political views. The two-time BAFTA nominee has shared her opinions on topics like racism in interviews before.