The BBC's critically acclaimed drama Sherwood returns to our screens on Sunday night with its highly-anticipated second season about a Nottinghamshire town divided by tensions caused by the 1980s miners' strike.
Season two introduces a fresh batch of characters as two new families find themselves intertwined with the infamous Sparrows, a local crime clan who were at the centre of season one's investigation into Gary Jackson's murder.
BAFTA-winning actress Monica Dolan has joined the cast as crime family matriarch, Ann Branson. While viewers will recognise the 55-year-old for her roles in W1A, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and Black Mirror, how much do you know about her life away from the cameras? Keep reading for all we know…
Monica's childhood and tragic family loss
Monica was born in Middlesbrough to Irish parents. While her mum, from Enniscorthy, studied botany and biochemistry before becoming a research worker and then a teacher, her father was a chemical engineer from Dublin.
While Monica didn't follow in her parents' footsteps and pursued a career in the arts, her mum and dad were very supportive of her acting dreams. "My parents were both extraordinarily supportive," she told The Guardian in 2019. "I remember they practised the drive twice to the theatre where I was to audition for a council grant for drama school, so that there was no chance of me being late!"
One of four, Monica had two sisters and one brother but sadly lost two of her siblings: her sister to cancer in 2008 and her brother to Covid in 2020.
Monica previously opened up about losing her brother, who died aged 56, in an interview with The Guardian. "It was Covid and pneumonia," she said in 2020.
"I really, really feel for my mum, because she's outlived two of her children. She's 86, and she's absolutely incredible," continued the actress. "She's just so strong. I can't imagine many people coping with it."
Speaking about her grief, Monica continued: "I think that what I find quite difficult is that it's my brother, and it's intensely personal, and I love him so much, and at the same time his death suddenly becomes part of a wider global narrative, and I don't know how I feel about that, really. I'm sure a lot of people are feeling like that."
Monica's love life
Monica, who lives in London, shared a rare insight into her love life earlier this year when asked about her "biggest disappointment" during an interview with The Guardian.
"Not marrying the person I wanted to marry, but now I think it's probably good that I didn't," revealed the actress.
Monica tends to keep her private life out of the spotlight and so little is known about her relationship history.