If you’ve spent any time at all watching British crime dramas over the last twenty years, you know her face. You probably know the voice, too—that grounded, no-nonsense Scottish lilt that can flip from biting sarcasm to deep empathy in a heartbeat. Sharon Small is one of those rare actors who feels like a permanent fixture on our screens, yet she’s constantly reinventing herself.
Most people immediately jump to sharon small movies and tv shows and think of a messy ponytail and a Barbour jacket. Specifically, they think of DS Barbara Havers. It’s the role that defined her career for many, playing the working-class foil to Nathaniel Parker’s aristocratic DI Thomas Lynley. But honestly? If you only know her as Havers, you’re missing out on about 80% of what makes her one of the most versatile performers working today.
From big-budget Hollywood comedies like About a Boy to gritty medical thrillers and high-stakes stage plays, Small has a range that’s frankly a bit ridiculous. She’s not just a "TV detective." She’s a chameleon who happens to be very good at catching fictional killers.
The Lynley Legacy: Why Barbara Havers Stuck
Let’s get the big one out of the way. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries ran from 2001 to 2008, and it was a massive hit. It wasn't just the murder plots. It was the chemistry—or rather, the deliberate lack of it—between Lynley and Havers.
Small was brilliant here because she leaned into the character’s perceived flaws. Havers was untidy, she was blunt, and she was perpetually annoyed by Lynley’s silver-spoon lifestyle. Small once mentioned in an interview that the character description was basically "someone the Earl wouldn't want to sleep with." Most actors might take offense to that, but she used it as a starting point to build a character with real, raw vulnerability.
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She turned Havers into the heart of the show. You weren't rooting for the guy with the fancy car; you were rooting for the woman trying to care for her ailing mother while holding her own in a male-dominated police force. That performance earned her nominations for a Satellite Award and Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards. Even now, with a new Lynley reboot in the works for 2026 starring Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay, fans are still looking back at the Small-Parker era as the gold standard.
Beyond the Badge: Mistresses and Medical Mayhem
After Lynley ended, Small didn’t just fade away. She swapped the police station for a world of much higher heels and a lot more drama in the UK version of Mistresses.
If you haven't seen it, it’s basically the antithesis of a police procedural. She played Trudi Malloy, a 9/11 widow juggling motherhood and a complicated romantic life. It was a complete 180 from Havers. Suddenly, she was glamorous—well, "tired-mum glamorous"—and dealing with scripts that were more about emotional fallout than forensic evidence.
She followed this up with a string of powerhouse performances in shows that most people have seen but might not have realized it was her:
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- Trust Me: She played Dr. Brigitte Rayne, a woman trying to keep a hospital afloat while her lead doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker) was a total fraud.
- The Bay: She joined the third series as Rose Marshbrook, proving she can still command a crime scene even when she's the one under investigation.
- London Kills: As DS Vivienne Cole, she returned to her detective roots but with a much sharper, colder edge than we saw in her early years.
The Big Screen: Hugh Grant and Indie Gems
Her film career is a bit more sporadic, but the quality is there. Everyone remembers her as Christine in About a Boy (2002). She’s the friend who asks Hugh Grant’s character to be a godfather, prompting his famous "I really am that shallow" speech. It’s a relatively small role, but she holds her own against Grant’s peak-era charm.
Then there’s Dear Frankie (2004), a beautiful, quiet Scottish film where she plays Marie. If you want to see her do something soulful and grounded without the "TV gloss," that’s the one to watch. She has this way of making ordinary women feel extraordinary. It’s not about grand gestures; it’s about the look in her eyes when a character realizes their life is falling apart.
2024 and 2025: A Career Renaissance
If you think she’s slowing down, you haven’t been paying attention. In late 2024 and throughout 2025, she’s been everywhere.
The BBC thriller Nightsleeper saw her as Liz Draycott, part of a high-octane plot involving a hijacked train. It was fast-paced, stressful, and a far cry from the slow-burn investigations of the early 2000s. It showed that she can handle the "ticking clock" energy of modern television just as well as the classic whodunits.
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But arguably, her most impressive work recently has been on stage. She starred in Nye at the National Theatre alongside Michael Sheen, playing Jennie Lee. It was a massive production about the life of Aneurin Bevan, the man who founded the NHS. Critics raved about her performance, noting that she gave the play its emotional backbone. She also earned a 2023 Olivier Award nomination for her role in Good—working with David Tennant.
Actionable Tips for New Fans
If you're just starting to explore the world of sharon small movies and tv shows, don't just binge-watch Lynley and call it a day. Here is how you should actually approach her filmography to see what she's truly capable of:
- Watch "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries" for the chemistry. Start with the pilot, "A Great Deliverance." It sets the tone for everything that follows.
- Check out "Trust Me" (Series 1) for the tension. It’s a short watch (only 4 episodes), and she’s arguably the most interesting person on screen.
- Seek out "Dear Frankie" for the heart. It’s a hidden gem of Scottish cinema that deserves more love.
- Look for National Theatre Live recordings. If you can find the recording of Nye or Good, watch it. Her stage presence is a different beast entirely.
Sharon Small doesn't do "celebrity" in the traditional sense. You won't see her in the tabloids every week. She just works. Whether it’s a supporting role in Downton Abbey or a lead in a gritty Scots-noir like Stonemouth, she brings a level of authenticity that makes you believe the character existed long before the cameras started rolling and will keep existing after they stop. That’s the mark of a real pro.
Explore her work chronologically if you can. It’s fascinating to watch the "feisty" energy of her 30s evolve into the authoritative, nuanced power she brings to her roles now. She’s an actor who has aged with her audience, and that’s exactly why we’re still watching.