Tanya Reynolds


Tanya Lou Reynolds is an English actress, known for her roles as Lily in the 2019 Netflix series Sex Education, and as Mrs Elton in the 2020 film of Jane Austen's Emma.

Early Life

Reynolds was born and raised in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, her dad was a builder and her mum was a sign writer.
Reynolds first venture in to acting was at the age of four in the school nativity.
Reynolds won a fully funded scholarship to attend the Oxford School of Drama, purportedly conceding that otherwise she would not have been able to afford the drama school fees. Reynolds graduated in 2015.

Career

Reynolds first appeared on screen in several short films, Civilised People by UK comedy duo In Cahoots which was shown at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2015., The Jealous Boyfriend, also by In Cahoots, also Introducing Lucy. In 2016, Reynolds landed her first TV appearance in Delicious, where she played Teresa Benelli for 12 episodes.
2017 saw Reynolds furthering her TV career with parts in Outlander playing Lady Isobel Dunsany, also in the BBC thriller series Rellik as 20 year old Sally.
In 2018, Reynolds was a leading actor in the feature film Fanny Lye Deliver'd, among a cast that included Charles Dance and Maxine Peake, as well as playing a leading role as Teresa in the Sky 1 comedy Delicious alongside a cast which included Iain Glen and Dawn French. In 2019, she began starring in the recurring role of Lily in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education. The series was released on 11 January 2019, to critical acclaim.
Reynolds stars as Mrs. Elton in a 2020 film remake of Jane Austen’s Emma alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Bill Nighy.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016–2019DeliciousTeresa Benelli12 episodes
2017RellikSally3 episodes
2017OutlanderLady Isobel DunsanyEpisode: "Of Lost Things"
2017Death in ParadisePearl MarstonEpisode: "Murder from Above"
2018The BisexualJillEpisode: "1.5"
2019The Mallorca FilesClaire TaylorEpisode: "Honour Amongst Thieves"
2019–presentSex EducationLilyMain role
2020BreedersTherapistEpisode: "1.6"