Ruby-May Martinwood joined BBC's Father Brown in 2022 as housekeeper Brenda Palmer, solving parish mysteries alongside Mark Williams. Her screen career launched five years earlier opposite Tom Hardy in Taboo. She played the street urchin Winter. Martinwood also works as a commercial fashion model and audio performer.
Background and performance training
Martinwood grew up in London. Her parents, Henry and Lia, encouraged performance from an early age. She began dancing with the Hype Dance Company at five years old. Training followed at the Television Workshop in Nottingham, an acting programme whose alumni include Samantha Morton and Vicky McClure. Martinwood also studied musical theatre at Bird College in London.
Taboo and television guest roles
Her major television debut came in the 2017 BBC and FX period drama Taboo. She played Winter, an impoverished street youth alongside Tom Hardy's character James Delaney. Winter met a tragic end that drove the plot forward.
Martinwood next appeared in the daytime medical drama Doctors as Amy Papoutsis. She took roles in independent short films including Round My Way and Mr Wong's Lullaby. In 2022, she guest-starred as Layla Carpenter in Death in Paradise, acting opposite Ralf Little. Two years later, she appeared as Pheobes in the film RideBy, a drama focused on girl gang conflict.
Father Brown and voice projects
Martinwood joined the cast of Father Brown in 2022 during its ninth season. Her character, Brenda Palmer, arrived in Kembleford as a murder suspect with a history in borstal and a distrust of authority. Father Brown solved the crime and cleared her name. Brenda subsequently stayed on as his housekeeper, and Martinwood joined the main regular cast in season 10.
She described Brenda as feisty, straightforward, and quick-witted during murder investigations. In 2023, she performed the song "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)" on the series soundtrack. Martinwood also voiced Gryffindor student Lavender Brown in full-cast audio adaptations of the Harry Potter novels.
Fashion and modeling
Martinwood built a commercial modeling portfolio alongside her screen work. She signed with MOT Models and worked with brands including Lounge Apparel, Motel Rocks, and Fashion Nova. She also walked runway shows during New York Fashion Week.
Quick facts
- She began training with the Hype Dance Company at five years of age.
- She studied acting at the Television Workshop in Nottingham, an institution that trained Samantha Morton and Vicky McClure.
- She completed musical theatre training at Bird College.
- Her first major television role was playing the street urchin Winter opposite Tom Hardy in the BBC series Taboo.
- Her Father Brown character, Brenda Palmer, debuted in season nine as a murder suspect before becoming the parish priest's housekeeper.
- She performed the song 'Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)' for a 2023 episode of Father Brown.
- She guest-starred as Layla Carpenter in the BBC crime drama Death in Paradise in 2022.
- She walked the runway at New York Fashion Week as a fashion model.
- She was cast to voice Lavender Brown in full-cast audio editions of the Harry Potter book series.
- She played Pheobes in the 2024 British film RideBy.
FAQs about Ruby-May Martinwood
How old is actress Ruby-May Martinwood?
Ruby-May Martinwood was born on May 2, 1998.
Who is Brenda in Father Brown?
Brenda Palmer is Father Brown's housekeeper, a former borstal resident who became a central character on the series starting in season nine. She is played by Ruby-May Martinwood.
Who did Ruby-May Martinwood play in Taboo?
Martinwood played Winter, a young street urchin who interacts closely with Tom Hardy's protagonist James Delaney.
Who did Ruby-May Martinwood play in Death in Paradise?
She guest-starred as Layla Carpenter in an episode of season 11, appearing opposite Ralf Little's Detective Inspector Neville Parker.
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