Helen Baxendale is best known for her role as the ascerbic Dr. Claire Maitland in the BBC hospital drama Cardiac Arrest.
The 25 year old actress was brought up in Staffordshire and wanted to be a ballet dancer or an archeologist as a child. In her teens she trained as an athlete and still keeps in shape. While she hates the thought, she realises she is a "commodity" and must be careful about her looks. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and became famous when she starred in the first series of Cardiac Arrest in 1994. She is quoted as saying that hospitals "make me feel sick and they're full of ill people"!
After 3 series of Cardiac Arrest and having been nominated for best actress in the 1995 BAFTA Scotland Awards, Helen has moved onto other things. In September 1996, she starred in Screen One's Truth or Dare again for BBC television. Here she played a successful young Edinburgh lawyer whose life is turned upside down by some old friends form university. Starring with her is John Hannah best known for his role in Four Weddings and a Funeral.
The story of passion and deceipt involves a number of nude scenes for Helen. The role also required her to drive a car (which she doesn't do in real life). As was pointed out on BBC's Points of View by some viewers with a "train spotter" instinct, this led to some bad continuity in the film since the car of the stunt driver who takes her place has different number plates!