Childhood & Early Life
Hannah Tointon was born on December 28, 1987, in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, to Ken and Carol Tointon. She grew up with her elder sister, Kara.
Soon after she was born, the family moved to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, where Hannah began her early education. Kara and Hannah were both inseparable since Hannah was a toddler.
Since her birth, Hannah had a button-sized cyst under her right eye. It stuck out of her face. Although she did not pay attention to it earlier, people began noticing it as she grew up. It was removed only after she turned 12. Hannah claimed that she had never been bullied in school because of the cyst. However, she also revealed that she loved to stay back home with her family, which was her comfort zone.
When Hannah was 7 years old, her older sister developed an interest in acting and joined a local theatrical group. Being close to her, Hannah joined her sister and began training in acting. Over time, she became interested in becoming an actor.
Hannah had a life-transforming moment when she was 12 years old. She auditioned to play a part in a ‘West End’ musical titled ‘Whistle Down the Wind.’ She was initially reluctant to appear in it. However, with time, she adapted to singing and dancing in the musical.
She continued to star in theatrical plays over the next few years. Following her high-school graduation from ‘St. Michael’s School’ in Leigh, she began studying art in college. However, acting offers had already begun pouring in for her. Hence, she dropped out and became dedicated to full-time acting.
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Career
Hannah made her acting debut in 2003, playing the small role of ‘Billie’ in the series titled ‘Star.’ The same year, she appeared as ‘Tamsin,’ one of the main characters in the children’s comedy–drama series ‘Kerching!’ The series ran for one season, and Hannah appeared in 20 of its 29 episodes.
In 2004, she bagged a recurring role (as ‘Savannah Caskey’) in the series titled ‘Dream Team.’ She appeared in 12 episodes of the series. The show was a huge critical and commercial success.
In 2005, she appeared in the guest role of ‘Celina Johnson’ in a single episode of the series ‘The Bill.’
In 2006, she made her film debut, playing a small uncredited role in the romantic comedy film ‘Just My Luck.’ The film received negative reviews and was a moderate box-office success.
The same year, she appeared in guest roles in TV series such as ‘Murder City’ and ‘New Tricks.’ Later that year, she appeared in a small role in the series titled ‘Genie in the House.’
In the beginning of 2007, she appeared in a guest role in the series titled ‘Doctors.’ She later made her big breakthrough in a regular role in the soap opera titled ‘Hollyoaks.’ The soap opera had been running non-stop since the mid-1990s, and Hannah was in college back then. She later quit college to appear in the series.
In ‘Hollyoaks,’ she played the regular role of ‘Katy Fox’ (2007 and 2008). She later reprised her role in 2017. Her popularity soared following her appearance in the successful soap opera.
In 2008, she received her big film breakthrough when she appeared as ‘Casey,’ one of the lead roles in the British horror–thriller film ‘The Children.’ Despite the fact that the film received favorable reviews from critics, it was considered a box-office debacle. However, Hannah’s performance was praised.
In 2010, she made yet another breakthrough when she appeared as ‘Tara Brown’ in the hugely popular British sitcom titled ‘The Inbetweeners.’ Her character was the beautiful girlfriend of the character named ‘Simon’ and appeared in the second, third, and fourth episodes of the third season.
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The same year, she appeared in the supporting role of ‘Giselle’ in the post-apocalyptic film titled ‘The Lost Future.’ The film starred Sean Bean in the lead role. It received mixed reviews and was a moderate box-office success.
In the early 2010s, she was seen making guest appearances in series such as ‘Sinbad’ and ‘The Midnight Beast.’
In ‘Switch,’ a supernatural comedy–drama series, she was seen playing the supporting role of ‘Hannah Bright.’ She appeared in six episodes of the series. The series was equally liked by critics and audiences.
In 2012, she played a recurring role in the drama series titled ‘The Hour’ and then appeared in guest roles in series such as ‘Midsomer Murders’ and ‘Death in Paradise.’
In 2015, she appeared as ‘Violette Selfridge,’ one of the main characters in the period-drama series titled ‘Mr. Selfridge.’
She also appeared as ‘Caitlin,’ a leading character in the 2018 comedy film ‘The Festival.’ The movie was a moderate critical and commercial success.
Family & Personal Life
Hannah Tointon began dating her ‘The Inbetweeners’ co-star Joe Thomas in 2010. They announced their engagement in 2017.
In the past, she has dated Dougie Poynter, the bassist of the band ‘McFly.’
Hannah once said in an interview that she was afraid of heights and that her worst fear was skydiving.
