Anecdotes

In July 2006, she appeared in an episode of the new "Doctor Who" series, and the producers were so impressed with her performance that they offered her the role of Martha Jones on the series' upcoming third season, debuting on March 31, 2007.

Brought up in North London, UK, by her Iranian mother and Ghanaian father on the Woodberry Down estate in Manor House with her older sister, Leila, and younger brother, Dominic. Her mother, Azar, and her father, Osei, separated when she was a child.

Along with John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Gareth David-Lloyd and Naoko Mori, she is one of only five actors to play the same character (Martha Jones) in both Doctor Who (2005) and Torchwood (2006).

Received her BA Hons degree in Performing Arts and Drama from Middlesex University (2000). Also took theatre courses at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, USA (1998).

Childhood hobbies were martial arts, gymnastics and horse riding.

Is a self-confessed huge fan of the Star Trek franchise. She watched Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and once attended a convention.

The tattoo she has on her upper arm is symbolic of her ancestry, containing the Persian word "raha", meaning "free", under the image of a butterfly.

Ranked #16 on Wizard magazine's 'Sexiest Women on TV' list. (mars 2008)

Her secondary school was Our Lady's Convent RC High School in Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill and she attended the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington during the summer of 1996.

Second cousin of Professor Julian Agyeman.