Yasmine Akram born 1982 is an Irish-Pakistani actress, writer and comedian, best known for playing Janine in the third series of Sherlock.

Akram was born in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Her family settled in Drogheda, Ireland when she was 18 months old. Her father is originally from Pakistan, her mother Mona is from Drogheda and still lives in the town. She has a sister named Masooma.
From the age of 14, she has collaborated with the Calipo Theater and the Picture Company. Akram graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where she studied acting.

After graduating from drama school, Akram started writing comedy sketches for the BBC and Channel 4 and hosted shows for BBC Radio.

She wrote her first play, 10 Dates with Mad Mary, a monologue about a young woman’s struggles after leaving prison and performed the play at Project Arts Center in Ireland in 2010. This was later adapted into the feature film A Date for Mad Mary in 2016.
She writes and performs as half of London-based comedy duo Ford and Akram with English comedian Louise Ford. The duo’s live show in 2011 was directed by Alistair McGowan for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In 2013 she co-wrote and co-presented BBC Radio 4’s Irish Micks and Legends with Aisling Bea, with whom she had previously worked on the Channel 4 sketch comedy LOL.
In 2014, she portrayed Janine Hawkins opposite Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes in two episodes of the third series of Sherlock. She reprised the role in the 2016 special, “The Abominable Bride” however her name in this was Janine Donlevy. In December 2014 Akram appeared as a panelist in Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In October 2015 she appeared as a panelist in BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz.

Filmography

-Love Is the Drug (TV Series) as Aisling 2004
-Peep Show (TV Series) as Yana – Nice Nurse – 2010
-L.O.L (TV Series) as Various – 2010
-Common Ground (TV Series short) as Restaurant Manager – 2013
-London Irish (TV Series) as Check-in Girl – 2013
-The Midnight Beast (TV Series) as Jess – 2014
-The Centre (TV Series) as Amanda Menton – 2014
-Count Arthur Strong (TV Series) as Gemma – 2015
-Asylum (TV Mini-Series) as Rosa – 2015
-Stella (TV Series) as Parvadi / Parvinder – 2014/2015
-Undercover (TV Series) as Lara – 2015
-Unforgotten (TV Series) as Kelly – 2015
-Sherlock (TV Series) as Janine / Janine Donlevy – 2014-2016
-V Sign (TV Movie) – 2016
-Sky Comedy Shorts: Quints (TV Movie) as a Production Assistant – 2016
-Murder in Successville (TV Series) as Nigella Lawson – 2016
-Outsiders (TV Mini-Series) as Yasmine – 2016

-Virtually Famous as Herself – Panelist (TV Series) 2014

(References thanks to Internet Movie Database and wikipedia.org)

Personal Thoughts.. I’ve grown to really love the character Janine in Sherlock and I hope to see lots more of her in the up coming season. Yasmine was brilliant in  (Who Do You Think You Are Yasmine Akram) It’s a must watch!