Callie Cooke is a British actress whose screen credits include Cheaters, Doctor Who, Henpocalypse!, and F1: The Movie. She plays Esther in Cheaters, Lindy Pepper-Bean in the Doctor Who episode “Dot and Bubble,” and racing-team mechanic Jodie in F1. Her career also includes a substantial theater background, beginning with an attention-grabbing performance in Firebird.
For viewers discovering her through the racing film, her earlier work offers several different starting points. There is relationship comedy, an apocalyptic girls’ weekend, and science fiction with an unsettling edge. Here is a closer look at her background, notable performances, and newer projects.
Quick Answer
Callie Cooke is a British actress known for playing Jodie in F1: The Movie, Esther in Cheaters, and Lindy Pepper-Bean in the Doctor Who episode “Dot and Bubble.” She graduated from ArtsEd in 2015 and began her professional acting career onstage in Firebird.
Early Life and Acting Training
Cooke has described growing up in a countryside pub in England’s Midlands, where she entertained customers with plays. Her early influences included television soaps, Mike Leigh films, and school trips to the Royal Shakespeare Company. These experiences exposed her to both everyday, character-driven storytelling and live performance.
She trained at ArtsEd in London, graduating from its BA Acting program in 2015. The school subsequently highlighted her professional success in Firebird, which transferred from Hampstead Theatre to London’s West End.
In an interview with 1883 Magazine, Cooke explained that theater originally shaped her expectations of an acting career. She imagined that performing in a play each year would make her happy. Television and film eventually widened that ambition, but the stage remained an important part of her work.
Her Early Breakthrough in Firebird
Firebird, written by Phil Davies, gave Cooke an unusually demanding professional start. She played Tia, a teenager at the center of a story about vulnerability and exploitation.
ArtsEd’s coverage identified the production as her debut theater role and documented the strong critical response to her performance. Following its Hampstead run, the play transferred to Trafalgar Studios, where it ran in 2016.
Cooke later described Firebird as an important launchpad. The role gave her sustained stage time and introduced her work to audiences and industry figures. Her subsequent theater credits include Filthy Business and The Strange Death of John Doe, both at Hampstead Theatre.
That background helps explain why a biography centered only on her recent film appearances misses a significant part of her career.
Callie Cooke’s Best-Known Screen Roles
These roles provide a useful introduction to her work:
| Production | Character | Type of production |
|---|---|---|
| Cheaters | Esther | Relationship comedy-drama |
| Henpocalypse! | Shelly | Apocalyptic comedy |
| Doctor Who: “Dot and Bubble” | Lindy Pepper-Bean | Science fiction |
| F1: The Movie | Jodie | Racing drama |
The characters place her in very different situations, from romantic upheaval to survival and the pressure of professional motorsport.
Esther in Cheaters
Cooke plays Esther in Cheaters, a British comedy-drama about infidelity and its emotional consequences.
She has described the series as her first television lead and a project with particular personal significance. Discussing its second season, she explained that Esther returns from traveling and must confront problems she has been avoiding. The character’s openness and optimism coexist with uncertainty about what she actually needs from life and relationships.
For viewers interested in Cooke’s comedy work, this is a useful place to begin. A continuing role allows more time to follow a character’s mistakes, changing relationships, and attempts to move forward.
Shelly in Henpocalypse!
In Henpocalypse!, Cooke plays Shelly, the chief bridesmaid on a celebration that takes a disastrous turn.
The BBC Two comedy follows a bridal party from Birmingham whose trip to a Welsh cottage coincides with the apocalypse. For American readers, the “hen weekend” in the premise is the British equivalent of a bachelorette weekend.
Cooke described Shelly as caring but burdened by guilt and a lack of confidence within the group. Friendship and romantic feelings complicate her efforts to survive. That combination gives the series a relationship-driven story beneath its deliberately outrageous setup.
Lindy Pepper-Bean in Doctor Who
Cooke appears as Lindy Pepper-Bean in the 2024 Doctor Who episode “Dot and Bubble.”
Lindy lives in Finetime, a seemingly comfortable environment where wealthy young people enjoy highly sheltered lives. Cooke described her as a future influencer whose concern with appearances sits alongside privilege, immaturity, and a complicated personality.
The episode pairs futuristic technology with an escalating threat, making Lindy a very different character from Esther or Shelly. It is best approached without detailed plot spoilers.
For Cooke, joining the series also fulfilled a longstanding ambition. In the official Doctor Who interview, she discussed her enthusiasm for the program and the creative freedom she experienced during filming.
Who Does Callie Cooke Play in F1: The Movie?
Cooke plays Jodie, a mechanic in the racing team’s pit crew, in F1: The Movie, appearing alongside Brad Pitt.
Her preparation involved learning practical garage tasks. During the audition process, she spent time at the Carlin garage learning activities such as changing tires and refueling. She also named motorsport professionals Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins as mentors.
Cooke described Jodie’s story as involving anxiety, pressure, and the experience of working as a woman in a male-dominated environment. Those details give the role a human focus alongside the film’s racing spectacle.
Other Credits and Newer Projects
Cooke’s broader screen work includes The Stranger, Adult Material, Britannia, Informer, Rules of the Game, Peacock, Wedding Season, and Piglets. These credits show how her career has developed across ensemble dramas and comedies rather than through one franchise alone.
She has also continued performing onstage. She joined the cast of Sam Grabiner’s Christmas Day at the Almeida Theatre, directed by James Macdonald, for its December 2025–January 2026 run.
Among her newer film projects is Shiver, a science-fiction time-loop action film directed by Tim Miller. Her biography on the official Agatha Christie website identifies her as its female lead opposite Keanu Reeves.
Conclusion
Callie Cooke’s career connects demanding stage roles, character-focused television, and major film productions. If F1: The Movie introduced you to her, try Cheaters for a longer comic performance or “Dot and Bubble” for a self-contained science-fiction story. Together, they offer a useful introduction to the different kinds of characters she plays.
