Tanya Louise Reynolds (born 1991) is an English actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the Sky One series Delicious (2016âÂÂ2019), the Netflix series Sex Education (2019âÂÂ2023) and The Decameron (2024), and the Channel 4 series I Hate You (2022). Her films include Emma (2020). For her performance in the play A Mirror (2023) at Trafalgar Theatre, she received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.
Reynolds was born in 1991, in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Her father was a builder and her mother was a sign writer. She is of half English and half Italian descent. Her first experience in acting was at the age of four in the school nativity. Reynolds attended Royal Holloway, University of London and the Oxford School of Drama, after winning a fully-funded scholarship which enabled her to afford the drama school fees. Reynolds graduated in 2015.
Reynolds first appeared on screen in several short films, including Civilised People by UK comedy duo In Cahoots, which was shown at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2015, The Jealous Boyfriend, also by In Cahoots, and Introducing Lucy. In 2016, Reynolds landed her first TV appearance playing Teresa Benelli for 12 episodes of Delicious.
2017 saw Reynolds furthering her TV career, with parts in Outlander, playing Lady Isobel Dunsany, and in the BBC thriller series Rellik, as 20 year old Sally. The same year she starred as Pearl Marston in the BBC crime drama Death in Paradise in the episode: Murder from Above shown in January 2018.
In 2018, Reynolds was a leading actor in the feature film Fanny Lye Deliver'd, among a cast that included Charles Dance and Maxine Peake. She also played a leading role as Teresa in the Sky One comedy Delicious, alongside a cast which included Iain Glen and Dawn French.
In 2019, she starred as Lily Iglehart in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education. Initially a recurring role for series 1, but she was promoted to a main character role for two further seasons. However, she did not return to the series for its fourth and final season.
In 2020, Reynolds played Mrs. Elton in a film adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Bill Nighy. The same year, she was named as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow 2020, which showcases talent within the television and film industry of Great Britain and Ireland. In 2021, Reynolds played Queen Victoria in the NBCUniversal series Dodger, alongside Christopher Eccleston as Fagin and David Threlfall as Chief of Police.
In 2023, she played lead role as Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith at the Orange Tree Theatre (see image)
In 2024, Reynolds reprised the role of Mei in the West End transfer of A Mirror at the Trafalgar Theatre. For her performance, she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Later the same year, she appeared as Porcupine in the film Harold and the Purple Crayon.
On 28 January 2026, Reynolds was revealed to have a role in the fourth season of Ted Lasso as a new assistant coach for a women's football team. The season is set to premiere in summer 2026.