Ninette Finch
Ninette Ann Finch is an English actress, known for being one of the most prolific television extras in the United Kingdom. After retiring from her job at a bank, she became an extra and has since appeared in over 1,000 television shows and films. Her notable roles include Augusta Longbottom in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and Annie in the Channel 4 comedy series Derek.
Life and career
Finch was born Ninette Ann Iles on 17 May 1933 in Croydon, Surrey to Francis and Helen Iles. She married Ronald Finch in 1960 and the couple had two children, Gabrielle and Simon, the latter of whom is an actor and encouraged Finch to begin working as an extra in 1999 after she retired from her job as a cashier at HSBC and needed a hobby. She resides in Wallington, London and has four grandchildren. Finch has since established herself as one of Britain's most frequent television extras, having appeared in over 1,000 television shows, films and advertisements in a career spanning over two decades. Her credits include Downton Abbey, Holby City, The Basil Brush Show, Dick & Dom in da Bungalow. She has also appeared in the films Finding Neverland and Les Misérables.Finch appeared as a muggle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2009 and subsequently went on to appear as Augusta Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011. Between 2012 and 2014, she appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Derek as Annie. From 2018 to 2020, she portrayed Mrs Watson in the comedy series King Gary. In 2020, she appeared in an episode of the BBC comedy Mandy, before returning to appear as a mourner in the Christmas special episode, before making a further appearance in the third series in which she portrayed Margaret. She also portrayed Shakey in The Great. Finch has appeared in several episodes of EastEnders, most recently in August 2024 as a customer in Beale's Eels.