Nia Roberts (born 5 July 1972) is a Welsh actress.
Early life and career The youngest of three girls, Roberts was born and brought up in Brecon, Powys. Her first language is Welsh, and she attended Brecon's Welsh-medium primary school Ysgol-y-Bannau from 1975 to 1983. Her family were active members of the Brecon Little Theatre amateur dramatics group, and she was seven years old when she first appeared on stage. Five years later, she landed her first television role as the lead girl in "The Farm", a 30-minute Jackanory play for BBC1.
After gaining ten GCSEs and three A Levels, she joined the National Youth Theatre of Wales. She studied acting at Birmingham University, where she passed with distinction.
Career Roberts' big break came in 1998, when she appeared in Solomon a Gaenor opposite Ioan Gruffudd. With dialogue in Welsh and Yiddish, it won Best Film at the 2000 Verona Film Festival and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 72nd Academy Awards. It was written and directed by British filmmaker Paul Morrison.
Her subsequent Welsh-language credits include Fondue, Rhyw a Deinosors!, Newes of the Weeke, Y Palmant Aur, Glan Hafren, the long-running soap opera Pobol y Cwm, and S4C's gangster drama Y Pris. Roberts' English-language television credits include the comedy series Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible, the drama Border Café, and several single-episode appearances in prime-time British shows such as The Bill and Casualty.
Roberts has starred in two films directed by her husband, Marc Evans: Snow Cake (2006), a drama focused on the friendship between a high-functioning autistic woman and a man traumatized after surviving a fatal car accident; and Patagonia (2009), a drama set in Y Wladfa, Argentina. In 2009, Roberts starred as registrar Mary Finch in Crash!, a hospital drama commissioned by BBC Wales and produced by Tony Jordan.
In 2010, Roberts guest-starred in the two-part Doctor Who Series 5 episode "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood". More big-screen productions followed: She appeared in Hattie Dalton's Third Star (2010) and in Vertigo Films' The Facility (2012), an atmospheric, micro-budget horror film about volunteers fighting for their lives after a drug trial goes wrong.
In 2014, Roberts appeared in the fourth episode of Y Gwyll (Hinterland), a highly acclaimed noir detective series shot in both Welsh and English.
In 2026 she was cast as the voice of Aunt Beru in the Welsh dub of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
Personal life Roberts, her husband, and their daughter, Edith, live in Cardiff. She is a supporter of Plaid Cymru.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1998The Theory of FlightCheckout Girl1999Solomon & GaenorGaenor Rees2000Canone inversoCostanza20059 Steps to a New StartCarolyne2006Snow CakeJanet2006Calon GaethMiriam2010PatagoniaGwen2010Third StarChloe2011Little MunchkinMrs. JonesShort2011Back of the Net!CarysShort2012Katie2013Mr Torquay's HolidaySister (voice)Short2015BridgendThomas' Mother2015Just JimMum2015Under Milk WoodMyfanwy Price2018Last SummerSandra Davies2019Philipa2021The Feast / GwleddGlenda2026Star Wars: Gobaith NewyddAunt BeruWelsh dub of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Television Year Title Role Notes1984MennaTV film1987I Fro BreuddwydionJennyTV film1996–97Y Palamant AurMartha JenkinsTV series1999SunburnTinaEpisode: "1.3"2000Border CaféNaomiTV miniseries2001ScoreSuzieTV film2001Dr. Terrible's House of HorribleRowan LatimerEpisode: "Curse of the Blood of the Lizard of Doom"2002Outside the RulesCarol DysartTV film2002Sarah JonesEpisode: "027: Old Tricks"2003CasualtyLizzie PetersEpisode: "The Point of No Return"2003VariousTV film2004–05Holby CitySusan CurtisGuest role (series 6–7)2007Y PrisKirsti O'SheaMain role2008Midsomer MurdersStacey PurdyEpisode: "Left for Dead"2009Hotel BabylonPreciousEpisode: "4.7"2009CollisionLinda CanwellEpisode: "1.4"2009CrashMary FinchEpisode: "1.6"2010Holby CityJamie McPhersonEpisode: "For the Greater Good"2010Doctor WhoAmbrose NorthoverEpisodes: "The Hungry Earth", "Cold Blood"2010Pen TalarJudithEpisodes: "1.7", "1.8"2012PianissimoMamTV film2013Playhouse PresentsEleanorEpisode: "Gifted"2013HinterlandGwen ThomasEpisode: "1.4"2014Under Milk WoodRosie ProbertTV film201535 DiwrnodClaireTV series2016DoctorsAbigail PriceEpisode: "Eidolon"2016Rillington PlaceVioletEpisode: "Tim"2017Kate WoodvilleEpisode: "Traitors"2017–2020BangLinda MurrayMain role2017Keeping FaithSaran JamesEpisodes: "1.2", "1.4"2018–2021HiddenElin JonesTV miniseries2018To Provide All PeopleMidwifeTV film2019The CrownSilvia MillwardEpisode: "Tywysog Cymru"2020Washington (miniseries)Martha WashingtonTV miniseries2023Steeltown MurdersKarina BethellTV series2023Y Pren Ar Y BrynMargaretTV series2021Yr AmgueddfaDella HowellsTV series2024Tree on a HillHiddenTV series
Video games Year Title Role Notes2022Elden RingDominula dancersVoice
References
External links
Personal website
Bio at BBC Mid-Wales