Margaret "Maggie" O'Neill (born 15 November 1962)^[1] is an English actress. She is known for her television roles in Peak Practice (2000–2002), Shameless (2004–2007), EastEnders (2008) and Two Doors Down (2019 and 2023) as Sandra. In 1986 she appeared in the music video for Simply Red's single "Holding Back The Years". In 1988 she appeared in the film Gorillas in the Mist.

The youngest of six Catholic brothers and sisters ^[2] born to head-teacher parents,^[3] O'Neill grew up in the Midlands,^[3] where she was educated at a convent school, and, after being inspired by a sixth-form drama teacher, "fell" into acting.^[4]

After training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama,^[1] she starred in the video for Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years" in 1986, then made her professional stage debut in Moving Pictures by Stephen Lowe at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds in 1985. After making her professional screen debut in the British production Mona Lisa with Bob Hoskins in 1986, she made her Hollywood debut in the Sigourney Weaver film Gorillas in the Mist in 1988. She acted with Keith Barron and Annette Crosbie in the 1989 TV series Take Me Home.

O'Neill played Alex Redman in ITV's medical drama Peak Practice and appeared as Sheila Jackson in Channel 4's comedy drama Shameless. O'Neill also played Max and Jack Branning's sister Suzy in the soap opera EastEnders for five months in 2008.^[3]

• Simply Red, "Holding Back the Years" (1985, music video) as the young teacher
• Clock Opera, "The Lost Buoys" (2012, music video) as the wife