The Entertainers - MINA ANWAR

NOT so long ago Mina Anwar was working on the check-out at Woolworth's in Accrington.

But now she is more familiar on the TV screen as policewoman Maggie Habib alongside Rowan Atkinson in the BBC comedy The Thin Blue Line.

Born in Blackburn of Pakistani parents, Mina later moved to Church and eventually studied drama at Accrington and Rossendale College alongside Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays transsexual Hayley Patterson.

Like many actresses, Mina, whose parents still live in Church, cut her teeth in local amateur dramatic productions.

She was a member of the Imps Theatre Company in Hyndburn before leaving for London after winning a place at drama school.

Her big break in The Thin Blue Line gave her a high public profile but her recent performance in the hard-hitting BBC 2 film Flight showed the extent of her repertoire.

Instead of lightweight comedy, 27-year-old Mina played a young Asian girl trapped by a tyrannical father who went to extreme lengths to end her relationship with a non-Muslim.

The controversial film, set in and around her native Accrington, cast an unforgiving eye over the subject of mixed race relationships and arranged marriages.

In it, Mina's character Shikha was punished by being locked in her bedroom and starved before she ran away to seek refuge in London.

As well as her film and television work, Mina has appeared extensively on the stage, and has played Cordelia in King Lear at the Sheffield Crucible. A trained mezzo soprano, the petite, 5ft 3ins actress also includes tumbling and gymnastics among her skills.

She is only just establishing herself as a household name but it seems it will only be a matter of time before Mina hits the big time.

Filming for the present series of the popular The Thin Blue Line has finished, but Mina is being kept busy with a nationwide tour of the Victoria Wood comedy, Talent. The play was written by Miss Wood with two principal parts based around her own character and Julie Walters.

Mina plays the Julie character and the story gives an entertaining insight behind the scenes at a talent competition.

The tour will be taking Mina all over the country including a one-week stint at Blackpool's Grand Theatre from June 1.

In the meantime, there are opportunities in the pipeline for Mina once the tour finishes in July.

Her agent Ian Harvey has high hopes for the East Lancashire lass.

He said: "We are keeping our fingers crossed that there will be another series for Mina as Maggie Habib.

"She has said that the role has been a great deal of fun to do and it has certainly made her a household name. She has worked closely with Rowan Atkinson, of course, and Ben Elton who has said that he thinks Mina has definite star quality!

"Mina has auditioned for a new BBC sitcom which could be developed later in the year but at the moment that is all under wraps.

"She is very busy on tour for the spring and summer but who knows what will happen later in the year - we are hoping everyone will see more of Mina on stage and screen."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.