Helen Baxendale’s star was rising fast, but motherhood and a dislike of celebrity culture meant some tough career choices, writes Roz Laws.

Ten years ago, Helen Baxendale seemed to have the world at her feet. The Staffordshire actress was starring in Britain’s highest-rated drama, Cold Feet, and one of the most successful comedies in the history of television, Friends.

But then she became pregnant with the first of her three children and her life took a different turn. When her character was killed off in Cold Feet, it was almost as if she’d died too in TV terms.

In the past six years, she’s made just three screen appearances, although that is now beginning to change.

She has two new TV roles – she’s made a forthcoming Miss Marple film, alongside new sleuth Julia McKenzie and Matthew Macfadyen, and she was in last night’s episode of the ITV1 drama Lewis.

She’s also made a film, back on her old Staffordshire stomping ground near Lichfield.

So does Helen wish her life had turned out differently? If she hadn’t become pregnant, if she’d stayed in America, she could have become a huge star.

But she says: “I have absolutely no regrets. Of course I’d rather have my family.

“I have a wonderful life now. It’s actually a privileged existence – I get to do some work, but I can walk down the street and have an absolutely normal life rather than existing in some strange bubble.

“I don’t have enormous riches, but I’m comfortable. I’ve had my taste of huge fame and it was OK, but I’m an actress, not a celebrity.

“I really didn’t want to stay in Los Angeles. I was working constantly and feeling so guilty that I wasn’t at home.

“I’m very happy with the balance I have now. Sometimes I think ‘I’m ready to do some work and be challenged!’, and doing one-off TV episodes are great, as they take about two weeks to film. It’s like a creative holiday.

“I’ve definitely cut down on TV work, both purposefully and not so purposefully.

“It’s tricky to do the same amount as I used to because of my family commitments,” says the 38-year-old.

“Just yesterday, someone asked if I was interested in doing a TV series, but it would mean going away for six months and that’s just not possible.

“But also, as you get older, you begin to realise you’re not quite in the same demand as you used to be.”

Helen found out she was expecting Nell the week she auditioned for Friends and it meant her role as Emily had to be curtailed. She dated Ross, played by David Schwimmer, married him and divorced him, all in ten episodes.

Nell was born just three days after she finished filming her last scenes, at Pinewood Studios. She was in bed, under a sheet to hide her large bump, talking to Ross on the phone.

She also filmed An Unsuitable Job For A Woman while pregnant, but author PD James did not approve of her detective Cordelia Gray being a single mum, so she lost the job.

Her children with her partner David Williams are now ten, seven and three and go by the unusual names of Nell Marmalade, Eric Mustard and Vincent Mash.

“Their middle names were a bit of stupidity on the way to the register office,” laughs Helen. “It’s just a funny add-on. They don’t really use their middle names, though I think Nell quite likes hers – I’ve seen her write her whole name.

“Occasionally she will switch on Friends and see me, and I think she’s quietly impressed.

“Last year she and Eric came to see me in a play, Swimming With Sharks with Christian Slater, which has quite colourful language.

“I weighed up the pros and cons but thought ‘I may never be in the West End again’, so I took them along.

“They were the only children in the audience and were stopped in the foyer by concerned staff, but they seemed to survive it!”

Helen grew up near Shenstone near Lichfield and two years ago she returned to her roots to make a film.

Beyond The Pole is directed by her partner David and produced by their company Shooting Pictures. As well as producing it, Helen stars, alongside Star Stories’ Rhys Thomas, Mark Benton, Stephen Mangan and Patrick Baladi.

She explains: “It’s a comedy about two men who decide to walk to the North Pole to raise awareness about global warming, even though they’ve only done the Pennine Way before.

“We filmed in Greenland and Alrewas near Lichfield. It was lovely to be back and I got lots of my old school friends and relatives to take part in a scene at Lichfield Station.

“It’s charming and I’m very proud of it. You do it for the love of it though – it’s been really hard work. We put some money in ourselves and we might never see that again. It’s a tricky time to sell anything, but we’ve finally had it taken up by a distribution company. I hope it will get a cinematic release, but if not it should be on TV.”

Helen’s next project is a new play at Hampstead Theatre. Amongst Friends is a black comedy co-starring James Dreyfuss and directed by Anthony Clark.

“Anthony remembered me from Birmingham Rep years ago,” smiles Helen. “Coincidentally, James was at the Rep at the same time.

“Theatre is perfect for me. You have a month of intensive rehearsals, but once you’re up and running, you can go back to picking the kids up from school and giving them their tea.”

Friends is shown almost every day on TV, but Helen doesn’t reap the rewards. She was paid £1,000 an episode while her co-stars received around £700,000.

“A cheque arrives once in a blue moon for a couple of hundred quid for repeat fees. It’s funny to look back, but I’d much rather be where I am now.”