Billie Piper has established herself as such a formidable on screen force to be reckoned with that it's now hard to believe that she used to be that teenager who first rose to fame by prancing around on a stage as she mimed about doing things because she wanted to. A one hit wonder if ever there was one, but a cracking - albeit cheesy - tune nonetheless. This former pop princess (and she has the BRIT award to prove it!) has grown up to become one of the UK's most popular and beloved actresses with a string of cinematic, televisual and theatrical performances to her name which have garnered her a string of amicable accolades and awards including a prestigious BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. She retired indefinitely from the music industry in the early 2000s and her legion of dedicated devotees are no doubt glad that she did. Her dramatic departure from the charts paved the way for some of her most iconic roles, most notably her praised portrayal of Rose Tyler in Doctor Who, widely cited as one of the greatest companions in history. Billie is so much more than just a shop girl turned Earth defender, though, and here are 10 of her performances that you definitely have to see, from sci-fi to Shakespeare and everything in between.
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
