One Day star Eleanor Tomlinson has a famous family: from singer mum to actor brother

Eleanor Tomlinson is starring alongside Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod in Netflix’s adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel, One Day. 

Eleanor, who plays Dexter’s girlfriend Sylvie in the series, is a familiar face thanks to her various major TV roles, including in Poldark, The Couple Next Door, and The Outlaws. But did you know she’s not the only famous face in her family? Eleanor’s parents and brother all work in the entertainment industry. Keep reading for all you need to know about the actress’ family…

Eleanor’s actor dad and singer mum 

Eleanor, 31, clearly inherited her acting talent from her parents, who both work in the entertainment industry. Her mum Judith Hibbert is a singer and actress, who’s appeared in the children’s TV show Rainbow and played Chantelle in the 1980s sitcom, The New Statesman.

Meanwhile, Eleanor’s dad, Malcolm Tomlinson, is an actor and horse-racing commentator, best known for playing Bruce Baines in ITV’s Emmerdale. He’s also made many one-episode appearances in major shows, including Peaky Blinders, Coronation Street, and Doctors. 

It was Malcom who helped inspire Eleanor’s passion for acting after bringing her to the set of ITV’s The Bill as a young girl. “When we were on the way home, Eleanor said ‘Daddy, I think I would like to do some acting‘,” he previously told The Irish Mirror. 

A few months later, Malcolm’s agent came to stay with the family for a weekend, which Eleanor spent trying to convince her to sign her on as a client. “Within five or six weeks she had got a little job for Yorkshire TV in a one-off drama called Falling – with Michael Kitchen – and that was her first professional job,” said Malcolm. 

© Jed Leicester For The Jockey Club/Shutterstock

While Eleanor’s parents influenced her career path, they initially tried to steer her away from a life as an actor. 

“When I first started showing an interest in acting, both Mum and Dad said: ‘Don’t do it! It’s so hard,'” Eleanor told The Times in 2016. “And it is: it’s cut-throat; the chances are you won’t make it, but when you’re a child you don’t have any fear. 

© Karwai Tang

“It was the creativity of the people that drew me in and Dad was very much at the heart of it, up there on a pedestal for me,” she continued. “I learnt so much from watching him switch from stage to screen.”

Eleanor’s famous brother

Like his sister, Eleanor’s brother Ross also works as an actor. He’s perhaps best recognised for playing PJ in the BBC medical drama, This Is Going To Hurt, as well as for his portrayal of Gerald in the 2022 comedy-drama film starring Jennifer Saunders, Allelujah. His other credits include BBC Three’s Starstruck, Hulu’s Four Weddings and A Funeral, and Doctors.

The siblings, who grew up in Yorkshire, are clearly supportive of each other’s careers and even help one another rehearse for auditions. 

© BBC/Sister/AMC/Anika Molna

“Whenever anyone in the family reads for a part, everyone pitches in,” Eleanor previously said. “Someone does make-up, someone else runs through the lines. Auditions are horrendous but so much of it, as Dad says, is about learning to be brave.”

One Day is available to stream on Netflix.