Elaine C. Smith (born August 2, 1958) is a Scottish actress and comedian. She was born in Baillieston in Glasgow, and she continues to live in the city.
Her first major television appearance was in 1986 as a star on the BBC sketch show Naked Video. Made by BBC Scotland it was shown throughout the UK on BBC TWO. In between seasons of Naked Video, Smith also starred in Scottish sitcom City Lights which ran for four years on the BBC.
Smith is probably best known for her role as Mary Nesbitt in the BBC sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt; based on characters in a Naked Video sketch. Set in Glasgow the show was a cult hit and ran for nine years on BBC TWO.
Since Rab C. Nesbitt finished in 1999, Smith has appeared in the BBC dramas Two Thousand Acres of Sky and 55 Degrees North, performed alongside Helena Bonham Carter in the British film Women Talking Dirty and toured Scotland with her stand up comedy show. Until last year, she appeared in Glasgow's Kings' Theatre's annual pantomime. She starred alongside Gerrard Kelly in performances such as Aladdin and Mother Goose. She currently writes a weekly column in the Sunday Mail newspaper.
