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Though Briton Alexis Zegerman came to international attention via her supporting role in Mike Leigh's feature seriocomedy Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), the actress established her strongest and deepest roots in the theater, both on-stage and as a playwright. She attended London's famed Central School of Speech and Drama, then began turning out a series of acclaimed, award-winning plays including Noise, productions at the Bush and the Young Vic, and a lengthy series of playlets for Britain's Radio 4. Contact with Leigh came about as a product of her critical role in his play Two Thousand Years; the director felt so impressed by her work that he tapped her for the role of Zoe, the subdued flatmate of main character Poppy (Sally Hawkins), in Happy-Go-Lucky.