# Perdita Weeks
**Perdita Weeks** (full name Perdita Rose Annunziata Weeks, born 1985) is a British actress best known for playing Juliet Higgins, a former MI6 agent turned investigative partner, in the CBS and later NBC reboot series *Magnum P.I.* from 2018 to 2024.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) • [2](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/perdita-weeks-things-were-once-hiccup-y-with-magnum-p-i-cast/) She worked in British television from childhood, held a recurring role in the gothic series *Penny Dreadful*, and made her directorial debut with a fifth-season episode of *Magnum P.I.* in 2023.[3](https://www.edna.cz/herci/perdita-weeks/) • [4](https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/12/12/magnum-pi-perdita-weeks-directing-interview/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Perdita Rose Annunziata Weeks[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/perdita-weeks/bio/3030048640/) |
| Born | 1985; sources give South Glamorgan[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) or Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/perdita-weeks/bio/3030048640/) |
| Education | Roedean School, East Sussex; art history at the Courtauld Institute, London[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) |
| Family | Younger sister of Honeysuckle Weeks and older sister of Rollo Weeks, both actors[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) |
| Signature role | Juliet Higgins in *Magnum P.I.*, 96 episodes, 2018–2024[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) |
| Directing | Debut with *Magnum P.I.* episode "Extracurricular Activities" (5x18), aired 13 December 2023 on NBC[4](https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/12/12/magnum-pi-perdita-weeks-directing-interview/) |
| Other screen work | Scarlett in *As Above, So Below* (2014); Catriona Hartdegen in *Penny Dreadful*; Kira in *Ready Player One* (2018)[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/perdita_weeks) • [3](https://www.edna.cz/herci/perdita-weeks/) |
## Early life and education
Weeks was born in South Glamorgan, Wales, to Robin and Susan (née Wade) Weeks; [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) records her birth name as Perdita Rose Annunziata Weeks and her birthplace as Cardiff, Glamorgan.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/perdita-weeks/bio/3030048640/) She was educated at Roedean School in [East Sussex](https://www.edgepedia.org/east-sussex) and studied art history at the Courtauld Institute in London.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) She is the younger sister of actress [Honeysuckle Weeks](https://www.edgepedia.org/honeysuckle-weeks) and the older sister of actor Rollo Weeks.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/)
**Childhood start.** Her older sister began pursuing acting when Perdita was in her tweens, and by age 12 the younger Weeks had signed with her sister's agent and appeared in a series of commercials for a brand of biscuits.[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/perdita-weeks/) TV Guide adds that she started out after being cast in a detergent commercial and was involved with the Sylvia Young acting school at a young age.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/perdita-weeks/bio/3030048640/) Her first screen appearances include *Goggle Eyes* (1993), in which she co-starred with [Honeysuckle](https://www.edgepedia.org/honeysuckle).[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40078/perdita-weeks)
## Early career
In 1996 Weeks landed a small but important role as one of the traveling players in [Kenneth Branagh](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-branagh)'s film adaptation of *Hamlet*, and the following year she played Evie in *Spice World* (1997).[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/perdita-weeks/) She accepted fewer roles while attending the Courtauld Institute, then returned to acting after graduation.[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/perdita-weeks/) TV Guide notes she had considered a career as an art curator before deciding to become an actress.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/perdita-weeks/bio/3030048640/)
Her 2000s television work included a murdering teen in the "Death and Dreams" episode of *Midsomer Murders* (2003), *Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking* (2004), and the role of Kitten in the *Lewis* episode "Counter Culture Blues" (2009).[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40078/perdita-weeks) In 2007 she appeared in the radio comedy *Bleak Expectations*, and in 2011 she featured in the miniseries *The Promise*.[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40078/perdita-weeks)
**Period roles.** Weeks portrayed [Mary Boleyn](https://www.edgepedia.org/mary-boleyn) in the Showtime historical drama *The Tudors* (2007–08) and Lydia Bennet in the ITV series *Lost in Austen* (2008).[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40078/perdita-weeks) She also played Lady Georgiana Grex in the 2012 miniseries *Titanic*.[9](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=14280) In a 2012 interview with *The Spectator*, she mentioned reading Claire Tomalin's *[The Invisible Woman](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-invisible-woman-2013-film)* while preparing to play Maria Ternan in the screen adaptation of the story of Dickens and Nelly Ternan; she appeared in [Ralph Fiennes](https://www.edgepedia.org/ralph-fiennes)' film *The Invisible Woman* (2013).[10](https://spectator.com/article/shelf-life-perdita-weeks/) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/perdita_weeks)
## Film and later television
Weeks starred in the found-footage horror film *As Above, So Below* (2014) as Scarlett, an academic searching for the Philosopher's Stone in the Paris catacombs, where the film was set and largely shot.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/perdita_weeks) She played Catriona Hartdegen in the third season of *Penny Dreadful* (2016) and appeared in miniseries including *[Rebellion](https://www.edgepedia.org/rebellion-miniseries)* and *The Great Fire*.[3](https://www.edna.cz/herci/perdita-weeks/) Her American film breakthrough came as Kira, a key figure from the past, in [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s *Ready Player One* (2018).[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/perdita-weeks/) • [11](https://actorevo.com/perdita-weeks/)
## Magnum P.I.
In March 2018 Weeks was cast as Juliet Higgins in the CBS reboot of *Magnum P.I.*, filmed in Hawaii.[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40078/perdita-weeks) The character is a gender-swapped version of [Jonathan Higgins](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-higgins), originally played by [John Hillerman](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-hillerman) in the 1980s series; in the reboot, Higgins is a disavowed MI6 agent who manages a Hawaiian estate and keeps Magnum ([Jay Hernandez](https://www.edgepedia.org/jay-hernandez)) in line, with the help of her two Dobermans.[12](https://gazella-data.bloomintelligence.com/book-search/2qhPME/5AD177/MagnumPiCast.pdf) • [13](https://mail.cinemovie.tv/index.php/interviews/perdita-weeks-magnum-pi-interview) Weeks played the role for 96 episodes across five seasons, through the series finale on 3 January 2024.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) • [2](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/perdita-weeks-things-were-once-hiccup-y-with-magnum-p-i-cast/) Over the run, Higgins and Magnum developed from partners into a romantic couple.[2](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/perdita-weeks-things-were-once-hiccup-y-with-magnum-p-i-cast/)
**Directorial debut.** The episode "Extracurricular Activities" (season 5, episode 18), broadcast on NBC on 13 December 2023, marked Weeks' first directing credit.[4](https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/12/12/magnum-pi-perdita-weeks-directing-interview/) • [14](https://www.tvline.com/interviews/magnum-pi-series-finale-preview-perdita-weeks-video-interview-1235097190/) She described the hour as containing three distinct pieces: a car-and-motorcycle chase through Honolulu that required blocking off roads and shooting on Saturdays in Chinatown, a campus thriller plot, and a camping "buddy movie" storyline.[15](https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/12/13/magnum-pi-motorcycle-chase-perdita-weeks-interview/) Directing while also acting in the episode was demanding; her first day involved 150 background artists and a drone sequence, and she said she learned to trust her first AD, script supervisor, and cinematographer when she could not watch her own playback.[4](https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/12/12/magnum-pi-perdita-weeks-directing-interview/) The showrunner scheduled her episode late in the season deliberately, to give her time to shadow other directors.[16](https://parade.com/tv/magnum-p-i-exclusive-perdita-weeks-interview-season-5)
## Other work
Weeks has a single director credit on IMDb, for *Magnum P.I.*, alongside 36 acting credits.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/) UK company records show she was appointed a director of Gumption Productions Limited (company number 07546481) on 1 March 2011; the company has since been dissolved.[17](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/wBQQWxy7J3f6BsTbZfiUHMr_u1M/appointments) She has also worked as an audiobook narrator; [Simon & Schuster](https://www.edgepedia.org/simon-and-schuster) lists her as the reader for MK Oliver's *A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage* and [Philippa Gregory](https://www.edgepedia.org/philippa-gregory)'s *The Virgin's Lover*.[18](https://www.simonandschuster.net/authors/Perdita-Weeks/158508200) After *Magnum P.I.* ended, she appeared as Tina Keyes in two episodes of *The Gold* (2025 airing) and as Harold's Lawyer in the film *Fountain of Youth* (2025), with *The Face of Horror* (2026) listed as upcoming.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/)
## References
1. [Perdita Weeks, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917347/)
2. [Perdita Weeks Says Things Were 'A Little Hiccup-y' With the 'Magnum P.I.' Cast, Us Weekly (6 January 2024)](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/perdita-weeks-things-were-once-hiccup-y-with-magnum-p-i-cast/)
3. [Perdita Weeks, Edna.cz](https://www.edna.cz/herci/perdita-weeks/)
4. [MAGNUM P.I.: Perdita Weeks Shares the Joys and Challenges of Her Directorial Debut, Give Me My Remote (12 December 2023)](https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/12/12/magnum-pi-perdita-weeks-directing-interview/)
5. [Perdita Weeks Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/perdita-weeks/bio/3030048640/)
6. [Perdita Weeks Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/perdita_weeks)
7. [Perdita Weeks, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/perdita-weeks/)
8. [Perdita Weeks, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40078/perdita-weeks)
9. [Perdita Weeks, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=14280)
10. [Shelf Life: Perdita Weeks, The Spectator (18 April 2012)](https://spectator.com/article/shelf-life-perdita-weeks/)
11. [Perdita Weeks, Actor Evolution](https://actorevo.com/perdita-weeks/)
12. [Frequently Asked Questions: Magnum P.I. Cast](https://gazella-data.bloomintelligence.com/book-search/2qhPME/5AD177/MagnumPiCast.pdf)
13. [Interview: Meet 'Magnum PI's' Scene Stealer and Bad Ass Perdita Weeks, CineMovie (1 October 2018)](https://mail.cinemovie.tv/index.php/interviews/perdita-weeks-magnum-pi-interview)
14. [Magnum P.I.'s Perdita Weeks Spills Helicopter Secrets, TVLine (11 December 2023)](https://www.tvline.com/interviews/magnum-pi-series-finale-preview-perdita-weeks-video-interview-1235097190/)
15. [MAGNUM P.I. Post-Mortem: Perdita Weeks Breaks Down the Bonkers Motorcycle Chase, Give Me My Remote (13 December 2023)](https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/12/13/magnum-pi-motorcycle-chase-perdita-weeks-interview/)
16. [Perdita Weeks on Taking a Page from 'Mission: Impossible' For Her 'Magnum, P.I.' Directorial Debut, Parade](https://parade.com/tv/magnum-p-i-exclusive-perdita-weeks-interview-season-5)
17. [Perdita WEEKS personal appointments, Companies House](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/wBQQWxy7J3f6BsTbZfiUHMr_u1M/appointments)
18. [Perdita Weeks, Simon & Schuster author page](https://www.simonandschuster.net/authors/Perdita-Weeks/158508200)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Welsh actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license