She is known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2004–2005, 2024)[2][3] and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie Val" in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020).

Following training at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, Oberman spent four years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, before joining the National Theatre.

Her theatrical experience includes appearing with Kenneth Branagh in David Mamet's Edmond (2003) and a run in the West End revival of Boeing-Boeing (2007–2008).

Before EastEnders, Oberman appeared in a variety of television programmes including Casualty (1997–1998), Kiss Me Kate (1998), and The Bill (2000), and carved out a comedic niche with leading roles in Bob Martin (2000–2001), Lenny Henry in Pieces (2000–2003), Big Train (2002), and Toast of London (2013–2015).

In 2015, she wrote and starred in the third part of her Hollywood Trilogy for BBC Radio 4, Mrs. Robinson, I Presume, alongside John Simm and Kevin Bishop.

[7] As she came from a strong legal background, her family "weren't wildly happy" about her desire to become an actress: "My parents were always making me watch Rumpole of the Bailey, going 'You see?

The play was lauded by The Guardian critic Michael Billington as a "remarkable" production, praising Oberman for her successful portrayal of Miss Fay as "the teacher torn between her career and her pupil's potential".

[15] Her role as wife to Branagh's title character was well received by some critics, Norman Miller in a BBC News review commended Oberman for making a particular "impression".

[17] The review in The British Theatre Guide was similarly positive, praising Oberman who "rages away" in the role of "Hester", and delivers "one of the best performances in town".

The play, by Amy Rosenthal, follows the marriage of the Lawrences during one idyllic summer in 1916, most reviews following the line taken by Benedict Nightingale of The Times in declaring Oberman to have given a "fine performance... as a gloriously sensual, blowsily defiant Frieda".

In 1998, she joined the cast of Comedy Nation, a satirical sketch show that featured some of Britain's leading up-and-coming comedians, such as Sacha Baron Cohen, Julian Barratt, and Robert Webb.

[24] In 2002, Oberman joined the second and final series of the sketch show Big Train, performing beside comedians Simon Pegg and Catherine Tate.

[25] The following year saw the Harringham Harker move from radio to television as part of BBC 2's Autumn line-up alongside The Office and Coupling, with Oberman continuing in her role as lead and writer.

[26] She has appeared in many other TV programmes, including; The Way It Is (2000), Bob Martin (2000–2001) opposite Michael Barrymore, Lenny Henry in Pieces (2000–2001), Big Train (2002), SuperTex (2003) and in episodes of Doctors, The Last Detective, Where the Heart Is, The Bill, Casualty.

"[7] Oberman has continuously responded by placing the move in the context of her professional exposure, noting her position as a "jobbing actress" at the time and her desire to return to drama after her recent comedic roles.

[28] Making her debut on 29 April, Oberman was viewed as an "overnight success" in the role of Chrissie, with Amy Raphael of The Telegraph feeling that the actress "easily upstaged the rest of the cast with her three-dimensional portrayal of a classic soap bitch".

"[30] Commenting on her role two years after she left the show, Oberman concluded: I think the character, from the feedback I get, made a huge impact because people couldn't decide whether she was a villain or a victim.

In a recent interview, Oberman remarked: "Chrissie was such a wonderful character and the show was watched by so many people, especially the murder of Den, that it opened up doors that I never thought it would.

Oberman extols her appearance in Doctor Who as a career highlight, being a "confessed Whovian" or fan of the show: "Some people, their life's ambition is to walk in and see Queen Vic, mine was to see a Tardis and a sonic screwdriver... and a Dalek!

"[37] Penned by James Moran, the adult-themed online horror series was headlined as a "big step forward" for British web drama,[38] with Oberman playing the lead detective "Lyndon" beside Gareth David-Lloyd.

Oberman kept up her string of TV guest appearances with a role in the drama Tracy Beaker Returns, playing "Terrie Fender", a travel agent and con artist.

Most recently, she has appeared as Rebecca in Netflix series After Life alongside Ricky Gervais, as Helen Chalmers in Sky One comedy-drama Code 404 and as Ritchie’s agent, Carol Carter, in Channel 4 drama It's a Sin.

She is a real fan favourite so, when [executive producer] Chris Clenshaw asked me to come back and revisit her and see what has happened in the last 19 years, I jumped at the chance".

It followed Rock Hudson's AIDS scandal hitting the world's media after appearing on his old friend Doris Day's cable network show.

[citation needed] In December 2020 BBC Radio 4 broadcast her play That Summer Of '67, a dramatisation concerning the production of the ground-breaking film Guess Who's Coming To Dinner.

[48] She hosts the podcast Trolled with Tracy Ann Oberman, with past guests including Danny Baker, Rachel Riley, Dom Joly and more.

[51][52] She resigned as a member of the Labour Party in 2016, due to its delay in concluding the disciplinary process of Ken Livingstone after he referred to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler "supporting Zionism" during his early years in power.

[53] In February 2019, Oberman and Rachel Riley instructed a lawyer to take action against 70 individuals for tweets which they perceived to be either libellous or tantamount to harassment, related to their campaign against allegations of antisemitism in the Labour party.

[55][56] In late April 2019, Oberman was one of over 100 celebrities who signed a statement against a campaign advocating the boycotting of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest which was held that year in Israel.

[60] On 26 April 2022, she issued a statement apologising for her inaccurate and "hurtful comments", noting that she would pay "substantial damages" to Proudfoot, along with his legal costs, following a libel suit.