Gina McKee

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Gina McKee
Born
Georgina McKee

(1964-04-14) 14 April 1964 (age 60) [1]
Peterlee, County Durham, England
Alma materEast Durham College, National Youth Theatre
OccupationActress
Years active1979–present
Spouse
Kez Cary
​
(m. 1989)​

Georgina McKee is an English actress. She won the 1997 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Our Friends in the North (1996), and earned subsequent nominations for The Lost Prince (2003) and The Street (2007). She also starred on television in The Forsyte Saga (2002) and as Caterina Sforza in The Borgias (2011). Her film appearances include Notting Hill (1999), Phantom Thread (2017), and My Policeman (2022).

Early life[edit]

McKee was born in Peterlee, County Durham, in 1964, the daughter of a coal miner,[1] and grew up there and in nearby Easington and Sunderland. Her first experience of acting occurred in her final year at primary school where her teacher finished the school week off with improvisations.[1] Seeing a poster in a shoe-shop window for a new youth drama group, McKee and her friends decided to attend, initially not seriously but later becoming enthusiastic.[1] It led to McKee's first professional appearance, working on Tyne Tees children's series, Quest of Eagles.[1]

From the age of 15, McKee spent three summers in London with the National Youth Theatre.[1] After completing her A-Levels at East Durham College, she decided, with her parents' blessing, to apply to drama schools rather than art colleges. However, she was rejected by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Central School of Speech and Drama.[1]

Career[edit]

McKee began her career in TV with several background roles including a part on The Lenny Henry Show. She made her film debut in 1988 when she had a small role in The Lair of the White Worm. In 1996, she played Mary in the BBC drama Our Friends in the North, a role for which she won three Best Actress awards in 1997: the British Academy Television Award, the Royal Television Society Award and the Broadcasting Press Guild Award.[2] McKee appeared in several episodes of the Chris Morris spoof current affairs show, Brass Eye (1997, 2001), as reporter Libby Shuss.

McKee's theatre credits include Harold Pinter's The Lover and The Collection at the Comedy Theatre in London. In 2008, she appeared in the BBC drama Fiona's Story and a West End revival of Chekhov's Ivanov.[3] In 2010, she appeared as Goneril in the Donmar Warehouse revival of King Lear, directed by Michael Grandage and starring Derek Jacobi. She received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.[4]

She played the mother of a deaf teenager in BBC TV's thriller, The Silence, opposite Genevieve Barr. In 2018, she appeared in the highly successful BBC/Netflix drama series Bodyguard as Commander Anne Sampson.

Personal life[edit]

McKee has been married to Kez Cary since 1989; they live in East Sussex, England.[5] She has been a vegetarian since 1982.[6]

In 2002, McKee received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Sunderland.[7][8]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1988 The Lair of the White Worm Nurse Gladwell
1989 The Rachel Papers Evonne
1989 Wilt Party Guest
1993 Naked Café Girl
1996 The Treasure Seekers Mary Leslie
Element of Doubt Beth
1998 Croupier Marion Nell
1999 Notting Hill Bella
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Duchess of Bedford
Wonderland Nadia
Women Talking Dirty Ellen
2000 There's Only One Jimmy Grimble[9] Donna
2001 The Zookeeper Ankica
2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Genevieve
2003 Burning the Bed Caroline
2004 The Reckoning Sarah
Mickybo and Me Jonjo's ma
2005 The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby Maureen Gray
MirrorMask White Queen/Dark Queen
2006 Scenes of a Sexual Nature Julia
2007 And When Did You Last See Your Father?[10] Kathy Morrison
Atonement Sister Drummond
2009 In the Loop[11][12] Judy Molloy
2013 Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian Madeleine
2015 Hector Lizzie
Taj Mahal Louise's Mother
2017 Phantom Thread Countess Henrietta Harding
2022 My Policeman Older Marion Taylor[13]
A Grand Romantic Gesture Ava Lead role[14]
2023 Typist Artist Pirate King Dorothy
The End We Start From TBA [15]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1979 Quest of Eagles Jane 7 episodes
1986 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Girl 1 episode
1987 Inspector Morse Girl in Betting Shop 1 episode
1988 The Lenny Henry Show Julie 12 episodes
1990 Drop the Dead Donkey Lou 1 episode
1991 An Actor's Life For Me Sue Bishop 6 episodes
1991 Minder episode "Look Who's Coming To Pinner" Joanna 1 episode
1996 Our Friends in the North Mary Cox 9 episodes
1997 Comedy Premieres episode "The Chest" Fiona Croft Television film
1997 Brass Eye Libby Shuss / Vivian Banch 3 episodes
2001 Dice Angela Starck Miniseries, 6 episodes
2002–2003 The Forsyte Saga Irene Forsyte Miniseries, 10 episodes
2003 The Lost Prince Lalla Television movie
2004 The Blackwater Lightship Helen Television movie
2006 Tsunami: The Aftermath Kim Peabody Miniseries, 2 episodes
2006 The Lavender List Marcia Williams Television movie
2007 Lewis Diane Turnbull 1 episode
2007 The Old Curiosity Shop Sally Brass Television movie
2007 The Street Jan Parr 2 episodes
2008 1983 The Brink of Apocalypse[16][17] Narrator
2008 Fiona's Story Fiona Television film
2009 Waking the Dead Jackie 2 episodes
2010 Dive Jacqueline Television movie
2010 The Silence Anne Miniseries, 4 episodes
2011 Vera Julie Armstrong 1 episode
2011–2013 The Borgias Caterina Sforza Main cast, 13 episodes
2012 Missing Jamie Ortega 6 episodes
2012 Line of Duty Jackie Laverty 3 episodes
2012–2013 Hebburn Pauline 12 episodes
2012 Secret State Ellis Kane Miniseries, 4 episodes
2013 By Any Means Helen Barlow Miniseries, 6 episodes
2016 Royal Wives At War Wallis Simpson Television film
2017 Emerald City Dr. Jane Andrews Recurring role, 5 episodes
2017 Knightfall Landry's Mother 3 episodes
2018 Bodyguard Commander Anne Sampson Main cast, 5 episodes
2019 The Rook Jennifer Birch Miniseries, 7 episodes
2019 Catherine the Great Countess Bruce Miniseries, 4 Episodes
2020 Black Narcissus Sister Adela Miniseries, 2 Episodes

Theatre[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Lane, Harriet (30 January 2008). "'I had nothing to lose'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2023. She was born in 1964. Her father was a coal miner, and she grew up in the north-east, in County Durham - an "industrial white working-class background". She has no children.
  2. ^ Jones, Alice; "Who's that girl?" Independent.co.uk, 16 September 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Taylor, Paul; "First Night: Ivanov, Wyndham's Theatre, London", Independent.co.uk, 18 September 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Olivier Awards". Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  5. ^ Gladwin, Anna (25 August 2021). "Friston: The little-known celebrity hotbed with links to Alex Polizzi, Gina McKee, and Grayson Perry". Sussex Live. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  6. ^ Norman, Neil; "My favourite table: Actress Gina McKee at Rasa, London" Guardian.co.uk, 25 March 2007 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  7. ^ "Honorary Graduates", Sunderland.ac.uk Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  8. ^ "Football veteran receives honorary degree", TheNorthernEcho.co.uk, 15 July 2002. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  9. ^ Ellen, Barbara; "Pale and interesting" Guardian.co.uk, 27 August 2000 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  10. ^ Morrison, Blak "This is your life" Guardian.co.uk, 29 September 2007 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  11. ^ Eyre, Hermione; "Ministry of offence: Armando Iannucci takes on the White House" Independent.co.uk, 12 April 2009 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  12. ^ Eyre, Hermione; "Fiona's Story, BBC 1" Independent.co.uk, 7 September 2008 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  13. ^ "All the latest news on My Policeman starring Harry Styles". Capital. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Bodyguard' star Gina McKee, Douglas Hodge of 'Catastrophe' join 'A Grand Romantic Gesture' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong Join Jodie Comer on 'The End We Start From' Cast". Variety. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Encore -- 1983 : the brink of Apocalypse (2007) / directed by Henry Chancellor [DVD]". Encore. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  17. ^ "1983: The Brink of Apocalypse". Screenocean. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.

External links[edit]

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