Gemma Whelan
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Gemma Whelan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Whelan at Antwerp Convention 2014 | |
| Born | Gemma Elizabeth Whelan 23 April 1981 Leeds, West Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse | Gerry Howell |
| Children | 2 |
Gemma Elizabeth Whelan (born 23 April 1981) is an English actress and comedian known for portraying Yara Greyjoy in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones. She also plays Kate in all seasons of the comedy Upstart Crow, Detective Eunice Noon on the first season of The End of the F***ing World on Channel 4, and Geraldine on the third season of Killing Eve.
Early life[edit]
Whelan was born in Leeds and grew up in the Midlands.[1] She attended The King's High School for Girls in Warwick[2] and the London Studio Centre.[3]
Career[edit]
As a stand-up comedian, Whelan won the 2010 Funny Women Variety Award.[4] She performed at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe with her show Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster.[5] In 2014 she recorded a pilot chat show as her character Chastity Butterworth for BBC Radio 4.[6]
On screen, she has played supporting roles in several films and TV shows, including in the 2010 films Gulliver's Travels[7] and The Wolfman.[7] She played Kate (appearing in all 18 main episodes, as well as three Christmas specials) in Ben Elton's BBC Two comedy Upstart Crow,[7] and was a series regular on The End of the F***ing World.[7] She also played roles in other comedies, including Uncle and The Agency.[7]
In August 2011, she was cast as Yara Greyjoy,[8] elder sister of Theon, of House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, in the HBO fantasy-drama television series Game of Thrones,[8] and appeared as a recurring cast member from the second season onward.[9]
In 2017, she portrayed Karen Matthews in the two-part TV drama The Moorside,[7] based on the 2008 disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews. In 2019, she appeared as Marian Lister in the BBC drama Gentleman Jack.[7]
In February 2020, a stage adaptation of Upstart Crow opened at the Gielgud Theatre, London, Whelan reprising the role of Kate.[10] Whelan returned to the West End stage as Kate when the play was revived at the Apollo Theatre in 2022.[11]
Personal life[edit]
Whelan lives in London with her husband, the comedian and actor Gerry Howell and their two children.[12]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Madness of the Dance | Sister Grace | Short film |
| 2007 | Frites | Marie-Anne | Short film |
| 2008 | Shortbread and Tea | Mildred | |
| 2009 | Ding Dong | Dr. Pretty | Short film |
| 2010 | The Wolfman | Gwen's Maid | |
| Gulliver's Travels | Lilliputian Rose | ||
| 2016 | Prevenge | Len | |
| 2018 | Surviving Christmas with the Relatives | Miranda | |
| 2020 | Emma | Mrs. Weston |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Enforcers | Holly | |
| 2009 | 10 Minute Tales | Pretty Nurse | 1 episode |
| 2010 | The Persuasionists | Josephine | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Threesome | Wendy | 1 episode |
| Living Doll | Moaning Mona | ||
| For the Win | Various | Pilot | |
| 2012 | Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul | Daughter | 1 episode |
| Cardinal Burns | Claire | ||
| 2012–14, 2016–19 | Game of Thrones | Yara Greyjoy | Recurring, 16 episodes |
| 2013 | The Day They Came to Suck Out Our Brains! | Unknown | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| Nick Helm's Heavy Entertainment | Various | ||
| Claudia O'Doherty Comedy Blaps | Sarah | Miniseries, 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | Live at the Electric | Chastity Butterworth | 3 episodes |
| Siblings | Ruth | ||
| Badults | Juliet | Series 2, 1 episode: "Neighbours" | |
| Mapp and Lucia | Quaint Irene Coles | ||
| 2014–16 | Almost Royal | Narrator | |
| 2015 | Uncle | Veronica | 2 episodes |
| Not Safe for Work | Davina | 1 episode | |
| Murder in Successville | Nurse Adele | Series 1, 1 episode | |
| 2016–2020 | Upstart Crow | Kate | Recurring, 18 episodes and 3 specials |
| 2016–2017 | Hetty Feather | Ida Battersea | |
| 2016–present | Horrible Histories | Various | |
| 2016 | Morgana Robinson's The Agency | Kat Cassidy | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Decline and Fall | Diane Fagan | 2 episodes |
| The Moorside | Karen Matthews | Two-part drama | |
| The Crown | Patricia Campbell | 1 episode | |
| Queers: The Perfect Gentleman | Bobby | monologue | |
| The End of the F***ing World | Eunice | ||
| Eat Your Heart with Nick Helm | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2019 | Gentleman Jack | Marian Lister | |
| Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Solaria Butterfly (voice) | 1 episode[13] | |
| 2020 | White House Farm | Ann Eaton | |
| Untitled Pajama Men Project | Glenda | Post-production | |
| Killing Eve | Geraldine Martens[14] | ||
| 2021 | Inside No. 9 | Columbina | "Wuthering Heist" |
| 2021-2023 | The Tower | Detective Sergeant Sarah Collins | Three-part series[15] |
| 2022 | DI Ray | DCI Kerry Henderson | Miniseries, 4 episodes[16] |
Stage[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Newsrevue | Various | Edinburgh Festival |
| 2006 | Shakespeare for Breakfast | Petruchio | C Venues |
| Celebrity Love Panto Island | Various | Canal Cafe Theatre | |
| 2008 | Red Death Lates | Unknown | Gideon Reeling |
| Improvathon | Bunny Valentine | The Sticking Place | |
| 2009 | Infinite Variety | Various | Whoopee Productions New Players Theatre |
| 2010 | Stephen & the Sexy Partridge | Chanel | Trafalgar Studios |
| 2013 | One Man, Two Guvnors | Rachel Crabbe | Royal National Theatre |
| Dark Vanilla Jungle | Andrea | Supporting Wall & Pleasance Theatre | |
| Chastity Butterworth & the Spanish Hamster | Chastity Butterworth | Pajama Men Productions | |
| 2014 | Dark Vanilla Jungle | Andrea | Supporting Wall |
| 2015 | Radiant Vermin[17] | Jill and others | Soho Theatre |
| 2019 | Pinter Seven: A Slight Ache[18] | Flora | Harold Pinter Theatre |
| 2020 | The Upstart Crow[19] | Kate | Gielgud Theatre |
Video games[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dragon Age: Inquisition | /Maryden/Winterwatch Tower Cultist/Redcliffe Soldier/Redcliffe Villager/Emerald Graves Civilian | Voice |
| 2015 | Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward | Igeyorhm | Voice |
| 2017 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | Zevin Raeka | Voice |
| 2021 | Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | Ameliance | Voice |
| 2022 | Elden Ring | Lady Tanith | Voice |
| TBA | Squadron 42 | Becca Farneway | Voice and motion capture |
Short films[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Blue Door | Caretaker | Short film by ALTER, available to watch on YouTube |
| c. 2011 | Like Buses | Girl 1 on bench | Short film dir. by Gary Keller, written by James Acaster, available to watch on YouTube |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Funny Women Awards | Best Variety | Herself | Won | [4] |
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Game of Thrones | Nominated | [20][21] |
| 2017 | WFTV Awards | The MAC Best Performance | Herself | Won | [22] |
References[edit]
- ^ Lash, Jolie. "'Game Of Thrones' Newcomer Gemma Whelan Talks Yara Greyjoy". accessonline.com. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "From King's High to Hollywood". Independent Education Today. 31 March 2018.
- ^ "Alumni Gallery". londonstudiocentre.org. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Funny Women Award Winners". Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ Hall, Julian (7 August 2013). "Edinburgh Festival 2013: Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster -". The Independent. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "The Chastity Butterworth Show – Radio 4 Chat Show". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Gemma Whelan". Spotlight. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ a b "The Spotlight on ... Gemma Whelan". London is Funny. 18 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (6 July 2016). "Game of Thrones' Gemma Whelan on Yara's Sexuality and Freezing on Set". New York magazine.
- ^ Lawson, Mark (17 February 2020). "The Upstart Crow review – authentically Shakespearean right down to the puffling pants". The Guardian.
- ^ "Full cast for The Upstart Crow with David Mitchell announced | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Roper, Kerri-Ann (30 November 2018). "Gemma Whelan: 'I'm out pushing my buggy around and I truly look like a bag lady... but it's fine'". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235.(subscription required)
- ^ Swift, Andy (7 February 2019). "Disney's Star vs. the Forces of Evil Ending With Season 4". TVLine.
- ^ Mitchinson, James, ed. (14 April 2020). "Whelan 'star-struck' to join the cast of spy thriller Killing Eve". The Yorkshire Post. p. 2. ISSN 0963-1496.
- ^ "The Tower" (PDF). itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ "Meet the cast of ITV thriller DI Ray". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ Billington, Michael (12 March 2015). "Radiant Vermin review – Philip Ridley's nightmare tale of a dream home". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Pinter at the Pinter: Pinter Seven". Harold Pinter Theatre official website. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Upstart Crow – The Comedy". Official Show Website. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ McKenzie, Joi-Marie (29 January 2017). "Screen Actors Guild Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". ABC News. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey (14 December 2016). "SAG Awards nominations 2017: See the full list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Meet the 2017 Women in Film and Television Award Winners". Women in Film & Television UK. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
External links[edit]
- Gemma Whelan at IMDb
- Gemma Whelan on Twitter
- Gemma Whelan at British Comedy Guide
- Amore, video with Whelan on Upstart Crow
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