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Gemma Whelan
English actress (born 1981) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gemma Elizabeth Whelan (born 1981) is an English actress and comedian known for portraying Yara Greyjoy in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones and as her stand-up character Chastity Butterworth. She also plays Kate in all 4 series of the comedy Upstart Crow (2016–2018), Detective Eunice Noon on the first series of The End of the F***ing World (2017), Geraldine on the third series of Killing Eve (2020), and DCI Kerry Henderson in both series of DI Ray (2022–2024).
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Early life and education
Gemma Elizabeth Whelan[citation needed] was born in Leeds in 1981[1] and grew up in the Midlands.[2]
She attended The King's High School for Girls in Warwick[3] and the London Studio Centre.[4]
She was hospitalised for anorexia nervosa as a teenager. She regards her recovery from the illness as her greatest achievement, and says that the experience has shaped her personality and how she approaches things.[5]
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Career
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As a stand-up comedian, Whelan won the 2010 Funny Women Variety Award.[6] She performed at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe with her show Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster.[7] In 2014, she recorded a pilot chat show as her character Chastity Butterworth for BBC Radio 4,[8] which was in development in October 2015.[9][10] She also featured in other shows as this character.[11]
On screen, she has played supporting roles in several films and TV shows, including in the 2010 films Gulliver's Travels[12] and The Wolfman.[12] She played Kate (appearing in all 18 main episodes, as well as three Christmas specials) in Ben Elton's BBC Two comedy Upstart Crow,[12] and was a series regular on The End of the F***ing World.[12] She also played roles in other comedies, including Uncle and The Agency.[12]
In August 2011, she was cast as Yara Greyjoy,[13] elder sister of Theon, of House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, in the HBO fantasy-drama television series Game of Thrones,[13] and appeared as a recurring cast member from the second season onward.[14]
In 2017, she portrayed Karen Matthews in the two-part TV drama The Moorside,[12] based on the 2008 disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews. In 2019, she appeared as Marian Lister in the BBC drama Gentleman Jack.[12]
In 2020, she portrayed Mrs Weston née Taylor in a film adaption of Jane Austen's Emma, directed by Autumn de Wilde.[15]
In February 2020, a stage adaptation of Upstart Crow opened at the Gielgud Theatre, London, Whelan reprising the role of Kate.[16] Whelan returned to the West End stage as Kate when the play was revived at the Apollo Theatre in 2022.[17]
Whelan appears as DCI Kerry Henderson in the police drama series, DI Ray, written by Maya Sondhi and produced by Jed Mercurio,[5] as superior officer to DI Ray, played by Parminder Nagra. Her role extends from the first series in 2022[18] to series 2 in 2024.[19][20][21]
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Personal life
Whelan lives in London with her husband, the comedian and actor Gerry Howell, and their two children.[22][5]
Filmography
Film
Television
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Stage
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Video games
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Awards and nominations
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References
External links
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