Emer Kenny

Last updated

Emer Kenny
Born
London, England
Occupation(s) Actress, screenwriter
Years active2007–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2016)​
Children1

Emer Kenny is a British actress and screenwriter. She is best known for playing Zsa Zsa Carter in EastEnders and its spin-off EastEnders: E20 , Danielle Reeves in Pramface and Penelope "Bunty" Windermere in Father Brown .

Contents

Career

Kenny made her professional debut in the 2007 BBC television drama Coming Down the Mountain , [1] and, in 2009, she made her film debut in Phil Claydon's Lesbian Vampire Killers . [2] She played the role of Kate in an improvisational BBC production called Freefall written and directed by Dominic Savage, [3] which was screened in 2009. In January 2010, Kenny began her role in the EastEnders spin-off EastEnders: E20 as Zsa Zsa Carter as well as in EastEnders itself. [4] Kenny was cast in the role of Zsa Zsa after writing the second episode of EastEnders: E20. [5] A second series of EastEnders: E20 was announced in April 2010, with Kenny returning as a writer, [6] although it was announced the following month that Zsa Zsa would be written out of EastEnders so Kenny could pursue further acting roles. [7] She made her last appearance on 30 September 2010.

In 2010, Kenny was painted by Rolf Harris as Titania from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream for an edition of BBC TV's Arena ("Rolf Harris Paints His Dream"). [8]

Kenny wrote a further episode of EastEnders: E20 for series three in 2011 and was selected as the youngest ever writer for the BBC Writers Academy where she trained to write for programmes such as EastEnders, Casualty , Holby City , and Doctors . [9] Her first EastEnders episode as a writer was broadcast on 8 May 2012. [10]

She joined the cast of E4's Beaver Falls for its second series playing the character Hope. The second series began airing in early August 2012 with the final episode of the series airing in early September 2012. It was announced on 22 September 2012 that the drama would not be recommissioned. [11]

In 2011, she was cast as Danielle Reeves in the BBC Three dramedy Pramface alongside her Beaver Falls co-star Scarlett Alice Johnson. [12] Pramface piloted in late February 2012 [13] and was met with good reception, so much so the second series was commissioned by the BBC before the first series had even aired. [14] She reprised her role for the second series which began airing in the new year of 2013 and was broadcast a second time on BBC One throughout the summer of 2013. [15] She reprised her role again for a third series which commenced airing in late February 2014. [16]

She played the role of Rachel alongside Matthew Crosby, Ben Clark and Tom Parry in the first series of BBC Three's sitcom Badults which aired in the summer of 2013. A second series was commissioned but it was announced that Kenny would not feature in it. [17]

In 2016, Emer Kenny worked as a scriptwriter on Irish soap Red Rock for a few episodes.

In 2017, she joined the cast of the BBC TV series Father Brown as Penelope "Bunty" Windermere, the wayward niece of Lady Felicia.

Kenny wrote the screenplay for and co-starred in the ITV crime drama Karen Pirie , adapted from the Karen Pirie novels of Val McDermid. [18] She co-wrote the second series (to be aired in late 2024) with Gillian Roger Park. [19]

Awards and nominations

For writing the first episode of Karen Pirie, Kenny was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Episode in a TV Series. [20]

Personal life

Kenny is of Irish and Welsh heritage. [21]

Kenny married television presenter Rick Edwards in 2016, [22] and gave birth to their son in January 2023. [23]

Filmography

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2007 Coming Down the Mountain Gail
2009 Freefall Kate
2009 Lesbian Vampire Killers RebeccaFilm
2010 EastEnders Zsa Zsa Carter 56 episodes
2010 EastEnders: E20 Series 1, 12 episodes
Series 2, episode 1
2011 Eric and Ernie Joan BartlettTelevision film
2012–2014 Pramface Danielle Reeves
2012 Beaver Falls HopeSeries 2
2013 Badults RachelSeries 1
2014 Siblings IzzySeries 1, episode 4
2017–2021 Father Brown Penelope "Bunty" WindermereMain role
2020 The Duchess RachelSeries 1, episode 3
2022-present The Curse NatashaMain role
2022 Karen Pirie River Wilde
As writer
YearTitleEpisode(s)
2010–2011 EastEnders: E20
2012–2014 EastEnders
  • Episode 4423 (8 May 2012) [10]
  • Episode 4724 (7 October 2013) [24]
  • Episode 4883 (3 July 2014) [25]
2012 Doctors "A Lighter Note" (10 October 2012)
2012 Holby City "After the Party" (27 November 2012)
2016 Red Rock Episode 3.5
2018 Harlots Episode 2.4
2020 Save Me Episode 2.3
2022 Karen Pirie All episodes
2022 The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself Episode 7
2023 The Curse Series 2

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References

  1. ↑ "Coming Down The Mountain" (Press release). BBC. 26 February 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  2. ↑ "Lesbian Vampire Killers". Lesbianvampirekillersmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  3. ↑ "Stellar cast in Freefall for BBC Two" (Press release). BBC. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  4. ↑ Green, Kris (25 November 2009). "'EastEnders' announces 'E20' cast". Digital Spy . Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "Meet the E20 cast!". BBC Online. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  6. ↑ Green, Kris (8 April 2010). "BBC hands 'EastEnders: E20' second run". Digital Spy . Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  7. ↑ Green, Kris (11 May 2010). "Exclusive: Leon, Zsa Zsa to leave 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  8. ↑ Presented by Rolf Harris; Directed by Vikram Jayanti (30 December 2010). "Rolf Harris Paints His Dream". Arena. BBC. BBC Two . Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Emer Kenny". EastEnders: E20 . BBC Online . Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  10. 1 2 Director: Richard Lynn; Executive Producer: Bryan Kirkwood; Writer: Emer Kenny (8 May 2012). "Episode dated 08/05/2012". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
  11. ↑ Munn, Patrick (22 September 2012). "E4 Cancels Dramedy Series 'Beaver Falls'". TVWise. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  12. ↑ "Not your usual BBC3 comedy!". Daily Mirror. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  13. ↑ Pramface pilot air date
  14. ↑ Digital Spy, New Show 'Pramface' renewed by BBC Three
  15. ↑ Pramface Series 2 broadcasts
  16. ↑ Pramface Series 3 broadcasts
  17. ↑ Chortle, Katherine Ryan joins Badults as a love interest in Pappy's sitcom
  18. ↑ "Lauren Lyle to star as Karen Pirie in ITV cold case murder drama 'Karen Pirie'". itv.com. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  19. ↑ Hibbs, James (21 February 2023). "Karen Pirie season 2 release date speculation: Plot and latest news". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  20. ↑ 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations, 19 January 2023, retrieved 4 February 2023
  21. ↑ "Hot Spring". 26 March 2009.
  22. ↑ "Ex-EastEnders star Emer Kenny marries presenter Rick Edwards". 1 June 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  23. ↑ "EastEnders star Emer Kenny and Rick Edwards announce birth of baby boy". Digital Spy . 13 February 2023.
  24. ↑ Director: Sophie Lifschutz; Executive Producer: Lorraine Newman; Writer: Emer Kenny (7 October 2013). "Episode dated 07/10/2013". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
  25. ↑ Director: Gill Wilkinson; Executive Producer: Dominic Treadwell-Collins; Writer: Emer Kenny (3 July 2014). "Episode dated 03/07/2014". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
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