Gillian Wright

Last updated

Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright - Stevenage Christmas Lights Switch-on 2013 (11353766486) (cropped).jpg
Wright in 2013
Born (1959-12-07) 7 December 1959 (age 64)
Bermondsey, London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1993–present
Television ChuckleVision
Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land
EastEnders

Gillian Wright (born 7 December 1959) [1] [2] is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2004, for which she has won numerous awards. [3] She previously worked as a drama teacher and a theatre director before occupying acting roles. [4]

Contents

Career

Wright's first television role was in an episode of ChuckleVision as Mrs. Stone in 1994. [5] She went on to portray guest roles in Casualty and Holby City , before portraying the nanny in the CITV children's comedy Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land for two series between 2002 and 2003. [6] She also appeared in episodes of Doctors , Calendar Girls and Heartbeat , before taking on her prestigious role of Jean Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders . Wright was originally signed for one episode in December 2004, but bosses brought her back into the series a year later for four more episodes. [7] After guest starring in two episodes of rival soap opera Coronation Street , she then returned to EastEnders on a recurring basis until her character moved into Albert Square in November 2007. In 2006, she collected a Mental Health Media Award for her portrayal of Jean, a person living with bipolar disorder. [8]

Wright has portrayed the role of Jean Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2004 Gillian Wright.JPG
Wright has portrayed the role of Jean Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2004

Wright's departure from the series was announced in 2010, along with her on-screen daughter Stacey Slater, played by Lacey Turner, [9] but it was later confirmed that she would return in spring 2011. [10] In 2012, she won the 'Best Actress' award at the Inside Soap Awards. [11] Wright departed EastEnders again in 2013 and returned for a short stint in August 2014. She also guest starred in one episode of hospital drama, Holby City in early 2015. After making numerous guest appearances from 2015 to 2017, the character of Jean was reintroduced in 2018 by former executive consultant John Yorke. [12] In 2019, Wright won the award for Best Dramatic Performance at that year's British Soap Awards. [13]

Theatre

Wright is also an established theatre actress, and is a visiting director and workshop leader at drama schools, universities and with young people with special needs. She is a co-founder of Pilot Theatre, at York's Theatre Royal. [14]

In December 2011, she played the Fairy godmother in the pantomime Dick Whittington and His Cat at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, starring alongside Jonathan Wilkes. [15]

In September 2013, she appeared in the world premiere of five visceral new short plays, under the collective title Religion and Anarchy, at the Jermyn Street Theatre. From December 2013 to January 2014, she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. [16] She also performed at the Theatre Royal, Norwich during a production of Sleeping Beauty in 2017. [17] [18]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994 ChuckleVision Mrs. StoneEpisode: "Mind over Marrow"
1998 Casualty Amber StevensEpisode: "The Ties That Bind"
2003 Holby City Candice HollowayEpisode: "Can't Always Get What You Want"
2002–2003 Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land Nanny2 series; main cast; 19 episodes
2003 Calendar Girls Eddie's womanFilm
Doctors CarolEpisode: "The Time Is Right"
2004 Heartbeat Barbara SimnerEpisode: "Scent of a Kill"
2004–present EastEnders Jean Slater Series regular
2005 Coronation Street Yvonne2 episodes
2006 Dalziel and Pascoe Pat RichardsonEpisodes: "A Death in the Family: Parts 1 & 2"
Silent Witness Dr. Angeline ParryEpisode: "Terminus: Part 1"
The Bill Sharon Little3 episodes
2007 Spooks Karen DuganEpisode: "The Virus: Part 2"
2013 Tamwar Tales – The Life of an Assistant Market Inspector Jean SlaterEpisode: "Jean"
2015 Holby City Lydia RathboneEpisode: "Tug of Love"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2011 Inside Soap Awards Funniest PerformanceShortlisted [19]
2012Inside Soap AwardsBest ActressWon [20]
2013 TV Choice Awards Best Soap ActressShortlisted [21]
2019TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressShortlisted [22]
2019 The British Soap Awards Best Female Dramatic PerformanceWon [23]
2019Inside Soap AwardsBest ActressShortlisted [24]
2019I Talk Telly AwardsBest Soap PerformanceNominated [25]
2022The British Soap Awards Best Leading Performer Shortlisted [26]
2022The British Soap AwardsBest Dramatic PerformanceNominated [26]
2022The British Soap AwardsBest On-Screen Partnership (shared with Lacey Turner)Won [26]
2022 27th National Television Awards Serial Drama PerformanceShortlisted [27]
2022Inside Soap AwardsBest Double Act (shared with Turner)Shortlisted [28]
2022Inside Soap AwardsBest ActressWon [29]
2022TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressWon [30]
2022I Talk Telly AwardsBest Soap PerformanceNominated [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Joyner</span> English actress (born 1977)

Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Mandy Carter in the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge. From 2018, she has starred as Luella Shakespeare in the BBC crime drama series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Neilson</span> British actor

David Neilson is an English actor. He is best known for his role as cafe owner Roy Cropper in the long running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, which he has played since 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth Dermot Walsh</span> English actress

Elisabeth Dermot Walsh is an English actress, known for her role as Zara Carmichael in the BBC soap opera Doctors. In 2015, she won the award for Best Female Acting Performance at the RTS Midlands Awards for her portrayal of Zara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Parish</span> English actress (born 1969)

Diane Carol Richards, known professionally as Diane Parish, is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera EastEnders since 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Slater</span> UK soap opera character, created 2004

Jean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduced for one episode, Wright was reintroduced for four more episodes the following year and became more of a regular character in the following two years. The character is introduced as the mother of Stacey Slater who suffers with bipolar disorder. Her disorder strains her relationship with her children, Stacey and Sean Slater. Wright researched the disorder to prepare for the role. In April 2010, it was announced that Jean would be written out of the series, however, Wright was awarded a reprieve in late 2010. Jean departed on 13 January 2011 and returned on 29 March 2011. Wright announced her intentions to leave the series in July 2013, and Jean departed on 17 September 2013. Following her departure, Wright reprised the role for 15 episodes between 2014 and 2017. In December 2017, it was announced that Jean would be reintroduced as a regular character, along with Kat Slater and Mo Harris. She returned on 20 March 2018. On 11 December 2023, Wright appeared in her 1,000th episode as Jean.

Linda Valiris is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV prison drama series Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She had previously appeared in EastEnders as the original Lorraine Salter, the mother of Mandy Salter, from 1991 to 1992. Her other acting credits include Cracker (1995), Prime Suspect (1997) and Trial & Retribution (1998). She has also appeared in the films Beautiful Thing (1996) and The Business (2005).

Harvey Virdi is a British actress of Indian descent. She trained at Academy Drama School in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Anderson</span> English actress (born 1981)

Natalie Jane Anderson is an English actress, singer and television presenter. She is known for her roles as Stella Davenport in the medical drama The Royal from 2005 to 2008 and Alicia Metcalfe in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2010 to 2015. She also played the role of Nessarose in the London production Wicked from May 2009 to March 2010. In 2015, she began appearing on the ITV talk shows This Morning and Loose Women on a recurring basis; Anderson also portrayed the role of Lexi Calder in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2021 to 2022. In 2021 she played the role of Maryanne Borden in Liam Neeson action thriller Memory. In 2023 Anderson took guest roles in Happy Valley and Boiling Point and appeared on stage at Hull Truck Theatre as Kayla in Anna Jordan’s two hander play Pop Music. In 2024 Anderson played Claire Walker in the Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben’s thriller “Fool Me Once”.

Sally Julia Dexter is an English actress of stage and screen. She won the 1987 Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Dalliance. Her other West End stage credits include the musicals Oliver! (1994), Sister Act (2010) and Billy Elliot the Musical (2013). Her television credits include the ITV soap operas Night and Day (2001–2003) and Emmerdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tameka Empson</span> English actress, comedian (b. 1977)

Tameka Lydia Empson is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non-Blondes. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maisie Smith</span> English actress, singer (b. 2001)

Maisie Louise Collender Smith is an English actress and singer. She appeared in the feature film The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2008 to 2014. In November 2016, Smith temporarily returned to EastEnders for a guest stint, before making a full-time return in January 2018. In October 2021 it was announced that she would once again be leaving EastEnders and her final scenes aired in December of that year; she made a one-off appearance in March 2022 to aid the departure of Keegan Baker. In 2020, she competed in the eighteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside partner Gorka Marquez, reaching the final but losing out to Bill Bailey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorraine Stanley</span> English actress (born 1976)

Lorraine Marie Stanley is an English actress, known for playing Kelly in the 2006 film London to Brighton and Karen Taylor in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2017–2024).

Michael Moon (<i>EastEnders</i>) UK soap opera character, created 2010

Michael Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve John Shepherd. The character is a second cousin once removed of Alfie Moon, and first appears on 1 October 2010 after Alfie's return. He is also the father to Tommy Moon, whose mother is Alfie's wife Kat Moon. Michael is later joined by his father Eddie Moon and half brothers Tyler Moon and Anthony Moon.

Ricky Champ is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Paul Parker in the BBC Three sitcom Him & Her, and Stuart Highway in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Champ has also appeared in Crims, Plebs, and the sixth series of HBO series Game of Thrones where he played Gatins. In 2023, he joined the West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Apollo theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Clay</span> English actor (b. 1991)

Tony David Clay is an English actor. He is known for playing Callum "Halfway" Highway in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2018. Prior to his tenure on EastEnders, Clay appeared in various stage productions and had minor roles in British films and programmes.

Slater family (<i>EastEnders</i>) UK soap opera family, created 2000

The Slater family are a fictional family from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, that have appeared since Episode 1,997, first broadcast in September 2000. The family are introduced as a central family unit, originally consisting of father Charlie Slater, grandmother Mo Harris, Charlie's daughters, Kat Slater, Lynne Slater, Little Mo Morgan and Kat's teenage daughter Zoe Slater, and Lynne's partner Garry Hobbs. A fifth sister, Belinda Peacock, was introduced one year later. The family were the eighth to be introduced in the soap's history, replacing the di Marco family who departed during the previous month. The Slaters were created by Tony Jordan and introduced by John Yorke. The Slater sisters were cast in an improvisation session. In their first years on the show, the family were involved in storylines about child sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Ian Patrick Midlane is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Al Haskey on the BBC soap opera Doctors. For his performance as Al, he won the award for Best Comedy Performance at the 2018 British Soap Awards.

References

  1. ↑ Outhwaite, Tamzin (5 May 2016). "So on Wikipedia it says it's Gillian Wright's birthday today. Our company manager did all this, and We all signed a card . Gillian then revealed her real birthday to be in December. So we sang happy birthday and all had cake. Each cake has the name of someone who REALLY has a birthday today. Some lovely people who do not share their birthday with Gill. #gilliansfakebirthday". Instagram.
  2. ↑ "Gillian WRIGHT". Gov.uk . Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  3. ↑ Harp, Justin (12 March 2019). "EastEnders' Gillian Wright earns huge praise for Jean Slater's breakdown scenes". Digital Spy . Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "BBC EastEnders: Gillian Wright's life from forgotten role on Coronation Street to short-lived marriage with famous musician and why she doesn't 'regret' not having children". MyLondon . 14 February 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "BBC EastEnders' star you probably didn't know became famous after appearing on ChuckleVision". MyLondon . 30 April 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Gillian Wright – Credits". GillianWright.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Jean Slater – BBC EastEnders". BBC . Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "EastEnders scoops mental health media award". Disability News Service. November 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Green, Kris (29 April 2010). "Stacey and Jean to leave 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  10. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (25 November 2010). "Jean Slater to stay on 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy . Hachette Filipacchi UK . Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  11. ↑ "2012 Winners « Inside Soap Magazine". Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  12. ↑ Patterson, Stephen (19 December 2018). "From big returns to huge issues, how boss John Yorke has saved EastEnders". Metro. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "Gillian Wright has won Best Female Dramatic Performance in the Soap Awards 2019". National Artists Management. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  14. ↑ "Let's talk about Walford and lots more besides as Gillian Wright comes to Berkhamsted to chat about her career". www.berkhamstedtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "EastEnders Jean Slater actress Gillian Wright's very impressive career revealed". OK! . 15 March 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Dunne, Martin (23 November 2013). "Panto round-up: EastEnders star comes to town". The Comet. Archant Community Media. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  17. ↑ "Who plays Jean Slater in EastEnders and what else has she starred in?". Metro . 4 April 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "EastEnders stars in Snow White at Pavilion". Daily Echo. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  19. ↑ Millar, Paul (26 September 2011). "Inside Soap Awards 2011: The full winners list". Digital Spy .
  20. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (17 September 2012). "'Coronation Street' leads Inside Soap Awards 2012 shortlist". Digital Spy . Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  21. ↑ Rigby, Sam (1 July 2013). "'Enders leads TVChoice soaps shortlist". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  22. ↑ "2019 Winners". TV Choice . Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  23. ↑ "Here are the British Soap Awards 2019 winners in full". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  24. ↑ Harp, Justin (30 September 2019). "Inside Soap Awards 2019 full shortlist revealed – which stars are up for prizes?". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  25. ↑ Gonzalez, Elliot (2 November 2019). "I TALK TELLY AWARDS 2019 Nominees". I Talk Telly.
  26. 1 2 3 Kilkelly, Daniel; Warner, Sam (11 June 2022). "British Soap Awards 2022 winners list - updated live". Digital Spy . (Hearst Communications). Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  27. ↑ Earp, Catherine (13 October 2022). "National Television Awards: Full winners list". Digital Spy . Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  28. ↑ Harp, Justin (10 October 2022). "Inside Soap Awards announce final shortlist for 2022 ceremony". Digital Spy . (Hearst Communications). Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  29. ↑ "EastEnders and Emmerdale win big at the Inside Soap Awards 2022". Digital Spy . 17 October 2022.
  30. ↑ Rodger, James (9 August 2022). "TV Choice Awards nominations list announced in full". Birmingham Mail . (Reach plc). Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  31. ↑ Gonzalez, Elliot (12 November 2022). "Mo Gilligan leads the I Talk Telly Awards 2022 Nominations". I Talk Telly.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.