Gina McKee

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Gina McKee
Born
Georgina McKee

(1964-04-14) 14 April 1964 (age 61) [1]
Peterlee, County Durham, England
Alma mater East Durham College, National Youth Theatre
OccupationActress
Years active1979–present
Spouse
Kez Cary
​
(m. 1989)​

Georgina McKee (born 14 April 1964) 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). On the stage, she has been nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for King Lear in 2011, Dear England in 2024, and The Years in 2025. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

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

McKee began her career in television 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. [4] 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 . [5] 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. [6]

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

Personal life

McKee has been married to Kez Cary since 1989; they live in East Sussex, England. [7] She has been a vegetarian since 1982. [8]

In 2002, McKee received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Sunderland. [9] [10]

In 2025, McKee received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (D.Litt) from Durham University at the Summer Congregation.

Acting credits

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
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 [11] 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? [12] Kathy Morrison
Atonement Sister Drummond
2009 In the Loop [13] [14] 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 [15]
A Grand Romantic Gesture AvaLead role [16]
2023 Typist Artist Pirate King Dorothy
The End We Start From F

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979Quest of EaglesJaneMiniseries
1986 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet GirlEpisode: "Cowboys"
1986 Unnatural Causes NancyEpisode: "Home Cooking"
1987 Inspector Morse Girl in Betting ShopEpisode: "Service of All the Dead"
Rockliffe's Babies BarmaidEpisode: "A Few Bad Days"
The Ritz JaniceEpisode: "Tuesday"
Floodtide Medical StudentEpisode: "Four: The Trail"
1987–1988 The Lenny Henry Show Julie12 episodes
1989 The Paradise Club Bank TellerEpisode: "Short Story"
1990 Drop the Dead Donkey LouEpisode: "Death, Disaster 'n Damien"
Medics AlexEpisode: "Helen Palmer"
1990, 1997 Screen Two Lynn/Caroline2 episodes
1991 Minder JoannaEpisode: "Guess Who's Coming To Pinner"
Paul Merton: The Series Jackie1 episode
An Actor's Life For Me Sue Bishop6 episodes
1994 In Suspicious Circumstances Evelyn Foster2 episodes
Casualty Ginnie DaviesEpisode: "The Facts of Life"
1996 Our Friends in the North Mary CoxMiniseries
Frontiers Sarah LightfootEpisode: "Casual Bank Robbers"
1997 Comedy Premieres Fiona CroftEpisode: "The Chest"
Brass Eye Libby Shuss / Vivian Banch3 episodes
Beyond Fear Stephanie Slater Television movie
2001 Dice Angela StarckMiniseries
2002–2003 The Forsyte Saga Irene Forsyte
2003 The Lost Prince Lalla Television movie
2004 The Blackwater Lightship Helen
2006 Tsunami: The Aftermath Kim PeabodyMiniseries
The Lavender List Marcia WilliamsTelevision movie
2007 Lewis Diane TurnbullEpisode: "Old School Ties"
The Old Curiosity Shop Sally BrassTelevision movie
The Street Jan Parr2 episodes
20081983 The Brink of Apocalypse [17] [18] Narrator
Fiona's StoryFionaTelevision film
2009 Waking the Dead Jackie2 episodes
2010 Dive JacquelineTelevision movie
The Silence AnneMiniseries
2011 Vera Julie ArmstrongEpisode: "Hidden Depths"
2011–2013 The Borgias Caterina Sforza Main cast
2012 Missing Jamie Ortega6 episodes
Line of Duty Jackie Laverty3 episodes
2012–2013 Hebburn Pauline12 episodes
2012 Secret State Ellis KaneMiniseries
2013 By Any Means Helen Barlow
2016Royal Wives At War Wallis Simpson Television film
2017 Emerald City Dr. Jane AndrewsRecurring role, 5 episodes
Knightfall Landry's Mother3 episodes
2018 Bodyguard Commander Anne SampsonMain cast
2019 The Rook Jennifer BirchMiniseries
2019 Catherine the Great Countess Bruce
2020 Black Narcissus Sister Adela

Theatre

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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. ↑ "Olivier Winners 2011". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  3. ↑ "Olivier Awards 2024". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  4. ↑ Jones, Alice (16 September 2008). "Who's that girl?". The Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 Taylor, Paul (18 September 2008). "First Night: Ivanov, Wyndham's Theatre, London". The Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  6. ↑ "Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Olivier Awards". Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Norman, Neil (25 March 2007). "My favourite table: Actress Gina McKee at Rasa, London". The Guardian . Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  9. ↑ "Faculty of Arts, Design and Media | Honorary Graduates". University of Sunderland. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  10. ↑ "Football veteran receives honorary degree". The Northern Echo . 15 July 2002. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  11. ↑ Ellen, Barbara; "Pale and interesting" Guardian.co.uk, 27 August 2000 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  12. ↑ Morrison, Blak "This is your life" Guardian.co.uk, 29 September 2007 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  13. ↑ Eyre, Hermione; "Ministry of offence: Armando Iannucci takes on the White House" Independent.co.uk, 12 April 2009 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  14. ↑ Eyre, Hermione; "Fiona's Story, BBC 1" Independent.co.uk, 7 September 2008 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009)
  15. ↑ "All the latest news on My Policeman starring Harry Styles". Capital. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "Bodyguard' star Gina McKee, Douglas Hodge of 'Catastrophe' join 'A Grand Romantic Gesture' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Encore -- 1983 : the brink of Apocalypse (2007) / directed by Henry Chancellor [DVD]". Encore. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "1983: The Brink of Apocalypse". Screenocean. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  19. ↑ "The Years | Directed by Eline Arbo | Based on Les Années by Annie Ernaux". theyearsplay.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
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