Heather Craney (born 1971) is an English actress, known for portraying Joyce Drake in Vera Drake , Alison Weaver in Life of Riley and Emily Holroyd in Torchwood .
Craney was born in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire. [1]
Her family lived in Darlington for two years during the 1980s, where Craney attended Hummersknott School. She attended Stapleford Community Primary School, [1] Sawston Village College and Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridgeshire, [2] and went on to study English and drama at Liverpool Hope University, graduating in 1992. [3] She trained in Acting and Musical Theatre at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1995. [3]
Craney has appeared in the Mike Leigh films Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002) and Vera Drake (2004), for which she was nominated for the 2005 BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Her other film credits include Drinking Crude (1997), Loop (1997) and Dangerous Parking (2007).
On television, Craney played Alison Weaver in the sitcom Life of Riley , and Cheryl Matthews in EastEnders . She also played Emily Holroyd in the Torchwood episode "Fragments". She has also appeared in Silent Witness , The Bill , Holby City and the television films The Mark of Cain and Ahead of the Class . In May 2022, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Sian Corcoran. [4]
Craney's theatre credits include Death of an Elephant, Dangerous Corner , Sugar Mummies, Stoning Mary and Passion Play, at the Donmar Warehouse. [3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Silent Witness | DI's Receptionist | 2 episodes: Divided Loyalties: Parts One and Two |
| 2002 | The Bill | Kirsty | 1 episode: Episode 058 |
| 2005 | Ahead of the Class | Nadine | Television film |
| 2005 | Holby City | Melissa Finch | 1 episode: Bird on a Wire |
| 2007 | The Mark of Cain | Brenda Tate | Television film |
| 2007 | Coming Up | Sarah | 1 episode: In the Dark |
| 2007 | Holby City | Amy Bonner | 1 episode: Lovers and Madmen |
| 2008 | Torchwood | Emily Holroyd | 1 episode: Fragments |
| 2009–11 | Life of Riley | Alison Weaver | Series regular |
| 2010 | Holby City | Lucy Weir | 3 episodes: Future Shock, Losing Game, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year |
| 2011 | EastEnders | Cheryl Matthews | 6 episodes |
| 2019, 2022 | Doctors | Viv Pierce, Sian Corcoran | 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Drinking Crude | Julie | |
| 1997 | Loop | Cashier | |
| 1999 | Topsy-Turvy | Miss Russell | |
| 2002 | All or Nothing | Silent Passenger | |
| 2004 | Vera Drake | Joyce Drake | Nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role |
| 2004 | Dangerous Parking | Marlene | |
| 2004 | Tales of the Fourth Dimension | Short film | |
| 2024 | We Live in Time | Buffy Jones |
| Year | Production | Venue | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Death of an Elephant | Orange Tree Theatre | Sandra | |
| 1999 | Dangerous Corner | Watford Palace Theatre | Olwen | |
| 2000 | Passion Play | Donmar Warehouse | Rebecca / Ruth | |
| 2004 | Still Life / The Astonished Heart | Liverpool Playhouse | Dolly Messiter | |
| 2005 | Stoning Mary | Royal Court Theatre | Ego | |
| 2006 | Sugar Mummies | Royal Court Theatre | Kitty | |
| 2007 | I Like Mine with a Kiss | Bush Theatre | Annie | |
| 2007 | Joe Guy | Soho Theatre | Monique Christie / Helen Blake | |
| 2010 | Women, Power and Politics | Tricycle Theatre | Mags / Kim | |
| 2014 | Made in Dagenham [5] | Adelphi Theatre | Clare | |
| 2017 | Consent [6] | Royal National Theatre | Gayle | |
| The Vote [7] |