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Gina McKee

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Gina McKee
Born
Georgina McKee

(1964-04-14) 14 April 1964 (age 62)[1]
Peterlee, County Durham, England
EducationEast 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]

Early life

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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

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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

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McKee has been married to Kez Cary since August 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

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Film

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1988The Lair of the White WormNurse Gladwell
1989The Rachel PapersEvonne
1989 Wilt Party Guest
1993NakedCafé Girl
1996The Treasure SeekersMary Leslie
Element of DoubtBeth
1997MothertimeCaroline
1998CroupierMarion Nell
1999Notting HillBella
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of ArcDuchess of Bedford
WonderlandNadia
Women Talking DirtyEllen
2000There's Only One Jimmy Grimble[11]Donna
2001The ZookeeperAnkica
2002Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya SisterhoodGenevieve
2003Burning the BedCaroline
2004The ReckoningSarah
Mickybo and MeJonjo's ma
2005The Adventures of Greyfriars BobbyMaureen Gray
MirrorMaskWhite Queen/Dark Queen
2006Scenes of a Sexual NatureJulia
2007And When Did You Last See Your Father?[12]Kathy Morrison
AtonementSister Drummond
2009In the Loop[13][14]Judy Molloy
2013Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains IndianMadeleine
2015HectorLizzie
Taj MahalLouise's Mother
2017Phantom ThreadCountess Henrietta Harding
2022 My Policeman Older Marion Taylor[15]
A Grand Romantic Gesture Ava Lead role[16]
2023 Typist Artist Pirate King Dorothy
The End We Start From F

Television

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YearTitleRoleNotes
1979Quest of EaglesJaneMiniseries
1986Auf Wiedersehen, PetGirlEpisode: "Cowboys"
1986 Unnatural Causes Nancy Episode: "Home Cooking"
1987Inspector MorseGirl in Betting ShopEpisode: "Service of All the Dead"
Rockliffe's Babies Barmaid Episode: "A Few Bad Days"
The Ritz Janice Episode: "Tuesday"
Floodtide Medical Student Episode: "Four: The Trail"
1987–1988The Lenny Henry ShowJulie12 episodes
1989 The Paradise Club Bank Teller Episode: "Short Story"
1990Drop the Dead DonkeyLouEpisode: "Death, Disaster 'n Damien"
Medics Alex Episode: "Helen Palmer"
1990, 1997 Screen Two Lynn/Caroline 2 episodes
1991MinderJoannaEpisode: "Guess Who's Coming To Pinner"
Paul Merton: The Series Jackie 1 episode
An Actor's Life For MeSue Bishop6 episodes
1994 In Suspicious Circumstances Evelyn Foster 2 episodes
Casualty Ginnie Davies Episode: "The Facts of Life"
1996Our Friends in the NorthMary CoxMiniseries
Frontiers Sarah Lightfoot Episode: "Casual Bank Robbers"
1997Comedy PremieresFiona CroftEpisode: "The Chest"
Brass EyeLibby Shuss / Vivian Banch3 episodes
Beyond FearStephanie SlaterTelevision movie
2001DiceAngela StarckMiniseries
2002–2003The Forsyte SagaIrene Forsyte
2003The Lost PrinceLallaTelevision movie
2004The Blackwater LightshipHelen
2006Tsunami: The AftermathKim PeabodyMiniseries
The Lavender ListMarcia WilliamsTelevision movie
2007LewisDiane TurnbullEpisode: "Old School Ties"
The Old Curiosity ShopSally BrassTelevision movie
The StreetJan Parr2 episodes
20081983 The Brink of Apocalypse[17][18]Narrator
Fiona's StoryFionaTelevision film
2009Waking the DeadJackie2 episodes
2010DiveJacquelineTelevision movie
The SilenceAnneMiniseries
2011VeraJulie ArmstrongEpisode: "Hidden Depths"
2011–2013The BorgiasCaterina SforzaMain cast
2012MissingJamie Ortega6 episodes
Line of DutyJackie Laverty3 episodes
2012–2013HebburnPauline12 episodes
2012Secret StateEllis KaneMiniseries
2013By Any MeansHelen Barlow
2016Royal Wives At WarWallis SimpsonTelevision film
2017Emerald CityDr. Jane AndrewsRecurring role, 5 episodes
KnightfallLandry's Mother3 episodes
2018BodyguardCommander Anne SampsonMain cast
2019The RookJennifer BirchMiniseries
2019Catherine the GreatCountess Bruce
2020Black NarcissusSister Adela

Theatre

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References

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  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". Retrieved 10 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  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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