Anna Lucy Chell (born 17 January 1997) is an English actress. She began her career appearing in various stage productions including A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Crucible and Great Expectations, before being cast as Jodie Whyte in the BBC medical drama series Casualty in 2023.

Anna Chell
Born
Anna Lucy Chell

(1997-01-17) 17 January 1997 (age 27)
Stafford, England
Education
OccupationActress
Years active2013–present
TelevisionCasualty
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1]

Life and career

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Anna Lucy Chell was born on 17 January 1997 in Stafford. Prior to pursuing acting, she worked in hospitality.[2][3] Whilst there, she performed in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Stafford Shakespeare Festival.[4] She moved to Manchester in 2013 and studied at the Manchester College, before obtaining a BA in acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts.[5] She also studied at the Oxford School of Drama and was shortlisted for the BBC Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award.[4] Whilst studying, she starred in various stage productions, including The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Great Expectations and Love and Information, amongst others.[4][6]

In 2021, Chell portrayed the recurring role of Kerry Lockwood in the ITV crime drama series The Bay.[7] A year later, she appeared in a national advertisement campaign for food brand Doritos, as well as appearing in a rehearsed reading of Les the Punter in Manchester.[4] Then in 2023, Chell was cast as nurse Jodie Whyte on the BBC medical drama series Casualty.[8][9] She made her first appearance as the character on 8 April 2023.[10][11] Chell's casting was part of a shakeup on the series and was announced alongside three other new castings: Eddie-Joe Robinson, Sarah Seggari and Barney Walsh.[12] During her first few months on the series, her character was involved in various dramatic storylines including grieving her dead mother, finding out her estranged father is her boss,[13] being spiked and kidnapped,[14] being attacked by a patient,[9] handling a venomous snake on the ward,[8] being at the centre of a bomb attack[15] and witnessing misogynistic terrorism at a women's march.[16]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 The Bay Kerry Lockwood Recurring role [7]
2023 Casualty Jodie Whyte Main role [17]

Stage

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Year Title Role Ref.
2013 A Midsummer Night's Dream Fairy [4]
2014 1984 Julia [4]
2015 The Crucible Abigail Williams [4]
2017 The Wonderful World of Dissocia Lisa [4]
2018 The Pink Bedroom Helen [4]
2018 Beginning Laura [4]
2019 Great Expectations Biddy/Startop [4]
2020 Earthquakes in London Jasmine [4]
2020 Love and Information Various [4]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Nominated work Result Ref.
Un­known BBC Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award Herself Shortlisted [4]

References

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  1. ^ "Anna Chell". Revolution Talent. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Anna Lucy Chell". Genes Reunited. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  3. ^ Chell, Anna (17 January 2018). "21!!! 🍺". Instagram. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Anna Chell". Spotlight. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  5. ^ "2020 GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT PAGE". Ameena Hamid. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Anna Chell". Holby.tv. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b Reilly, Elaine (2 May 2023). "Anna Chell on an explosive new chapter for Jodie Whyte". What to Watch. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  8. ^ a b Reilly, Elaine (17 May 2023). "Anna Chell on Jodie Whyte's 'terrifying' abduction ordeal". What to Watch. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  9. ^ a b Lewis, George (6 May 2023). "Casualty star Anna Chell reveals shock attack in Jodie's future". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  10. ^ Dainty, Sophie (8 April 2023). "Casualty - all the spoilers and gossip from the show's new nurses". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  11. ^ Bird, Daniel (23 March 2023). "Casualty announce new characters including familiar face after stars QUIT show". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Casualty announces new cast members as Barney Walsh, Anna Chell, Sarah Seggari and Eddie-Joe Robinson join as new nursing recruits". BBC. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  13. ^ Rowan, Iona (8 June 2023). "Casualty to expose Jodie Whyte's secret this weekend". Archived from the original on 25 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  14. ^ Reilly, Elaine (16 May 2023). "Casualty spoilers: Jodie Whyte is drugged and kidnapped!". What to Watch. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  15. ^ Reilly, Elaine (6 May 2023). "Casualty spoilers: Jodie Whyte in bomb HORROR!". What to Watch. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  16. ^ Dainty, Sophie (20 August 2023). "7 huge Casualty spoilers for next week". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  17. ^ Lindsay, Duncan (8 April 2023). "Flirty and confrontational! Meet Casualty's new nurses as the cast reveal all". Metro. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
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