Gemma Elizabeth Whelan (born 1981) is an English actress and comedian known for portraying Yara Greyjoy in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones and as her stand-up character Chastity Butterworth. She also plays Kate in all 4 series of the comedy Upstart Crow (2016–2018), Detective Eunice Noon on the first series of The End of the F***ing World (2017), Geraldine on the third series of Killing Eve (2020), and DCI Kerry Henderson in both series of DI Ray (2022–2024).
Gemma Whelan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Whelan at Antwerp Convention 2014 | |
| Born | Gemma Elizabeth Whelan 1981 Leeds, West Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse | Gerry Howell |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and education
editGemma Elizabeth Whelan[citation needed] was born in Leeds in 1981[1] and grew up in the Midlands.[2]
She attended The King's High School for Girls in Warwick[3] and the London Studio Centre.[4]
She was hospitalised for anorexia nervosa as a teenager. She regards her recovery from the illness as her greatest achievement, and says that the experience has shaped her personality and how she approaches things.[5]
Career
edit
As a stand-up comedian, Whelan won the 2010 Funny Women Variety Award.[6] She performed at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe with her show Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster.[7] In 2014, she recorded a pilot chat show as her character Chastity Butterworth for BBC Radio 4,[8] which was in development in October 2015.[9][10] She also featured in other shows as this character.[11]
On screen, she has played supporting roles in several films and TV shows, including in the 2010 films Gulliver's Travels[12] and The Wolfman.[12] She played Kate (appearing in all 18 main episodes, as well as three Christmas specials) in Ben Elton's BBC Two comedy Upstart Crow,[12] and was a series regular on The End of the F***ing World.[12] She also played roles in other comedies, including Uncle and The Agency.[12]
In August 2011, she was cast as Yara Greyjoy,[13] elder sister of Theon, of House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, in the HBO fantasy-drama television series Game of Thrones,[13] and appeared as a recurring cast member from the second season onward.[14]
In 2017, she portrayed Karen Matthews in the two-part TV drama The Moorside,[12] based on the 2008 disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews. In 2019, she appeared as Marian Lister in the BBC drama Gentleman Jack.[12]
In February 2020, a stage adaptation of Upstart Crow opened at the Gielgud Theatre, London, Whelan reprising the role of Kate.[15] Whelan returned to the West End stage as Kate when the play was revived at the Apollo Theatre in 2022.[16]
Whelan appears as DCI Kerry Henderson in the police drama series, DI Ray, written by Maya Sondhi and produced by Jed Mercurio,[5] as superior officer to DI Ray, played by Parminder Nagra. Her role extends from the first series in 2022[17] to series 2 in 2024.[18][19][20]
Personal life
editWhelan lives in London with her husband, the comedian and actor Gerry Howell, and their two children.[21][5]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Madness of the Dance | Sister Grace | Short film |
| 2008 | Frites | Marie-Anne | Short film |
| Shortbread and Tea | Mildred | ||
| 2009 | Ding Dong | Dr. Pretty | Short film |
| 2010 | The Wolfman | Gwen's Maid | |
| Gulliver's Travels | Lilliputian Rose | ||
| c. 2011 | Like Buses | Girl 1 on bench | Short film dir. by Gary Keller, written by James Acaster (Available to watch on YouTube) |
| 2014 | Santageddon | Gemma | Short film |
| 2016 | Prevenge | Len | |
| Wise Girl | Noodles | Short film | |
| 2017 | The Blue Door | Caretaker | Short film by Megan Joyce Pugh and Ben Clark of 13th Door Films with ALTER (Available to watch on YouTube)[22] |
| Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas | Tiffany / Henchwoman (voice) | English version | |
| Keyed Alike | Coley | Short film | |
| Sump | Kate | Short film | |
| 2018 | Surviving Christmas with the Relatives | Miranda | |
| 2020 | Emma. | Miss Taylor / Mrs. Weston | |
| 2021 | Hireth | Eve (voice) | Short film |
| TBA | The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde | In production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Enforcers | Holly | |
| 2009 | 10 Minute Tales | Pretty Nurse | Episode: "Ding Dong" |
| 2010 | The Persuasionists | Josephine | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Threesome | Wendy | Episode: "It's Not Cheating" |
| Living Doll | Moaning Mona | ||
| For the Win | Various | Pilot | |
| 2012 | Comedy Blaps | Bar Waitress / Lost Woman in Park / Girlfriend | 2 episodes: "Dr. Brown: Episodes 1 & 2" |
| Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul | Various | Series 4; Episode 5 | |
| Cardinal Burns | Claire | ||
| 2012–2014, 2016–2019 |
Game of Thrones | Yara Greyjoy | Recurring role, 16 episodes |
| 2013 | The Day They Came to Suck Out Our Brains! | (unknown) | Mini-series; Episode: "The Wrath of Ken" |
| Nick Helm's Heavy Entertainment | Various | ||
| Claudia O'Doherty Comedy Blaps | Sarah | Mini-series, 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | Live at the Electric | Chastity Butterworth | 3 episodes |
| Siblings | Ruth | Episode: "Vet Drugs" | |
| Badults | Juliet | Series 2; Episode 2: "Neighbours" | |
| Mapp & Lucia | Quaint Irene Coles | 3 episodes | |
| 2014–2016 | Almost Royal | Narrator (voice) | 13 episodes |
| 2015 | Asylum | Journalist | Mini-series; Episode: "Strange Bedfellows" |
| The Art of Foley | Pippa | Mini-series; 3 episodes | |
| Not Safe for Work | Davina | Mini-series; Episode 5 | |
| Murder in Successville | Nurse Adele | Episode: "Dr. Death" | |
| 2015–2017 | Uncle | Veronica | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Comedy Playhouse | Chloe | Series 17; Episode 2: "Broken Biscuits" |
| Morgana Robinson's The Agency | Kat Cassidy | 7 episodes | |
| 2016–2018 | Hetty Feather | Ida Battersea | 14 episodes |
| 2016–2020 | Upstart Crow | Kate | Recurring role, 18 episodes and 3 specials |
| 2017 | Decline and Fall | Diane Fagan | Mini-series; 2 episodes |
| The Moorside | Karen Matthews | Mini-series; 2 episodes | |
| The Crown | Patricia Campbell | Series 2; Episode 5: "Marionettes" | |
| Queers | Bobby | Mini-series; Episode 7: "The Perfect Gentleman" | |
| The End of the F***ing World | DC Eunice Noon | 5 episodes | |
| Eat Your Heart with Nick Helm | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2017–2022 | Horrible Histories | Various | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Danger Mouse | Ego (voice) | Series 2; Episode 29: "For Your Insides Only" |
| 2019 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Additional voices | Series 4; Episode 20: "Pizza Party/The Tavern at the End of the Multiverse"[23] |
| 2019–2022 | Gentleman Jack | Marian Lister | 16 episodes |
| 2020 | White House Farm | Ann Eaton | Mini-series; 6 episodes |
| Untitled Pajama Men Project | Glenda | ||
| Killing Eve | Geraldine Martens[24] | Series 3; 6 episodes | |
| 2021 | Frayed | Hannah | Series 2; 2 episodes |
| Inside No. 9 | Columbina, a Maid | Series 6; Episode 1: "Wuthering Heist" | |
| 2021–2024 | The Tower | DI/DS Sarah Collins | Main role, 11 episodes |
| 2022–2024 | DI Ray | DCI Kerry Henderson | 10 episodes |
| 2024 | Cristóbal Balenciaga | Prudence Glynn | 6 episodes |
| Inside No. 9 | Party Guest | Series 9; Episode 6: "Plodding On" | |
| Funny Woman | Lynda Jay | Series 2; 2 episodes | |
| The Cleaner | Lara | Series 3; Episode 2: "The Baby" |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Newsrevue | Various | Edinburgh Festival |
| 2006 | Shakespeare for Breakfast | Petruchio | C Venues |
| Celebrity Love Panto Island | Various | Canal Cafe Theatre | |
| 2008 | Red Death Lates | (unknown) | Gideon Reeling |
| Improvathon | Bunny Valentine | The Sticking Place | |
| 2009 | Infinite Variety | Various | Whoopee Productions New Players Theatre |
| 2010 | Stephen & the Sexy Partridge | Chanel | Trafalgar Studios |
| 2013 | One Man, Two Guvnors | Rachel Crabbe | Royal National Theatre |
| Dark Vanilla Jungle | Andrea | Supporting Wall & Pleasance Theatre | |
| Chastity Butterworth & the Spanish Hamster | Chastity Butterworth | Pajama Men Productions | |
| 2014 | Dark Vanilla Jungle | Andrea | Supporting Wall |
| 2015 | Radiant Vermin [25] | Jill and others | Soho Theatre |
| 2019 | Pinter Seven: A Slight Ache [26] | Flora | Harold Pinter Theatre |
| 2020 | The Upstart Crow [27] | Kate | Gielgud Theatre |
| 2024 | Underdog: The Other Other Brontë | Charlotte Brontë | National Theatre |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Soul Sacrifice | Terrwyn | Voice roles |
| 2014 | Dragon Age: Inquisition | Threnn / Maryden / Winterwatch Tower Cultist / Redcliffe Soldier / Redcliffe Villager / Emerald Graves Civilian / Svarah Sun-Hair - Jaws of Hakkon DLC / Avvar - Jaws of Hakkon DLC | |
| 2015 | Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward | Igeyorhm / Vidofnir | |
| Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser | Maryden | ||
| Guitar Hero Live | (unknown) | ||
| 2017 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | Pathfinder Zevin Raeka | |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III | Eldar | ||
| 2021 | Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | Ameliance / Galene | |
| 2022 | Elden Ring | Lady Tanith | |
| TBA | Squadron 42 | Becca Farneway | Voice and motion capture |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Funny Women Awards | Best Variety | Herself | Won | [6] |
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Game of Thrones | Nominated | [28][29] |
| 2017 | WFTV Awards | The MAC Best Performance | Herself | Won | [30] |
References
edit- ^ Tripney, Natasha (20 March 2024). "Gemma Whelan: 'Right below my heart is a quiet place that has always burned to do this'". The Stage. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Lash, Jolie. "'Game Of Thrones' Newcomer Gemma Whelan Talks Yara Greyjoy". accessonline.com. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "From King's High to Hollywood". Independent Education Today. 31 March 2018.
- ^ "Alumni Gallery". londonstudiocentre.org. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Mwitumwa, Monde (2 May 2022). "DI Ray actress Gemma Whelan's age, family, and tough health battle". Leeds Live. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Funny Women Award Winners". Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ Hall, Julian (7 August 2013). "Edinburgh Festival 2013: Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster -". The Independent. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "The Chastity Butterworth Show – Radio 4 Chat Show". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Chastity Butterworth TV chat show in development". British Comedy Guide. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Whelan, Gemma (24 October 2015). "Circuit Training 86: The Secret Worlds of Gemma Whelan". British Comedy Guide (Interview). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Live at the Electric". BBC Three. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Gemma Whelan". Spotlight. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ a b "The Spotlight on ... Gemma Whelan". London is Funny. 18 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (6 July 2016). "Game of Thrones' Gemma Whelan on Yara's Sexuality and Freezing on Set". New York magazine.
- ^ Lawson, Mark (17 February 2020). "The Upstart Crow review – authentically Shakespearean right down to the puffling pants". The Guardian.
- ^ "Full cast for The Upstart Crow with David Mitchell announced | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Whelan, Gemma (5 June 2022). "New crime show 'DI Ray' tackles racism in a different way: star Gemma Whelan". TimesLIVE (Interview). Interviewed by Smith, Tymon. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Vick, Megan (21 July 2024). "'DI Ray' Season 2, Finale Recap: "Enemy Within"". Telly Visions. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Hibbs, James (2 May 2023). "Line of Duty star joins cast of DI Ray as filming begins on season 2". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Meet the cast of ITV thriller DI Ray". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ Roper, Kerri-Ann (30 November 2018). "Gemma Whelan: 'I'm out pushing my buggy around and I truly look like a bag lady... but it's fine'". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235.(subscription required)
- ^ The Blue Door
- ^ Swift, Andy (7 February 2019). "Disney's Star vs. the Forces of Evil Ending With Season 4". TVLine.
- ^ Mitchinson, James, ed. (14 April 2020). "Whelan 'star-struck' to join the cast of spy thriller Killing Eve". The Yorkshire Post. p. 2. ISSN 0963-1496.
- ^ Billington, Michael (12 March 2015). "Radiant Vermin review – Philip Ridley's nightmare tale of a dream home". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Pinter at the Pinter: Pinter Seven". Harold Pinter Theatre official website. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Upstart Crow – The Comedy". Official Show Website. Archived from the original on 4 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ McKenzie, Joi-Marie (29 January 2017). "Screen Actors Guild Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". ABC News. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey (14 December 2016). "SAG Awards nominations 2017: See the full list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Meet the 2017 Women in Film and Television Award Winners". Women in Film & Television UK. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
External links
edit- Gemma Whelan at IMDb
- Gemma Whelan on Twitter
- Gemma Whelan at British Comedy Guide
- Amore, video with Whelan on Upstart Crow
