Ruth Katrin Gemmell (born 1967) is an English actress. She starred in the film Fever Pitch in 1997 which was followed by supporting roles in television series EastEnders, Casualty, Home Fires and Penny Dreadful.[1] She has played Carly Beaker, the mother of the title character in the Tracy Beaker franchise since 2004. In 2020, she began playing Violet, Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton in the Netflix series Bridgerton.[2][3]
Ruth Gemmell | |
---|---|
![]() Gemmell in 2018 | |
Born | Ruth Katrin Gemmell 1967 (age 56–57) Bristol, England |
Alma mater | Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art |
Years active | 1991–present |
Spouse |
Early life and education
editRuth Katrin Gemmell was born in Bristol and grew up in County Durham, first in Barnard Castle before moving to Darlington with her mother upon her parents' divorce. She has three older brothers and a sister. She attended Polam Hall School.[4][5] Gemmell later moved to London, where her father lived, to pursue acting.[6] She trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.[7]
Career
editGemmell has played roles in both theatre and TV dramas. She played the leading female role in Fever Pitch, based on Nick Hornby's memoir of the same name, starring opposite Colin Firth[8] and had another leading role in the comedy/drama 2 January (2006). She played the recurring character of Detective Constable Kerry Cox in the first series of the BBC police procedural Silent Witness, which premiered in 1996. She returned to the series as different characters in 2006 and 2014.
In 2004, she starred in Tracy Beaker's Movie of Me as the mother of the title character. From January 2009 she became a recurring character in EastEnders as Debra Dean, the absentee mother of Whitney Dean. In August 2009, she starred as Rebecca Sands in two episodes of The Bill.[9]
Gemmell appeared three times in the BBC's police drama Waking the Dead, playing different characters. Her first appearance was in 2002 in the episode "Special Relationships" as DI Jess Worral, a former lover of DSI Boyd. She next appeared on the show in 2008, as Linda Cummings, an exceptionally intelligent serial killer. She reprised the role of Cummings in "Endgame", the finale of the eighth series.[10]
Gemmell starred in Episode 8 of Jimmy McGovern's BBC drama Moving On as Joanne, in November 2010.[11] In November 2011, Gemmell played Lady Shonagon in the adaptation for BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour of The Pillow Book, by Robert Forrest. She appeared as Jen, the wife of an adulterous civil servant, in Channel 4 drama Utopia, in early 2013.
In 2015, Gemmell appeared in five episodes of the television series Penny Dreadful as Octavia Putney. In 2020, she began playing Lady Violet Bridgerton in the Netflix series Bridgerton.[12][13]
In 2021, Gemmell reprised her role of Carly Beaker for My Mum Tracy Beaker.[14]
Personal life
editGemmell was married in Westminster, London, in 1997 to the actor Ray Stevenson (1964–2023), whom she met in 1995 during the filming of TV drama Band of Gold. The couple divorced in 2005.[15]
Filmography
editFilm
editYear | Title | Role | |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | Who Needs a Heart | Abigail | |
1996 | A Stiff Drink | Woman | Short film |
1997 | Fever Pitch | Sarah Hughes | |
2006 | January 2nd | Claire | |
Love for Sale | Lonely Lady | Short film | |
2007 | Ela | Ela's Mum | |
The Imaginary Girl | Mother | ||
2008 | Gone Fishing | Imogen | |
2008 | Good | Elisabeth | |
2010 | F | Sarah Balham | |
2012 | Storage 24 | Sarah | |
Offender | Cassie | ||
2013 | Chrysanthemum | Janet | Short film |
2019 | Cliffs of Freedom | Varvara Vakrinos |
Television
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | The Bill | Sue Latham | Episode: "Woman of Substance" |
Band of Gold | Gina Dickson | Episode: "Sold" | |
1996 | Kavanagh QC | Jenny Norris | Episode: "Men of Substance" |
Short Sharp Shocks | Kate | Episode: "Everywhere" | |
Silent Witness | Kerry Cox | Recurring role (series 1) | |
1997 | Peak Practice | Christine Higson | Episode: "Home Truths" |
The Perfect Blue | Jo | Television film | |
1998 | Macbeth | Lady Macduff | Television film |
1999 | The Bill | Jane Joyce | Episode: "Sex, Lies and Videotape" |
The Alchemists | Julia Bannerman | Television film | |
Four Fathers | Nicola Yallop | 3 episodes | |
2001 | Holby City | Diana Calder | Episode: "Extra Time" |
2002 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Rachel Waller | Episode: "For Love Nor Money" |
Waking the Dead | DI Jess Worrall | 2 episodes | |
2003 | The Bill | Carol Evans | 3 episodes |
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Jeannie Waring | "Playing for the Ashes" | |
Murder in Mind | Liz Willis | Episode: "Landlord" | |
Spooks | Miranda | 1 episode | |
2004 | Tracy Beaker: The Movie of Me | Carly Beaker | Television film |
Blue Dove | Jenny Page | Miniseries | |
2005 | Midsomer Murders | Anne Merrick | Episode: "The House in the Woods" |
2006 | The Afternoon Play | Rachel | Episode: "Are You Jim's Wife?" |
A Touch of Frost | Christine Harris | Episode: "Endangered Species" | |
Silent Witness | DI Beth Ashdown | Episode: "Terminus: Part 2" | |
2007 | Five Days | Dr Tobolska | 3 episodes |
2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Miss Sweetiman | Episode: "Mrs. McGinty's Dead" |
Summerhill | Rose | Television film | |
2008–2009 | Waking the Dead | Linda Cummings | Guest role (series 7–8) |
2009 | Trial & Retribution | Kay Satchell | Episode: "Shooter: Part 1" |
Primeval | Katherine Kavanagh | 2 episodes | |
EastEnders | Debra Dean | 11 episodes | |
The Bill | Rebecca Sands | 2 episodes | |
2010 | Lewis | Robyn Strong | Episode: "Your Sudden Death Question" |
Casualty | Kate Margolin | Episode: "No Place Like Home" | |
Law & Order: UK | Mel Garvey | Episode: "Confession" | |
Moving On | Joanne | Episode: "Losing My Religion" | |
2011 | The Fades | Alice | TV mini-series |
2012 | Inside Men | Rebecca | TV mini-series |
2013 | Father Brown | Martha Quinton | Episode: "The Wrong Shape" |
Dancing on the Edge | Lady Winnet | 1 episode | |
Holby City | Amanda Layton | 2 episodes | |
Coming Up | Lynn | Episode: "Big Girl" | |
2013–2014 | Utopia | Jen Dugdale | Recurring role (9 episodes) |
2014 | Silent Witness | Ellie Brooke | Episode: "Undertone: Parts 1 & 2" |
Inspector George Gently | Irene Seddon | Episode: "Gently Between the Lines" | |
Casualty | DC Monica Darling | Episode: "Deadfall" | |
2015 | Midsomer Murders | Diana Carnarvon | Episode: "A Vintage Murder" |
Penny Dreadful | Octavia Putney | Guest role (series 2) | |
2015–2016 | Home Fires | Sarah Collingborne | Main role |
2017 | Ransom | Laurie | Episode: "Girl on a Train" |
2018 | Doctors | DCI Gail Hargreaves | 2 episodes |
2020–present | Bridgerton | Violet, Lady Bridgerton | Main role |
2021 | My Mum Tracy Beaker | Carly Beaker | |
2023 | Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story | Violet, Lady Bridgerton | Main role |
Theatre
editTitle | Role | Director | Venue | Notes | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Tale of Two Cities | Seamstress | Phillip Prowse | Glasglow Citizens | [16] | ||
The Country Wife | Alethia | Ian Forrest | Lancaster Playhouse | [16] | ||
Tis Pity She's a Whore | Annabella | [16] | ||||
The Importance of Being Earnest | Cecily | Hugh Hogart | Edinburgh Lyceum | [16] | ||
The Winter's Tale | Perdita | Debbie Paige | Salisbury Playhouse | [16] | ||
An Ideal Husband | Mabel Chilton | Hugh Hodgart | Edinburgh Lyceum | [16] | ||
Uncle Vanya | Yelena | [16] | ||||
Measure for Measure | Isabella | Ian Forrest | Chester Gateway | [16] | ||
1991 | The Second Mrs. Tanqueray | Ellen | Debbie Page | Salisbury Playhouse | [16][17] | |
1994 | Othello | Desdemona | Oliver Godfrey | The Railway Tavern | Fast Intent Theatre Company | [18] |
1997 | Turn of the Screw | Governess | Julian Woolford | Hornchurch Queen's Theatre | [19][16] | |
1998 | Nabokov's Gloves | Mary Duggan | Ian Brown | Hampstead Theatre | [20][16] | |
1999 | The Weir | Valerie | Ian Rickson | Royal Court Theatre | [21] | |
2000-2001 | Ancient Lights | Iona | Ian Brown | Hampstead Theatre | [22] | |
2002 | Kick for Touch | Eileen | Josie Rourke | Crucible Theatre | [23] | |
Trips' Cinch | Lucy Parks | Thea Sharrock | Southwark Playhouse | [24] | ||
2004 | Midwinter | Maude | Zinny Harris | Royal Shakespeare Company | [25] | |
2004-2005 | Macbeth | Lady Macduff / Witch | Dominic Cooke | Royal Shakespeare Theatre | [26] | |
King Lear | Regan | Bill Alexander | [27] | |||
2005 | Coram Boy | Mrs Lynch | Melly Still | National Theatre | [28] | |
2008 | Helter Skelter / Land of the Dead | Woman | Patricia Benecke | Bush Theatre | [29] | |
Riflemind | Cindy | Philip Seymour Hoffman | Trafalgar Studios | [30] | ||
2010 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Merteuil | Toby Frow | Salisbury Playhouse | [31] | |
2011 | Zephaniah: In the Night, A Promise | — | Charlotte Westenra | Bush Theatre | Apart of: "Sixty Six Books" | [32] |
Death and the Maiden | Paulina | Patricia Benecke | Salisbury Playhouse | [33][34] | ||
2012 | Betrayal | Emma | Nick Bagnall | Sheffield Theatres | [35] | |
2014 | The Ant and the Cicada | Selina | Erica Whyman | The Other Place | Royal Shakespeare Company - Midsummer Mischief Plays | [36] |
Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. | — | [36] | ||||
I Can Hear You | Ruth | Jo McInnes | [36] | |||
This is Not an Exit | Nora | [36] | ||||
2017 | No Places for a Woman | Annie | Kate Budgen | Theatre503 | [37] | |
2018 | The Whale | Liz | Laurence Boswell | Theatre Royal Bath | [38] | |
Still Alice | Self | David Grindley | West Yorkshire Playhouse | [39] |
Radio dramas
editYear | Title | Role | Station | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Woman of Juda | Vivien Davies | [40] | |||
Maestro | Various characters | [40] | |||
The Cloths of Heaven | Rachel | [40] | |||
1994 | Teen Lurve | Nickie | BBC Radio 5 | [40][41] | |
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes | Violet de Merville | BBC Radio 4 | Episode: "The Illustrious Client" | [42][43] | |
1996 | The Candlemass Road | Lady | Saturday Night Theatre | [40][44] | |
The House | Polly Bannister | Series 6 | [45][40] | ||
1999 | Fireworks | Maid | [46] | ||
2001 | Ancient Lights | Iona | BBC Radio 3 | [47] | |
2003 | Parade's End | Sylvia | [48] | ||
After Scarborough | Sandy | BBC Radio 4 | [49] | ||
The Spaceman | Mother | [50] | |||
2008 - 2018 | The Pillow Book | Sei Shōnagon | Woman's Hour Drama; Series 1-11 | [51] | |
2009 | Classic Serial: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | Liz | Episodes: 1, 3 | [52][53] | |
2010 | The Vanishing | Lieneke | Saturday Play | [54] | |
Classic Serial: The Secret Pilgrim | Stephanie | Episode: 1 | [55][56] | ||
2011 | The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | Liz Gold | [57] | ||
2013 | The Corrupted | Gracie Braden | [58] | ||
The Man in the Lift | Angie | [59] | |||
2013-2014 | The Cazalets | Villy | Series: "Casting Off," "All Change" | [60] | |
2014 | Old Times | Kate | BBC Radio 3 | [61] | |
Alison Moore: The Pre-War House and Other Stories | Narrator | BBC Radio 4 Extra | 5 episodes | [40][62] | |
Time | BBC Radio 4 | Episode: "A Bagful of Stories" | [63] | ||
The Mysterious Death of Jane Austen | Anne | 15 Minute Drama: 5 episodes | [64] | ||
The Time Being: Spells for Love | Melissa | [40][65] | |||
2015 | The Left Hand of Darkness | Ashe | 2 episodes | [66][67] | |
Clown Shoes | Narrator | BBC Radio 4 Extra | 5 episodes | [68] | |
2017 | The Essex Serpent | BBC Radio 4 | 10 episodes | [69] | |
A Perfect Spy | Mary | [70] |
Audio dramas
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | The Archers | Victoria | Episode: "1.19335" |
Awards and nominations
editAward | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2021 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Bridgerton | Nominated | [71] |
References
edit- ^ "Ruth Gemmell | Hamilton Hodell". www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ "Ruth Gemmell – aka Lady Violet Bridgerton – talks family, feminism and fabulous fashion in Season 2 of the Netflix hit". Tatler. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ Baty, Emma (5 April 2022). "Ruth Gemmell Responds to 'Bridgerton' Season 2 Fans' Sex Scene Complaints: "There's Agency in the Slow Burn"". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ Gibb, Bill (7 April 2016). "Home Fires star Ruth Gemmell shares an embarrassing encounter". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- ^ Hardwick, Viv (14 October 2004). "Magic MacBeth". thenorthernecho.co.uk. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ Macbeth 2004 interview with Ruth Gemmell – dead link
- ^ "'Bridgerton's Ruth Gemmell On The Truth Behind *That* Scene With Jonathan Bailey". Bustle. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ Fever Pitch Cast discuss film
- ^ Ruth Gemmell to guest in The Bill
- ^ Percival, Daniel (27 September 2009), End Game: Part 1, Waking the Dead, Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston, Tara Fitzgerald, retrieved 23 May 2023
- ^ BBC Press Office Week 45
- ^ "Bridgerton star Ruth Gemmell shares exciting details about the plot of season two". 3 February 2021.
- ^ Norris, Susanne (25 March 2022). "Bridgerton's Ruth Gemmell opens up about season two of the show". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ My Mum Tracy Beaker (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDb, retrieved 23 May 2023
- ^ Koncienzcy, Rebecca (10 December 2017). "Where is the cast of Band Of Gold now?". Liverpool Echo. Reach Plc. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Ruth Gemmell | Theatre | Hamilton Hodell". www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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- ^ Bayley, Clare (16 March 1994). "Othello (1994)". Times Out. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
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- ^ Billington, Michael (16 November 2005). "Coram Boy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Billington, Michael (19 January 2008). "Land of the Dead/ Helter Skelter". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Billington, Michael (19 September 2008). "Riflemind". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Theatre review: Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Salisbury Playhouse". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "SIXTY SIX BOOKS". Charlotte Westenra. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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- ^ Smith, Ellie (23 March 2022). "Ruth Gemmell on Bridgerton Season Two". Country and Town House. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ Brennan, Clare (26 May 2012). "Betrayal – review". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Midsummer Mischief 2014 | Royal Shakespeare Company". www.rsc.org.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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- ^ "Still Alice: a delicately moving portrayal of living with early onset Alzheimer's". The State Of The Arts. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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- ^ "The BBC audio complete Sherlock Holmes". merrisonholmes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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- ^ "Saturday Night Theatre: The Candlemass Road". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 25 May 1996. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Friday Play: Fireworks". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 16 July 1999. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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- ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Alison Moore - The Pre-War House and Other Stories - Episode guide". BBC. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Time, A Bagful of Stories". BBC. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Oganesyan, Natalie; Moreau, Jordan (4 February 2021). "2021 SAG Awards: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
External links
edit- Ruth Gemmell at IMDb