Kate Dickie
Encyclopedia
Kate Dickie is a Scottish actress who has appeared in television series, stage plays and films. She is best-known for her portrayal as the security camera operative Jackie in her starring debut Red Road
, directed by Andrea Arnold
, and for which she was given several awards as best actress, among other things at the BAFTA Scotland Awards and the British Independent Film Awards
in 2006. Dickie also supports the theatre company Solar Bear, which is known for its collaborations with deaf people, in part in her role as the patron.
but spent part of her childhood in different parts of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway
, Perthshire
and Ayrshire
) owing to frequent moves by her family. From an early age she discovered her passion for acting, which her parents also supported. But coming from a working class
family (her father was a farmer and gardener) in which no family member had been in the arts before, she was embarrassed to call herself an actress since she was afraid to be named as pretentious. Her desire for drama
classes supported her to overcome her insecurities that appeared through the frequent school changes and helped her dealing with adjusting to new people and surroundings. After leaving school she went to college in Kirkcaldy
to study for a national certificate in drama
. In 1990, she won a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
and decided to stay in Glasgow. Dickie started to work in theatre and had the opportunity to perform with some of Scotland's best companies. She finally achieved her breakthrough in 2000 when she played a role in an episode of the BBC Scotland series Tinsel Town.
, in which she plays a security camera operative who gets involved with people's everyday life through her camera perspective and who begins to stalk a man for reasons relating to her past, with her former drama school mate and co-star Tony Curran
, she now gains more recognition as a serious actress. Dickie received several positive criticisms concerning her “astonishing acting” as the protagonist Jackie as she presents the character in all her complexes by “displaying a cold, brittle exterior that occasionally cracks to reveal both pain and passion in equal measure” (View London
, Matthew Turner, 20/10/2006). Unfortunately, she is not yet known worldwide and her “lead performance” might “be understated”, but relating to her acting performance she is still seen as “excellent” (M&C, Ron Wilkinson, 10/04/2007) as she does not necessarily need a great amount of text. She is fully able to use her “expressive face” for “emoting every nuance” of the character's feelings (BBC, Jamie Russel, 22/10/2006). Her acting abilities are also noticed by Shane Meadows
, a famous film director and screenwriter of the UK's independent film scene, and his producer Marc Herbert
, who both praise her willingness to play provoking and complex scenes for the sake of the story including her ability to put honesty and real emotions in her acting that let her stand out against other actresses in the UK. Her performance as an introverted person and the intensive depicting of the explicit sexual scene in Red Road shows her talent and courage as an actress, who does not hesitate playing controversial film scenes and who is also able to display deep emotional feelings.
A further work that emphasizes her choice of playing complex characters is the stage play Aalst
, which is based on the true story of a couple who had killed their children and get sentenced in a trial that caused a great deal of attention. Dickie plays one of the parents who committed the murder. Her ambition to perform this role was her feeling of “responsibility to play people like that and to give them a voice. People that are not necessarily good or nice and have good lives.”
Kate currently works on a new film named Donkeys– a follow-up of Red Road, which is directed by Morag McKinnon. She portrayed Mary in the United Kingdom supernatural
thriller film Outcast.
Kate was a swimming trainer in 'Dive'2010 alongside Jack McConnel and Aisling Loftus.
In July 2010 it was confirmed that Kate Dickie had been cast in the HBO television series Game of Thrones
, where she will be playing the role of Lysa Arryn.
.
British Independent Film Awards
Chlotrudis Awards
London Critics Circle Film Awards
Montréal Festival of New Cinema
Red Road (film)
Red Road is a 2006 British film directed by Andrea Arnold. It tells the story of a CCTV security operator who observes through her monitors a man from her past. It is named after, and partly set at, the Red Road flats in Barmulloch, Glasgow, Scotland which were the tallest residential buildings in...
, directed by Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold OBE is a filmmaker and former actress from England, who made her feature film directorial debut in 2006 with Red Road.-Early TV work:...
, and for which she was given several awards as best actress, among other things at the BAFTA Scotland Awards and the British Independent Film Awards
British Independent Film Awards
The Moët British Independent Film Awards is an annual award ceremony celebrating achievement in independently funded British film and cinema. Nominations and jury are announced at the beginning of November with the award ceremony taking place in late November or early December.-History:The British...
in 2006. Dickie also supports the theatre company Solar Bear, which is known for its collaborations with deaf people, in part in her role as the patron.
Early life
Dickie was born in East KilbrideEast Kilbride
East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
but spent part of her childhood in different parts of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
and Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
) owing to frequent moves by her family. From an early age she discovered her passion for acting, which her parents also supported. But coming from a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family (her father was a farmer and gardener) in which no family member had been in the arts before, she was embarrassed to call herself an actress since she was afraid to be named as pretentious. Her desire for drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
classes supported her to overcome her insecurities that appeared through the frequent school changes and helped her dealing with adjusting to new people and surroundings. After leaving school she went to college in Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
to study for a national certificate in drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. In 1990, she won a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
and decided to stay in Glasgow. Dickie started to work in theatre and had the opportunity to perform with some of Scotland's best companies. She finally achieved her breakthrough in 2000 when she played a role in an episode of the BBC Scotland series Tinsel Town.
Acting career
Through Kate's performance in her film debut Red RoadRed Road (film)
Red Road is a 2006 British film directed by Andrea Arnold. It tells the story of a CCTV security operator who observes through her monitors a man from her past. It is named after, and partly set at, the Red Road flats in Barmulloch, Glasgow, Scotland which were the tallest residential buildings in...
, in which she plays a security camera operative who gets involved with people's everyday life through her camera perspective and who begins to stalk a man for reasons relating to her past, with her former drama school mate and co-star Tony Curran
Tony Curran
Anthony "Tony" Curran is a Scottish actor.Curran was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He is an alumnus of Holyrood Secondary School and is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama....
, she now gains more recognition as a serious actress. Dickie received several positive criticisms concerning her “astonishing acting” as the protagonist Jackie as she presents the character in all her complexes by “displaying a cold, brittle exterior that occasionally cracks to reveal both pain and passion in equal measure” (View London
View London
View London, owned by the 2 View Group Ltd, is an online entertainment guide to London, UK covering restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs in London. It also has a "What's On" guide and reviews of current cinema releases by Matthew Turner, its resident film critic.The site allow users to post...
, Matthew Turner, 20/10/2006). Unfortunately, she is not yet known worldwide and her “lead performance” might “be understated”, but relating to her acting performance she is still seen as “excellent” (M&C, Ron Wilkinson, 10/04/2007) as she does not necessarily need a great amount of text. She is fully able to use her “expressive face” for “emoting every nuance” of the character's feelings (BBC, Jamie Russel, 22/10/2006). Her acting abilities are also noticed by Shane Meadows
Shane Meadows
Shane Meadows is an English film director, screenwriter, occasional actor and BAFTA winner.-Background:Meadows grew up in the Westlands Road area of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. His father was a long distance lorry driver and his mother worked in a fish and chip shop...
, a famous film director and screenwriter of the UK's independent film scene, and his producer Marc Herbert
Marc Herbert
Marc Herbert is a Rugby League player who is now unattached after being released by the Bradford Bulls at the end of the 2011 season. He made his NRL debut in the Round 20 clash vs. the Gold Coast Titans, in place of the suspended Todd Carney...
, who both praise her willingness to play provoking and complex scenes for the sake of the story including her ability to put honesty and real emotions in her acting that let her stand out against other actresses in the UK. Her performance as an introverted person and the intensive depicting of the explicit sexual scene in Red Road shows her talent and courage as an actress, who does not hesitate playing controversial film scenes and who is also able to display deep emotional feelings.
A further work that emphasizes her choice of playing complex characters is the stage play Aalst
Aalst (play)
Aalst is a play by the Belgian stage director Pol Heyvaert. Based on real-life events that took place in the town of Aalst in 1999, the play recounts the murder of two children by their parents. It was originally performed in 2005 by the Ghent-based theatre company Victoria...
, which is based on the true story of a couple who had killed their children and get sentenced in a trial that caused a great deal of attention. Dickie plays one of the parents who committed the murder. Her ambition to perform this role was her feeling of “responsibility to play people like that and to give them a voice. People that are not necessarily good or nice and have good lives.”
Kate currently works on a new film named Donkeys– a follow-up of Red Road, which is directed by Morag McKinnon. She portrayed Mary in the United Kingdom supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
thriller film Outcast.
Kate was a swimming trainer in 'Dive'2010 alongside Jack McConnel and Aisling Loftus.
In July 2010 it was confirmed that Kate Dickie had been cast in the HBO television series Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones (TV series)
Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, the first of which is called A Game of Thrones, the television series debuted in...
, where she will be playing the role of Lysa Arryn.
Personal life
Dickie lives with her daughter Molly (born in 2004) and her partner Kenny, a sound technician, in KelvinbridgeKelvinbridge
Kelvinbridge is the common name of the Great Western Bridge, a cast iron road and pedestrian bridge built in the 19th century to carry the Great Western Road at a high level across the River Kelvin. West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland...
.
Stage
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Bonjour Tristesse | |
| 1997-98 | Timeless | |
| 1999 | Electra | Electra |
| 1999 | Mainstream | |
| 2000 | AD | |
| 2001 | Blooded | |
| 2002-03 | Lament | |
| 2003 | The Entertainer | |
| 2005 | Boiling a Frog | Fooaltiyeman |
| 2005 | Trojan Woman | Andromache |
| 2007 | Aalst | Cathy Delany |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Rab C. Nesbitt Rab C. Nesbitt Rab C. Nesbitt is a Scottish sitcom which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who believed unemployment was the life for him... |
Young girl | (23 episode) - "Mother" |
| 2000-01 | Tinsel Town Tinsel Town Tinsel Town is a television drama co-produced by BBC Scotland and Raindog/Deep Indigo Productions. It ran for two series, the first debuting on BBC2 in 2000 and the second airing on BBC Choice the following year. Set throughout the city of Glasgow, Scotland, it deals with the lifestyles of eight... |
Lex | (1 episode) |
| 2003 | Beverly | (1 episode) - "Gameboys" | |
| 2004 | Still Game Still Game Still Game is a Scottish sitcom, produced by The Comedy Unit with the BBC. It was created by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, who play the lead characters - two Glaswegian pensioners, named Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade respectively.... |
Pregnant Girl | (17 episode, Season 3) - "Swottin" |
| 2006 | Film '72 | Herself | |
| 2007 | Taggart Taggart Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network... |
Wendy Nuget | (1 episode) - "Island" |
| 2010 | Agnes Builder | (1 episode) - "Anarchy" | |
| 2011-present | Game of Thrones Game of Thrones (TV series) Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels, the first of which is called A Game of Thrones, the television series debuted in... |
Lysa Arryn | (5 episode, Season 1) - "The Wolf and the Lion" |
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Room for the Night | Prostitute | Short film |
| 2005 | Who Do You Love? Who Do You Love? (2005 film) Who Do You Love? is a 2005 short film written and directed by Jim McRoberts. It was released 17 August 2005 and stars Heather Keenan and Kate Dickie. It revived average reviews from IMDB.com with a 5.8 out of 10.... |
Mum | |
| 2006 | Accidents | Mum | |
| 2006 | Red Road Red Road (film) Red Road is a 2006 British film directed by Andrea Arnold. It tells the story of a CCTV security operator who observes through her monitors a man from her past. It is named after, and partly set at, the Red Road flats in Barmulloch, Glasgow, Scotland which were the tallest residential buildings in... |
Jackie | |
| 2006 | Emma Bovey | ||
| 2008 | Trace | Karen | |
| 2008 | Somers Town Somers Town (film) Somers Town is a 2008 film directed by Shane Meadows, written by Paul Fraser and produced by Barnaby Spurrier. It stars Thomas Turgoose, Piotr Jagiello, Kate Dickie, Perry Benson, and Elisa Lasowski... |
Jane | |
| 2008 | He Kills Coppers | Janis | TV-film |
| 2008 | Donkeys | Jackie | |
| 2010 | Native Son | Policewoman | Cinema Extreme Short Film |
| 2012 | Prometheus Prometheus (film) Prometheus is an upcoming science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba and Logan Marshall-Green. The film was originally intended as a direct prequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien... |
TBA | post-production |
Awards and nomination
BAFTA Awards, Scotland| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Won | BAFTA Scotland Award Best Actress in a Scottish Film | for: Red Road (2006) |
| 2000 | Nominated | BAFTA Scotland Award Best Television Performance | for: "Tinsel Town" (2000) |
British Independent Film Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Won | Chlortrudis Award Best Actress | for: Red Road (2006) |
Chlotrudis Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Won | Chlotrudis Award Best Actress | for: Red Road (2006) |
London Critics Circle Film Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Nominated | ALFS Award British Actress of the Year | for: Red Road (2006) |
Montréal Festival of New Cinema
| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Won | Actin Award Best Actress | Best Actress for:Red Road (2006) |
| Best Actress for:Red Road (2006) | |||