Katherine Kelly (actress)
Encyclopedia
Katherine Kelly, is a British actress and recording artist who is most well known for playing Becky McDonald
in the ITV
soap opera
Coronation Street
. She has also starred in the film Mischief Night
.
, South Yorkshire
and grew up in both Barnsley and Wakefield
, West Yorkshire
. She attended Wakefield Girls High School
. She has strong links with The Lamproom Theatre
in Barnsley, established in 1998 by her father John (who is originally from Castleisland
, County Kerry
, Ireland), and has regularly supported fund-raising events held there.
She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
(RADA), London, with fellow students Meredith MacNeill
and Laurence Fox
, graduating in 2001. She worked at Chichester Festival Theatre
in The Accrington Pals with actress Amy Robbins
and at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
in Othello
with Andy Serkis
and Lorraine Ashbourne
. Since then, she has worked in TV, film, radio and voice-over. She was a leading lady at the Royal Shakespeare Company
from 2004–2005, performing in both Stratford-Upon-Avon
and the West End
.
On the 18 April 2011 it was announced that she would be leaving Coronation Street at the end of the year.
Katherine will be playing in Oliver Goldsmith's comedy "She Stoops To Conquer" at London's National Theatre next year in a west end show.
The album, released on 29 November 2010, was specially produced as part of the Coronation Street 50th Anniversary celebrations. Kelly, in character as Becky McDonald, sang the lead single from the album, "If It's Too Late" written by Trisha Ward
. The single was released exclusively by Tesco
on 6 December 2010.
On 20 April 2011, the Daily Mirror reported that "If It's Too Late" had been specially remixed by former PWL
and Stock Aitken Waterman
"Mixmaster", Pete Hammond as a "surprise present" for Kelly after she announced she was leaving Coronation Street. No release date has been given for the Pete Hammond single, although the Daily Mirror stated that it had been released in the USA under the name "Angel K".
Becky McDonald
Rebecca "Becky" McDonald is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. She is played by actress Katherine Kelly. Becky was created by producer Steve Frost as a recurring...
in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. She has also starred in the film Mischief Night
Mischief night (film)
Mischief Nights is a British comedy film released in 2006. It is the third installment of the Tina Trilogy following on from Tina Goes Shopping and Tina Takes a Break . However, unlike the previous two Channel 4 films Mischief Night broadens its scope to consider the wider community that Tina...
.
Early life and career
Kelly was born in BarnsleyBarnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
and grew up in both Barnsley and Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. She attended Wakefield Girls High School
Wakefield Girls High School
Wakefield Girls' High School is an independent school in Wakefield, England established in 1878 in Wentworth House, its current location. The school has grown from 59 pupils when it first began to nearly 750 in the present day .-Education:...
. She has strong links with The Lamproom Theatre
The Lamproom Theatre
The Lamproom Theatre is a theatre situated on Westgate Street, Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England. Four theatre companies are based at the Lamproom; the Lamproom Youth Theatre Ensemble , the Lamplyters, The Lamproom Musical Theatre Company, and The Lamproom Theatre Company.-Lamproom Youth...
in Barnsley, established in 1998 by her father John (who is originally from Castleisland
Castleisland
Castleisland is a town and commercial centre in County Kerry in south west Ireland. The town is renowned for the width of its main street. Castleisland has a population of 2,170....
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Ireland), and has regularly supported fund-raising events held there.
She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
(RADA), London, with fellow students Meredith MacNeill
Meredith MacNeill
Meredith MacNeill is an actress originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, but now lives in the United Kingdom. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art....
and Laurence Fox
Laurence Fox
Laurence Fox is an English actor best known for his leading role as Detective Sergeant James Hathaway in the British TV drama series Lewis...
, graduating in 2001. She worked at Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
in The Accrington Pals with actress Amy Robbins
Amy Robbins
Amy Robbins is an English actress best known for her role as Dr. Jill Weatherill in the British television series The Royal. Prior to her current role she played Police Sergeant Rachel James in the BBC One hospital drama Casualty for one series...
and at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
with Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis
Andrew Clement G. "Andy" Serkis is an English actor, director and author. He is popularly known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he earned several award nominations, including the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Two Towers...
and Lorraine Ashbourne
Lorraine Ashbourne
Lorraine Ashbourne is an English stage, film and television actress.-Career:She has appeared on British television series and television movies, including: The Street,True Dare Kiss, Thin Ice, In a Land of Plenty,...
. Since then, she has worked in TV, film, radio and voice-over. She was a leading lady at the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
from 2004–2005, performing in both Stratford-Upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
and the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
.
On the 18 April 2011 it was announced that she would be leaving Coronation Street at the end of the year.
Katherine will be playing in Oliver Goldsmith's comedy "She Stoops To Conquer" at London's National Theatre next year in a west end show.
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Last of the Summer Wine Last of the Summer Wine Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and... |
Sharlene | Episode: "Ancient Eastern Wisdom - An Introduction" |
| Silent Witness Silent Witness Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was... |
Tina Allen | Episode: "Running on Empty" | |
| 2004 | The Royal The Royal The Royal is a British medical drama series produced by ITV. The show comprises one hour episodes which were normally first aired on ITV in the Sunday early evening slot.... |
Tina Binnington | Episode: "Holding on Tight" |
| 2005 | Bodies Bodies (TV series) Bodies is a BAFTA-nominated British television medical drama produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. Created by Jed Mercurio, the series began in 2004 and is based on his book Bodies. The first series debuted on BBC Three as the channel at this time was trying to break out into hour-long... |
Sally Campbell | Series 2: Episode 7 |
| 2006-2012 | Coronation Street Coronation Street Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960... |
Becky McDonald Becky McDonald Rebecca "Becky" McDonald is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. She is played by actress Katherine Kelly. Becky was created by producer Steve Frost as a recurring... |
Regular role/Departing (2006–2012) |
| No Angels No Angels (TV series) No Angels is a critically acclaimed British television comedy drama series, produced by the independent production company World Productions for Channel 4, which ran for three seasons from 2004 to 2006. It was devised by Toby Whithouse.-Premise:... |
Annie | Series 3: Episode 2 | |
| 2007 | Life on Mars Life on Mars (TV series) Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural.... |
Auntie Heather | Series 2: Episode 4 |
| New Street Law New Street Law New Street Law is a British legal drama television series produced by Red Production Company in association with One-Eyed Dog Ltd for BBC One. The series was created by G. F. Newman and Matthew Hall, and starred an ensemble cast headed by John Hannah and Paul Freeman... |
Rebecca | Series 2: Episode 3 | |
| The Visit The Visit (TV series) The Visit is a British television programme starring Iain McKee and Steve Edge.The BBC revealed The Visit is part of a series trilogy with I'm With Stupid and Thieves Like Us and the decision is yet to be made about a second series.-Plot outline:... |
Julie | Episode One | |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sons and Lovers Sons and Lovers Sons and Lovers is a 1913 novel by the English writer D. H. Lawrence. The Modern Library placed it ninth on their list of the 100 best novels of the 20th century.-Plot introduction and history:... |
Emily / Suffragette | |
| 2006 | Mischief Night Mischief night Mischief Night is an annual tradition in parts of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, and the United States when people take a degree of license to play... |
Junkie Jane | |
| 2008 | Coronation Street: Out of Africa Coronation Street: Out of Africa Coronation Street: Out of Africa is a 2008 film set in sun and seaside resort of Sun City, South Africa. Cilla Battersby, the mother from hell, brought her son and other "son" over to Africa to win a competition for $500,000- Plot :... |
Becky Granger | Third Coronation Street direct to video movie, Cameo |
| 2009 | Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday is a DVD feature length film of the popular British soap opera Coronation Street released in October 2009.-Plot:... |
Becky McDonald | Fourth Coronation Street direct to video movie, Principal character |
Music
In November 2010 it was revealed that Kelly would be appearing on the album, "Coronation Street: Rogues, Angels, Heroes & Fools".The album, released on 29 November 2010, was specially produced as part of the Coronation Street 50th Anniversary celebrations. Kelly, in character as Becky McDonald, sang the lead single from the album, "If It's Too Late" written by Trisha Ward
Trisha Ward
Trisha Ward is an English composer and lyricist, best known for writing stage musicals. She was born in the North East of England and started performing in a band and writing songs when she was fourteen years old. This led to her career in the theatre.At the age of 23 Ward moved to London, and was...
. The single was released exclusively by Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
on 6 December 2010.
On 20 April 2011, the Daily Mirror reported that "If It's Too Late" had been specially remixed by former PWL
PWL
Pete Waterman Entertainment is the production company one-time pop and dance record label owned by pop mogul Pete Waterman. The label, originally PWL, is most famous for being the home of hit record producers Stock Aitken Waterman....
and Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
"Mixmaster", Pete Hammond as a "surprise present" for Kelly after she announced she was leaving Coronation Street. No release date has been given for the Pete Hammond single, although the Daily Mirror stated that it had been released in the USA under the name "Angel K".
Awards
- Won 'Editors Choice' at the TV Times Awards 2008
- Won 'Best Soap Personality' at the 2009 TRIC Awards
- Won 'Favourite Soap Female' at the 2009 TV Now AwardsTV Now AwardsThe TV Now Awards is an annual awards ceremony which takes place in Ireland...
- Won 'Favourite Soap Couple' for her onscreen romance with Steve McDonald portrayed by Simon GregsonSimon GregsonSimon Gregson is an English actor. He is known for being a cast member of the British soap opera Coronation Street in which he has played Steve McDonald since 1989....
TV Now AwardsTV Now AwardsThe TV Now Awards is an annual awards ceremony which takes place in Ireland... - Won 'Best Actress' at the 2009 British Soap AwardsBritish Soap AwardsThe British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
- Won 'Best Soap Actress' at the 2009 TV QuickTV QuickTV Choice, is a British weekly TV listings magazine published by H. Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group...
and TV Choice Awards. - Won 'Favourite Soap Female' at the Walkers TV Now Awards 2010
External links
- Katherine Kelly at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- ITV Profile