Georgina "Gina" McKee (born 14 April 1964) is an English actress. She won the 1997 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for '' Our Friends in the North'' (1996), and earned subsequent nominations for ''

The Lost Prince ''The Lost Prince'' is a British television drama about the life of Prince John – youngest child of Britain's King George V and Queen Mary – who died at the age of 13 in 1919. A Talkback Thames production written and directed by Stephe ...

'' (2003) and ''

The Street The Street may refer to: Geographical *Wall Street in New York City's Financial District *The Street, Lawshall, Suffolk, England *The Street (Heath Charnock) The Street is a historical property on a bridleway of the same name in Heath Charnock ...

'' (2007). She also starred on television in ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle the vici ...

'' (2002) and as

Caterina Sforza Caterina Sforza (1463 – 28 May 1509) was an Italian noblewoman, the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola, firstly with her husband Girolamo Riario, and after his death as a regent of her son Ottaviano. Caterina was a noblewoman who lived a ...

in '' The Borgias'' (2011). Her film appearances include ''

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Roa ...

'' (1999), ''

Phantom Thread ''Phantom Thread'' is a 2017 American historical drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville. Set in 1950s London, it stars Day-Lewis as an haute couture dressmaker ...

'' (2017), and ''

My Policeman ''My Policeman'' is a 2012 romance novel written b It is set in Brighton, East Sussex, England, in the 1950s. Plot summary The novel is set in Brighton in 1957.Natasha TripneyMy Policeman by Bethan Roberts – review ''The Guardian'', March 11, ...

'' (2022).

Early life

McKee was born in

Peterlee Peterlee is a town in County Durham, England. It lies between Sunderland to the north, Hartlepool to the south, the Durham Coast to the east and Durham to the west. It gained town status in 1948 under the New Towns Act 1946. The act also cr ...

, County Durham, the daughter of a coal miner,Lane, Harriet
"'I had nothing to lose'"
''Guardian.co.uk'', 30 November 2008 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009) and grew up there and in nearby Easington and

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

. Her first experience of acting occurred in her final year at primary school where her teacher finished the school week off with improvisations. Seeing a poster in a shoe-shop window for a new youth drama group, McKee and her friends decided to attend, initially not seriously but later becoming enthusiastic. It led to McKee's first professional appearance, working on Tyne Tees children's series, ''Quest of Eagles''. From the age of 15, McKee spent three summers in London with the

National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and registered charity in London. Its aim is to develop and nurture young people through creative arts and theatrical productions. Founded in 1956 as the world's first youth the ...

. After completing her A-Levels at East Durham College, she decided, with her parents' blessing, to apply to drama schools rather than art colleges. However, she was rejected by

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. ...

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. It is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. LAMDA's Principal i ...

and the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career

McKee began her career in TV with several background roles including a part on '' The Lenny Henry Show''. She made her film debut in 1988 when she had a small role in '' The Lair of the White Worm''. In 1996, she played Mary in the BBC drama '' Our Friends in the North'', a role for which she won three Best Actress awards in 1997: the

British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...

, the Royal Television Society Award and the Broadcasting Press Guild Award.Jones, Alice
"Who's that girl?"
''Independent.co.uk'', 16 September 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2009. McKee appeared in several episodes of the Chris Morris spoof current affairs show, '' Brass Eye'' (1997, 2001), as reporter Libby Shuss. McKee's theatre credits include

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

's '' The Lover'' and ''

The Collection The Collection may refer to: * The Collection (Lincolnshire), a county museum and gallery in Lincolnshire, England Film, television and theatre * ''The Collection'' (film), the 2012 sequel to the 2009 film ''The Collector'' * "The Collection ...

'' at the Comedy Theatre in London. In 2008, she appeared in the BBC drama ''Fiona's Story'' and a West End revival of Chekhov's ''

Ivanov Ivanov, Ivanoff or Ivanow (masculine, bg, Иванов, russian: ИвановSometimes the stress is on Ива́нов in Bulgarian if it is a middle name, or in Russian as a rare variant of pronunciation), or Ivanova (feminine, bg, Иванов ...

''.Taylor, Paul
"First Night: Ivanov, Wyndham's Theatre
, London"">Wyndham's Theatre">"First Night: Ivanov, Wyndham's Theatre
, London" Independent.co.uk, 18 September 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2009. In 2010, she appeared as Goneril in the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by M ...

revival of ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...

'', directed by Michael Grandage and starring Derek Jacobi. She received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. She played the mother of a deaf teenager in BBC TV's thriller, ''

The Silence Silence is the lack of audible sound. Silence or The Silence may also refer to: Places *Silence, a district of southern Brussels, Belgium People with the name *Silence Dogood, a pen name of Benjamin Franklin *Silence Mabuza (born 1977), South A ...

'', opposite Genevieve Barr. In 2018, she appeared in the highly successful BBC/Netflix drama series ''

Bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers ...

'' as Commander Anne Sampson.

Personal life

McKee has been married to Kez Cary since 1989; they live in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...

, England. She has been a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat ( red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetaria ...

since 1982.Norman, Neil
"My favourite table: Actress Gina McKee at Rasa, London"
''Guardian.co.uk'', 25 March 2007 (Retrieved: 1 August 2009) In 2002, McKee was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the

University of Sunderland , mottoeng = Sweetly absorbing knowledge , established = 1901 - Sunderland Technical College1969 - Sunderland Polytechnic1992 - University of Sunderland (gained university status) , staff = , chancellor = Eme ...

."Football veteran receives honorary degree"
TheNorthernEcho.co.uk, 15 July 2002. Retrieved 1 August 2009.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

*''

'' ... Goneril;

, London (director: Michael Grandage) *''

'' ... Anna Petrovna;

, London (director: Michael Grandage) *''The Lover and the Collection'' ...

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

, London (director: Jamie Lloyd) *'' The Exonerated'' ... Sunny Jacobs;

Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having closed for redevelopment in ...

, London (director: Bob Balaban) *''Aristocrats'' ... Judith; National Theatre, London (director: Tom Cairns) *''Old TImes'' ... Kate;

, London (director: Roger Michell) *'' Five Kinds of Silence'' ...

Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

, London (director: Ian Brown) *''Uganda'' ... National Theatre (Studio), London (director: Polly Teale ) *''Hammett’s Apprentice'' ...

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal ...

(Upstairs), London (director: James McDonald) *''Fighting for the Dunghill'' ...

Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extens ...

(director: Richard Osborne) *''

Separate Tables ''Separate Tables'' is the collective name of two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan, both taking place in the Beauregard Private Hotel, Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. The first play, titled ''Table by the Window'', focuses on the ...

'' ...

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin ...

Chichester Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ...

(director: Philip Franks) *''Boudicca'' ... Shakespeare's Globe, London

References

External links

*
Gina McKee Biography
FilmReference.com {{DEFAULTSORT:McKee, Gina 1964 births Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners English film actresses English television actresses English stage actresses English radio actresses Living people People from Peterlee People from Sunderland Actresses from Tyne and Wear People from Crouch End National Youth Theatre members Actors from County Durham 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses English child actresses