Gillian Louise KearneyBirth Registration Details
''Ancestry.co.uk'' (Retrieved 16 July 2009) (born 9 May 1972, in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

) is an English actress best known for her early role as

Debbie McGrath Debbie McGrath is a fictional character in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'', played by teenager Gillian Kearney, from 1986 to 1989. The character was Kearney's first television role, and featured in a plot line which launched both actre ...

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

's Liverpool-based

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

'' Brookside'' and the spin-off

mini-series A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

Damon and Debbie ''Damon and Debbie'' is a three-part spin-off from the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'' first broadcast in November 1987. A Mersey Television production, it was written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, directed by Bob Carlton, and produced by Colin M ...

'', and for playing Jessica Harrison in the long-running BBC television medical drama series '' Casualty'', as well as Emma Barton in the

ITV Yorkshire ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network. Until 1974, this was prima ...

-based

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...

''. The role of Emma gained her recognition because of character's involvement in ''Emmerdale’s'' most high-profile storylines during her three-year stint.

Early life

One of four children born to Gerard and Barbara (''née'' Allerston) Kearney, Kearney has three brothers, including Tom, a professional footballer. Her father is a retired civil engineer, and her mother a school care worker. Growing up in

Aigburth Aigburth () is a suburb of Liverpool, England. Located to the south of the city, it is bordered by Dingle, Garston, Mossley Hill, and Toxteth. Etymology The name Aigburth comes from Old Norse ''eik'' and ''berg'', meaning ''oak-tree hill''. T ...

, she attended St. John Almond RC High School, Garston, where she gained nine GCSEs and four

A-levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational a ...

. She later trained at the

Rose Bruford College Rose Bruford College (formerly Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance) is a drama school in the south London suburb of Sidcup. The college has degree programmes in acting, actor musicianship, directing, theatre arts and various discipl ...

Career

Her interest in acting began at secondary school. After repeatedly being overlooked for the lead roles in school productions, she decided to join the

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actres ...

Youth Theatre, where she featured in plays including '' All Flesh is Grass'' (as Ema),Jones, Catherine
"We've got talent! £25m Culture project launched"
, '' LiverpoolEcho.co.uk'', 23 September 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2009 '' Katie Crackernuts'' and ''Yer Dancin'?'' It was there, in 1986, that she was spotted by members of the

Mersey Television Lime Pictures, formerly known as Mersey Television, is a British television production company, founded by producer and writer Phil Redmond in the early 1980s. They produce award winning drama, and entertainment shows, for the international ma ...

production team; this resulted in her being asked to audition for a role in Channel 4's soap opera '' Brookside''. Kearney landed the role of Debbie McGrath, the girlfriend of

Damon Grant Damon Grant is a fictional character in the defunct British soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The ...

, played by Simon O'Brien. When O'Brien decided to leave ''Brookside'', he requested that his character be killed off so he wouldn't be tempted to return to the show. Because Damon was so popular, particularly with younger viewers, it was decided to create a "soap bubble" in which the character would meet his demise: the result, ''

'', became Britain's first mini-series spin-off from a soap opera.Williams, Steve; Jones, Ian; Kibble-White, Jack
"Channel 4 at 25: 1987"
''OffTheTelly.co.uk'', November 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2009 A year after filming her final scenes, Kearney was asked to return for a few episodes. Christmas 1988 saw Debbie McGrath make an unexpected return to visit Sheila Grant, Damon's mother; she arrived with her baby, Simon – Damon's son. Kearney played the young Shirley in the award-winning 1989 film '' Shirley Valentine''. She also had the lead female part as Ellie Brookes in ''Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll'', a six-part television mini-series written and created by

Debbie Horsfield Debbie Horsfield (born 1955) is an English theatre and television writer and producer. Early life and career Horsfield was born in Urmston and she attended Eccles Grammar School and Eccles College before studying at Newcastle University, wher ...

and directed by John Woods. It was produced by Wall to Wall for

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

originally airing in 1999 before being adapted into a successful stage musical. In 2002, Kearney landed the role of June Forsyte in the ITV1 adaptation of

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include '' The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize ...

's classic novel ''

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 ...

''. She later reprised the role for the second series. Following the success of ''The Forsyte Saga'', Kearney's next role brought her back onto the ITV screen in its newest medical drama, '' Sweet Medicine''. Kearney was cast as Dr Deborah "Deb" Sweet, and starred alongside Jason Merrells, who played her husband, and

Patricia Hodge Patricia Ann Hodge, OBE (born 29 September 1946) is an English actor. She is known on-screen for playing Phyllida Erskine-Brown in '' Rumpole of the Bailey'' (1978–1992), Jemima Shore in ''Jemima Shore Investigates'' (1983), Penny in '' Mira ...

as her formidable mother-in-law. The show was intended to take up the mantle of the popular rural drama ''

Peak Practice ''Peak Practice'' is a British drama series about a GP surgery in Cardale—a small fictional town in the Derbyshire Peak District—and the doctors who worked there. It ran on ITV from 10 May 1993 to 30 January 2002 and was one of their m ...

'', which had recently ended, but low viewing figures saw ''Sweet Medicine'' axed after just one series. In 2005, Kearney landed a role in Channel 4's hit series '' Shameless'', playing the role of

Marty Fisher The following is a list of fictional characters from the English comedy-drama '' Shameless'', created by Paul Abbott, which was on Channel 4 between 2004 and 2013. The programme is set on the fictional Chatsworth Estate in suburban Manchester ...

's ( Jack Deam) girlfriend, Sue Garland. She left the show along with her on-screen partner in 2007."Gillian Kearney as Sue"
''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves ...

'', January 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2009 She had a number of television roles following her departure before landing the role of Jessica Harrison in ''Casualty'', in January 2008. Kearney left ''Casualty'' in February 2010, but returned briefly to tie up the loose ends of her character's storyline in May 2010. As of 2 January 2015, Kearney began appearing in the ITV

'', in the role of Emma Barton, the estranged wife of James Barton ( Bill Ward) and mother of their three sons Pete (

Anthony Quinlan Anthony Quinlan is an English actor, known for his roles as Gilly Roach in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and Pete Barton in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Career Quinlan played Gilly Roach in the English Channel 4 soap opera A s ...

), Ross ( Michael Parr) and Finn (

Joe Gill Joseph P. Gill (July 13, 1919 – December 17, 2006)_Goodman.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Martin/nowiki> Goodman">/nowiki>Martin/nowiki> Goodman – who wnedMarvel later – into comics, and did the first omicsin my brother's office". Gill is reporte ...

). Kearney has received critical acclaim for her performance, particularly when it came to the "No Return" week which saw the character hold James hostage and cause a huge crash that endangered the lives of seven Emmerdale residents; after Emma accidentally pushed James off the bridge, he later died. Kearney was nominated for Best Serial Drama Performance at the 2016

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are vot ...

. In 2019, Kearney directed the

5Star 5Star (stylized as 5STAR) is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Paramount Networks UK & Australia and a sister channel of Channel 5. It originally launched as the female-orientated Five Life on 15 October 2006, and was relaunch ...

woman's prison drama '' Clink''.

Personal life

Kearney lived in

Crouch End Crouch End is an area of North London, approximately from the City of London in the western half of the borough of Haringey. It is within the Hornsey postal district (N8). It has been described by the BBC as one of "a new breed of urban vill ...

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nor ...

, from July 2000, and then rented a property in

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People * Clifton (surname) * Clifton (given name) Places Australia *Clifton, Queensland, a town ** Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong * Clifton, Western Australia Canada * Clifton, Nova Sc ...

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

, during her time appearing in ''Casualty''. She returned to live in Liverpool after the birth of her son; she also rented a home in Yorkshire where she filmed ''Emmerdale'', and a holiday home on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

coast of

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. In April 2009 Kearney mentioned, during a '' This Morning'' television interview, that she was seeing a final-year medical student called Eddie, whom she had met whilst in

. Early in 2010, Kearney announced her engagement to Eddie Foo and their intention to marry later that year in Ireland, but the plans were soon put on hold when she discovered that she was expecting their first child. Kearney gave birth to an 8 lb 3 oz (3.7 kg) baby boy on 26 August 2010.Miles, Tina
"Casualty star Gillian Kearney on becoming a mum and her recent Clapperboard role at Liverpool's FACT"
''

The Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liver ...

'', 25 September 2010

Credits

Film

Television

Theatre

* ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' ... Lady Macduff,

Witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...

; Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; 6 May – 11 June 2011 * ''Strangers, Babies'' ... May;

Traverse Theatre The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes and Richard Demarco. The Traverse Theatre company commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary p ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

; 23 February – 17 March 2007Fisher, Mark
"Theatre; Strangers, Babies"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'', 2 March 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2009 * ''

The Flint Street Nativity ''The Flint Street Nativity'' is a 1999 British television comedy film directed by Marcus Mortimer, written by Tim Firth, and starring Frank Skinner, Neil Morrissey, Jane Horrocks, John Thomson, Stephen Tompkinson, Mark Addy, Ralf Little, Ju ...

'' ... Mary;

Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

, Liverpool; 7 December 2006 – 20 January 2007 * ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' ... Hedda Gabler ** Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool; 23 March – 15 April 2006Butler, Billy
"Gillian Kearney Interview"
BBC (Radio Merseyside), 5 April 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2009 **

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

( Quarry Theatre),

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...

; 17 February – 11 March 2006 * ''A Man of Principle'' ... Ruth; Colin's Bridewell, Liverpool; 26 October 2004 * ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...

'' ... Hermia;

Albery Theatre Albery is a name. It may refer to: ;People by given name *Albery Allson Whitman (1851−1901), African American poet, minister and orator ;People by surname: *A. S. Albery, British politician *Bronson Albery (1881−1971), English theatre director ...

, London; 16 March – 12 May 2001 * ''

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 ...

'' ... Cordelia;

Royal Exchange Theatre The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

; 9 September – 23 October 1999 * ''

The School for Wives ''The School for Wives'' (french: L'école des femmes; ) is a theatrical comedy written by the seventeenth century French playwright Molière and considered by some critics to be one of his finest achievements. It was first staged at the Palai ...

'' ... Agnès **

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

, London; 6 May – 2 August 1997 **

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, London, England. Early years Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A. Stone ...

, London; 11 February – 26 April 1997 ** Theatre Royal,

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

; 9–14 December 1996 ** Festival Theatre,

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 ...

; 26–30 November 1996 **

Tyne Theatre and Opera House The Tyne Theatre and Opera House is a theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is a Grade I listed building .html" ;"title="/sup>">/sup>, rated "in the top 4% of listed buildings" by English Heritage and is afforded a three star (the highes ...

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

; 18–23 November 1996 **

Richmond Theatre The present Richmond Theatre, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a British Victorian theatre located on Little Green, adjacent to Richmond Green. It opened on 18 September 1899 with a performance of ''As You Like It''. One of ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

; 11–16 November 1996 ** King's Theatre, Edinburgh; 5–9 November 1996 ** Thorndike Theatre,

Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley District of Surrey, England, about south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxon period, Leathe ...

; 8–26 October 1996 * '' The Rivals'' ... Lucy; Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester; 8 February – 23 March 1996 * '' When We Are Married'' ... Nancy Holmes; Festival Theatre, Chichester; 24 July – 17 August 1996 * ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

'' ... Maria; Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; 1992 * ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

'' ...

Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish Venetian ...

; Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; 1992 * ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' ...

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

; Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; 1991 * ''

The White Devil ''The White Devil'' (full original title: ''The White Divel; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Brachiano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Curtizan'') is a tragedy by English playwright John W ...

'' ... Giovanni; Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; 1991 * ''Your Home in the West'' ... Sharon; Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester; 28 March – 13 April 1991

Radio

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kearney, Gillian 1972 births Living people Actresses from Liverpool Alumni of Rose Bruford College English child actresses English television actresses English soap opera actresses English stage actresses English film actresses English radio actresses English Shakespearean actresses 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses