Quick Facts
Biography
Katherine Kelly (born 19 November 1979) is an English actress. A 2001 graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she played Becky McDonald in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2006 to 2012, for which she won Best Actress at the 2009 British Soap Awards and Best Serial Drama Performance at the 2012 National Television Awards. Since 2013, she has starred as Mae, Lady Loxley in the ITV drama series Mr Selfridge.
Kelly's theatre credits include Othello at the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2002, playing Kate Hardcastle in the 2012 National Theatre revival of She Stoops to Conquer, and Alaura in City of Angels at the Donmar Warehouse in 2014. In 2012, she starred in the BBC Four Kenny Everett biopic Best Possible Taste. Her other television credits include The Guilty (2013), The Field of Blood (2013), Happy Valley (2016), The Night Manager (2016), and Doctor Who spin-off series Class (2016).
Early life and career
Kelly was born in Barnsley, 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.
After she left Coronation Street in 2011, she starred as Miss Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer at the National Theatre from 24 January 2012.
Kelly's first television role after leaving Coronation Street was in the 90-minute BBC Four biopic The Best Possible Taste, in which she played Lee Middleton, wife of Kenny Everett. In early 2013 she played socialite Lady Loxley in the ten part ITV1 drama series Mr Selfridge, later signing on to appear in the second series of the show in 2014 and its final series in 2016.
Later in 2013 she joined the lead cast of The Field of Blood, based on the novel by Denise Mina. Kelly played Maloney, an ambitious woman in the "ferociously male-dominated world of 1980s newspaper journalism". Also that year she starred in the three part ITV thriller, The Guilty, as Claire Reid, mother to a missing five-year-old child.
In August 2015 it was announced that Kelly would join the cast of Happy Valley, which aired the following year. In the series Kelly portrays DI Jodie Shackleton, a part that was written for her by series creator Sally Wainwright. Kelly enjoyed the opportunity to play a character in her native Yorkshire accent, and prepared for the role by shadowing police detectives in Halifax. Also in 2016 she appeared as the Permanent Secretary in four episodes of The Night Manager.
On 4 April 2016, it was announced that Kelly would star in the BBC Three Doctor Who spin-off series Class written by Patrick Ness, airing from October 2016.
Music
Kelly appeared on the 2010 album, Coronation Street: Rogues, Angels, Heroes & Fools. Kelly, in character as Becky McDonald, sang the lead single from the album, If It's Too Late, which was 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.
Personal life
Kelly married Ryan Clark in 2013 in Las Vegas. In 2014, she gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Orla Rae Kelly Clark. On 21 October 2016, she gave birth to a second daughter, Rose Kelly Clark.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Last of the Summer Wine | Sharlene | Episode: "Ancient Eastern Wisdom — An Introduction" |
| 2003 | Silent Witness | Tina Allen | Episode: "Running on Empty" |
| 2004 | The Royal | Tina Binnington | Episode: "Holding on Tight" |
| 2005 | Bodies | Sally Campbell | Series 2: Episode 7 |
| 2006 | No Angels | Annie | Series 3: Episode 2 |
| 2006–2012 | Coronation Street | Becky Granger / McDonald | Guest character (2006); Main cast regular (2006–2012) British Soap Award for Best Actress (2009) British Soap Award for Best Exit (2012) National Television Award for Best Serial Drama Performance (2012) |
| 2007 | Life on Mars | Auntie Heather | Series 2: Episode 4 |
| 2007 | New Street Law | Rebecca | Series 2: Episode 3 |
| 2007 | The Visit | Julie | Episode One |
| 2012 | The Best Possible Taste | Lee Middleton | Ninety minute biopic |
| 2013–2014, 2016 | Mr Selfridge | Mae, Lady Loxley | Series one; series two; series four |
| 2013 | The Field of Blood | Maloney | TV Series, 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Guilty | Claire Reid | Three part series |
| 2015 | The Sound of Music Live | Baroness Elsa Schraeder | UK version of The Sound of Music Live! broadcast 20 December 2015 |
| 2016 | Happy Valley | DI Jodie Shackleton | Series two — Regular |
| 2016 | The Night Manager | The Permanent Secretary | TV mini-series |
| 2016 | HIM | Hannah | TV mini-series |
| 2016– | Class | Miss Quill | All 8 episodes |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sons and Lovers | Emily / Suffragette | |
| 2006 | Mischief Night | Junkie Jane | |
| 2008 | Coronation Street: Out of Africa | Becky Granger | Third Coronation Street direct to video movie, Cameo |
| 2009 | Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday | Becky McDonald | Fourth Coronation Street direct to video movie, Principal character |
| 2013 | The Last Witch | Alice Lister | TV Movie |
Awards & nominations
National Television Awards
- Best Serial Drama Performance 2008 – nominated
- Best Serial Drama Performance 2010 – nominated
- Best Serial Drama Performance 2011 – nominated
- Best Serial Drama Performance – 2012 – won
British Soap Awards
- Best Actress 2008 – nominated
- Best Comedy Performance 2008 – nominated
- Best On-Screen Partnership 2008 (shared with David Neilson) – nominated
- Best Actress 2009 – won
- Best On-Screen Partnership 2009 (shared with Simon Gregson) – nominated
- Sexiest Female 2009 – nominated
- Best Actress 2010 – nominated
- Best On-Screen Partnership 2010 (shared with Simon Gregson) – nominated
- Best Actress 2011 – nominated
- Best On-Screen Partnership 2011 (shared with Simon Gregson) – nominated
- Best Exit 2012 – won
Other
- Royal Television Society North West Awards 2008 – 'Best Performance in a Continuing Drama' – nominated
- TV Times Awards 2008 – 'Editors Choice' – won
- TRIC Awards 2009 – 'Best Soap Personality' – won
- TV Now Awards 2009 – 'Favourite Soap Female' – won
- TV Now Awards 2009 – 'Favourite Soap Couple' – (shared with Simon Gregson) – won
- TV Quick & TV Choice Awards 2009 – 'Best Soap Actress' – won
- TV Times Awards 2009 – 'Favourite Soap Star' – nominated
- Royal Television Society North West Awards 2009 – 'Best Performance in a Continuing Drama' – nominated
- TV Times Awards 2009 – 'Favourite Double Act' – (shared with Simon Gregson) – nominated
- All About Soap Bubble Awards 2010 – 'Bride and Doom' (shared with Simon Gregson) – won
- All About Soap Bubble Awards 2010 – 'Celeb Style' – nominated
- TV Now Awards 2010 – 'Favourite Soap Female' – won
- TV Quick Awards 2010 – 'Best Soap Actress' – shortlisted
- TV Times Awards 2010 – 'Favourite Soap Star' – nominated
- Inside Soap Awards 2010 – 'Best Actress' – shortlisted
- Inside Soap Awards 2010 – 'Best Wedding' (shared with Simon Gregson) – shortlisted
- All About Soap Bubble Awards 2011 – 'Best Actress' – nominated
- TV Quick Awards 2011 – 'Best Soap Actress' – shortlisted
- Inside Soap Awards 2011 – 'Best Actress' – shortlisted
- Inside Soap Awards 2011 – 'Best Dramatic Performance' – nominated
- Inside Soap Awards 2011 – 'Best Wedding' (shared with Simon Gregson) – nominated
- Shorty Awards 2012 – 'Best Actress' – nominated