Quick Facts
Biography
Lauren Rose Crace (born 25 May 1986) is an English actress known for playing Danielle Jones in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.
Early life
The daughter of contemporary writer Jim Crace and Pamela Turton, Lauren Rose Crace was born in Birmingham. She has an older brother, Thomas (born 1981). She attended Swanshurst School in Billesley, and then Cadbury Sixth Form College, where she took both a GCSE and an A-Level in Drama. She joined the Stage 2 Youth theatre aged eleven. and later went on to train at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Career
Crace began her acting career as an extra, having parts in TV shows and theatre productions including leading roles in Alice in Wonderland (directed by Ruth Harrell) and Sweeney Todd (directed by Tom Bailey). In 2008, she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders playing Danielle Jones, a love interest for newcomer Callum Monks. She first appeared onscreen in August. She made her last appearance as Danielle in an hour-long episode broadcast on 2 April 2009, in which her character died after being hit by a speeding car.
Prior to the episode's broadcast, Crace told GMTV she wanted to return to theatre and move away from the character of Danielle. The viewing figures for her last episode peaked at 11.5 million, due to this there was a surge in the national power grid. Fans of the show and the character signed an online petition with 15,000 signatures that labeled the character's death a "huge mistake". There was a Facebook group "Bring Back Danielle from EastEnders", which attracted over 67,000 fans so far. But according to The Daily Mirror, soap bosses have ruled this out. Crace won the award for Best Newcomer for her role in Eastenders at the TV Quick and TV Choice Awards.
In February 2010, Crace filmed a role in the BBC television series Sherlock, which broadcast later that year. From 29 April to 22 May 2010, Crace appeared at the Salisbury Playhouse as Cecile Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Works
- Television
- 2008-2009 EastEnders as Danielle Jones (76 episodes)
- 2010 Sherlock as Lucy (1 episode; "The Great Game")
- 2011 Room at the Top as Joan
- 2011 Silk in a minor role ( Episode 5)
- 2011 Holby City as Rose Stanley (2 episodes; "A Greater Good")
- 2012 Shameless as Beccy (1 episode)
- 2013-2015 Mr Selfridge as Doris Millar/Grove
- 2016 Doctors as Gemma Bowcott (1 episode; "All The King's Men")
- Theatre credits
- 2010 Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Salisbury Playhouse as Cecile Volanges
- 2011 And I And Silence at the Finborough Theatre as Young Dee
- 2013 Theatre Uncut at the Young Vic
- 2014 Khandan at the Royal Court Theatre as Liz
- 2015 Foundry Showcase at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre as Various