Gemma Whelan has become one of the most recognisable faces on our TV screens over recent years due to her starring roles in shows such as ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Gentleman Jack’, ‘The Tower' and ‘DI Ray’.
She is known for her memorable performance as Yara Greyjoy in the worldwide HBO multiple Emmy-winning phenomenon ‘Game of Thrones’, playing the fierce ruler of the Iron Islands from Season Two through to the show’s conclusion with Season 8 in 2019.
Other major roles include starring in two major ITV crime drama series, ‘The Tower’ and ‘DI Ray’. In The Tower she played the leading role of DS Sarah Collins, the chief investigator into a tragic fall from a tower block. A second series ‘The Tower: Death Message’ ran in 2023 with a 3rd series released in 2024. In DI Ray she played DI Ray's hard-to-please supervisor DCI Kerry Henderson, starring opposite Parminder Nagra. The show returned for a second series in late 2024.
She played Marian Lister, sister of Suranne Jones’s character Anne Lister, in both series of the HBO/BBC One drama ‘Gentleman Jack’. The show won Best Drama at the 2020 Royal Television Society Awards, and was also nominated for two BAFTAs.
In 2024 she had a major role in the Disney+ drama series 'Cristóbal Balenciaga', playing Prudence Glynn, the fashion editor of the Times who was the only person to ever secure an interview with the iconic but publicity-shy designer. 2024 also saw her join the cast in a cameo role playing a manipulative tabloid journalist in the second series of Sky's award-winning 1960s comedy drama 'Funny Woman' alongside Gemma Arterton and Alistair Petrie; and on stage for the sell-out National Theatre/Northern Stage production of 'Underdog: The Other Brontë', an irreverent re-telling of the lives and legend of the Brontë sisters, in which she starred as Charlotte Brontë.
It has recently been announced that she will have major role in Kenneth Branagh's new psychological thriller film 'The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde', which has a star-studded cast that includes Jodie Comer and Michael Sheen.
She played Kate in all 3 seasons of the BBC Two Shakespearian comedy ‘Upstart Crow’, written by Ben Elton and also starring David Mitchell and Harry Enfield. Her character is the daughter of Shakespeare’s landlady who yearns to become an actress. She also starred in the stage show spin-off of the series in London’s West End in 2020 and 2022.
In 2017 she starred opposite Sheridan Smith in the 2-part BBC mini-series ‘The Moorside’ which was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Mini-Series the following year. She played mother Karen Matthews in the drama which portrayed the hunt for missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews. In the same year she also had a major role in the BBC's adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's comedy 'Decline And Fall' which starred Jack Whitehall, John Suchet, Stephen Graham and Eva Longoria.
Other major roles include playing; Geraldine Martens, daughter of MI6 chief Carolyn, in the penultimate series of the BAFTA and Emmy winning drama ‘Killing Eve’ in 2020; Ann Eaton in the popular 2020 crime drama ‘White House Farm’ which won Best New Drama at the 2020 TV Choice Awards; and Miss Taylor in the Oscar and BAFTA nominated 2020 film version of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ which starred Anya Taylor-Joy, Miranda Hart, Bill Nighy and Callum Turner.
Other notable credits include BAFTA winning BBC comedy series ‘Inside No 9’, BAFTA winning, Emmy nominated Netflix series ‘The End of the F***ing World’, Morgana Robinson’s spoof documentary ‘The Agency’, BBC sitcom ‘Uncle’ and Series 2 of Netflix’s ‘The Crown’. She has also appeared in multiple episodes of children’s TV shows ‘Horrible Histories’ and ‘Hetty Feather’.
She has voiced characters in a number of video games including ‘Warhammer’ and ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ as well as the animated CBBC TV series ‘Danger Mouse’.
She has a background in comedy and started her career as a stand-up comedian, winning the Funny Women Variety Award in 2010. She also performed as her popular comedy character ‘Chastity Butterworth’ at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival.
Gemma naturally speaks with a neutral accent. She is originally from Leeds and uses this accent regularly in her TV work, including Gentleman Jack. She also has an excellent Birmingham accent, having lived there for 15 years, which she used in DI Ray. Her accent repertoire is extensive due to her comedic background and sketch work. Her comedy character Chastity Butterworth has a heightened RP accent, which she also uses in Upstart Crow.
Age Range
Styles
Comedy, Warm, Alluring, Rich, Recognisable, Smooth, Characterful, Natural Reads, Regional, Mums, Audiobook Experience, Home Studio
Credits
DI Ray (TV, 2022-2024) – 'DCI Kerry Henderson', ITV
The Tower (TV, 2021-2024) – 'DS Sarah Collins', ITV, Series 1-3
Funny Woman (TV, 2024) – 'Lynda Jay', Sky Max, Series 2
Underdog: The Other Brontë (National Theatre/Northern Stage 2024) (Theatre, 2024) – 'Charlotte Brontë', National Theatre/Northern Stage
Cristóbal Balenciaga (TV, 2024) – 'Prudence Glynn', Disney+
The Upstart Crow (Theatre, 2020 & 2022) – 'Kate', Gielgud Theatre & Apollo Theatre, London
Gentleman Jack (TV, 2019-2022) – 'Marian Lister, BBC One
Horrible Histories (TV, 2017-2022) – 'Various', CBBC, Series 7-9
Frayed (TV, 2021) – 'Hannah', ABC/Sky Max
Inside No 9 (TV, 2021) – 'Columbina', BBC Two, Series 6
Killing Eve (TV, 2020) – 'Geraldine Martens', BBC One, Series 3
White House Farm (TV, 2020) – 'Ann Eaton', ITV
Emma (Film, 2020) (Film, 2020) – 'Miss Taylor/Mrs Weston', Universal Pictures
Upstart Crow (TV, 2016-2020) – 'Kate', BBC Two, Series 1-3 & Christmas Special
Game of Thrones (TV, 2012-2019) – 'Yara Greyjoy', Netflix, Series 2-8
Surviving Christmas with the Relatives (Film, 2018) – 'Miranda', Studio Soho Films
Hetty Feather (TV, 2016-2018) – 'Ida Battersea', CBBC, Series 2-4
Queers (TV, 2017) – 'Bobby', BBC Four/BBC America
The Moorside (TV, 2017) – 'Karen Matthews', BBC One
Decline and Fall (TV, 2017) – 'Diane 'Dingy' Fagan', BBC One
The End of the F***ing World (TV, 2017) – 'DC Eunice Noon', Netflix
The Crown (TV, 2017) – 'Patricia Campbell', Series 2
Uncle (TV, 2015-2017) – 'Veronica', BBC Three, Series 2 & 3
The Agency (TV, 2016) – 'Kat Cassidy', BBC Two
Almost Royal (TV, 2014-2016) – 'Narrator', BBC America
Not Safe for Work (TV, 2015) – 'Davina', Channel 4
Murder in Successville (TV, 2015) – 'Nurse Adele', BBC Three, Series 1
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