Charlene McKenna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charlene McKenna
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McKenna in 2008
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| Born |
Charlene Lee McKenna
26 March 1984 Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Adam Rothenberg
(m. 2021) |
Charlene Lee McKenna (born 26 March 1984) is an Irish actress. She became well-known in Ireland after playing Jennifer Jackson in the TV show Pure Mule (2005). She also appeared in other Irish TV shows like Single-Handed 2 (2008) and Raw (2008–2013). For her role in Raw, she won the Best Actress award at the Irish Film & Television Awards. She also won an award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival for her part in Whistleblower (2008).
Since 2009, Charlene has also been in British TV shows. She played Rose Erskine in the BBC mystery show Ripper Street (2012–2016). She was also Leah Liebermann in Vienna Blood (2019–present) and Laura McKee in Peaky Blinders (2019–2022). More recently, she played DS Niamh McGovern in the police drama Bloodlands (2021–2022).
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Early Life and School
Charlene McKenna grew up in Glaslough, County Monaghan, in Ireland. Her parents owned a mushroom farm and later a pub called The Pillar House. She has five older brothers.
She went to St Louis Secondary School in Monaghan. After that, she started studying Classical Music and Religious Education in Dublin. However, she decided to take a break from her studies to focus on her acting career. She later left college to act full-time.
Acting Career Highlights
Charlene first acted on stage when she was eleven years old. She had a small part in a play called Oklahoma! with the Monaghan Youth Theatre.
Her first big TV role was in Pure Mule, which helped start her career. She played Jennifer Jackson in the series. She also appeared in The Old Curiosity Shop in 2007. This was a TV version of a famous book by Charles Dickens.
In 2007, she was in a short film called Danger High Voltage. This film won awards at the Galway Film Fleadh and the Cork Film Festival in 2008. Charlene also played Mary McMahon in the movie Dorothy Mills.
She was praised for her role as Eilish in Single-Handed 2 in 2008. In this show, her character's two-year-old son went missing.
Charlene also starred in Whistleblower in 2008. This two-part drama was based on a true story about problems at a hospital. Charlene played Karen, a young mother who faced a difficult situation. She won an award for her amazing acting in this show at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.
From 2008 to 2013, Charlene was a main star in the RTÉ series Raw. She played Jojo, a young chef working in a busy restaurant in Dublin. For her role as Jojo, Charlene won the Best Actress award at the Irish Film & Television Awards in 2009. She left Raw after its fifth season in 2013.
Charlene has taken on many different roles. In 2010, she played Josie in the BBC show Being Human. She also appeared in an episode of Merlin in 2011, where she played a character called Lamia. She was also in Misfits and Skins Pure.
From 2012 to 2016, Charlene played Rose Erskine in the BBC mystery drama Ripper Street. In 2015, she played Eva in A.D. The Bible Continues.
More recently, in 2019, Charlene appeared as Leah Liebermann in the BBC crime drama Vienna Blood. In 2021, she took on a main role as Detective Sergeant Niamh McGovern in the BBC police drama Bloodlands. She also joined the cast of the popular show Peaky Blinders as Captain Swing.
Personal Life
Charlene McKenna got engaged to American actor Adam Rothenberg in 2019. They got married in January 2021 at Castle Leslie, which is close to Charlene's hometown. Charlene now spends her time living in Monaghan, New York, and London.
Awards and Recognitions
Charlene McKenna has won and been nominated for several awards for her acting:
- 2009: Won the Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival for Whistleblower.
- 2009: Won the Best Actress in a leading Role - Television award at the Irish Film & Television Awards for Raw.
- 2009: Nominated for Best Actress in a leading Role - Television at the Irish Film & Television Awards for Whistleblower.
- 2010: Nominated for Best Actress in a leading Role - Television at the Irish Film & Television Awards for Pure Mule: The Last Weekend.
- 2011: Nominated for Best Actress in a leading Role - Television at the Irish Film & Television Awards for Raw.
- 2013: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress – Film at the Irish Film & Television Awards for Jump.
- 2017: Nominated for Best Actress in a leading Role - Drama at the Irish Film & Television Awards for Ripper Street.
Images for kids
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Charlene McKenna in 2008
