Charlene McKenna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlene McKenna
McKenna in 2008
Born	Charlene Lee McKenna (1984-03-26) 26 March 1984 (age 41) Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present
Spouse(s)	Adam Rothenberg ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	1

Charlene Lee McKenna (born on March 26, 1984) is a talented Irish actress. She became very well known in Ireland after playing Jennifer Jackson in the TV show Pure Mule in 2005.

Charlene has appeared in many Irish TV shows. These include Single-Handed 2 (2008), Whistleblower (2008), and Raw (2008–2013). She won an award for Best Actress for her role in Raw. She also won an award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival for her work in Whistleblower.

Since 2009, Charlene has also been on British TV. She played Rose Erskine in the BBC show Ripper Street (2012–2016). She was Leah Liebermann in Vienna Blood (2019–present). Charlene also played Laura McKee in Peaky Blinders (2019–2022). More recently, she was DS Niamh McGovern in Bloodlands (2021–2022).

Early Life and Education

Charlene McKenna grew up in Glaslough, a small village in County Monaghan, Ireland. Her parents owned a mushroom farm and later a pub called The Pillar House. She has five older brothers.

Charlene went to St Louis Secondary School in Monaghan. After that, she started studying Classical Music and Religious Education in Dublin. However, she decided to focus on her acting career. She left her studies to pursue her dream of acting.

Charlene McKenna's Acting Career

Charlene McKenna 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.

Starting Out in TV and Film

Her first big TV role was in Pure Mule in 2005. This show really helped start her career. She played Jennifer Jackson, a lively character.

In 2007, Charlene appeared in The Old Curiosity Shop. This was a TV show based on a book by Charles Dickens. She acted alongside famous actors like Derek Jacobi and Martin Freeman.

She also appeared in a short film called Danger High Voltage in 2007. 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.

Key Roles in Irish Television

In 2008, Charlene was in Single-Handed 2. She played Eilish, a mother whose two-year-old son went missing. Her performance in this show was described as "outstanding."

Later in 2008, she starred in Whistleblower. This was a two-part drama based on a real story from the 1970s. Charlene played Karen, a young mother who had a surgery she didn't need. For this role, she won an award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in June 2009.

Charlene also played Jojo, a young chef, in the RTÉ series Raw. This show was set in a restaurant in Dublin. She won the Best Actress award for her role in Raw at the Irish Film & Television Awards in February 2009. Charlene left Raw after its fifth season in 2013.

British Television and Beyond

In 2009, Charlene played Paula Abbot in The Fixer. In 2010, she was in the BBC show Being Human. She played a younger version of Josie, a character who was a vampire's love interest.

Charlene appeared in an episode of Sirens in 2011. She also played a character called "Lamia" in an episode of Merlin. She was also in Misfits as Shannon Speers. In 2013, she appeared in Skins Pure.

From 2012 to 2016, Charlene played Rose Erskine in the BBC mystery show Ripper Street. In 2015, she played Eva in A.D. The Bible Continues.

More recently, in 2019, Charlene appeared as Leah Liebermann in the crime drama Vienna Blood. In February 2021, she took on a main role as Detective Sergeant Niamh McGovern in the BBC police drama Bloodlands.

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 divides her time between Monaghan, New York, and London.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations