Gina McKee facts for kids

Gina McKee (born on April 14, 1964) is a talented English actress. She has won many awards for her acting. In 1997, she won a BAFTA TV Award for her role in the TV show Our Friends in the North.

She has also been nominated for other awards for her work in The Lost Prince (2003) and The Street (2007). You might also know her from TV shows like The Forsyte Saga (2002) and as Caterina Sforza in The Borgias (2011). Gina McKee has also appeared in popular movies such as Notting Hill (1999), Phantom Thread (2017), and My Policeman (2022).

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Gina McKee was born in Peterlee, County Durham, England, in 1964. Her father was a coal miner. She grew up in Peterlee and nearby towns like Easington and Sunderland.

Gina first tried acting in her last year of primary school. Her teacher would end the week with fun acting games where students made up scenes. One day, she saw a poster for a new youth drama group. Gina and her friends decided to join. At first, they didn't take it seriously, but soon they loved it! This led to Gina's very first professional acting job. She worked on a children's TV show called Quest of Eagles for Tyne Tees.

When she was 15, Gina spent three summers in London with the National Youth Theatre. This is a special group for young actors. After finishing her high school studies (called A-Levels) at East Durham College, she wanted to go to drama school. Her parents supported her choice. However, she was not accepted into some of the top drama schools she applied to.

Gina McKee's Acting Career

Gina McKee started her acting career with smaller roles on TV. One of her first jobs was on The Lenny Henry Show. In 1988, she made her first movie appearance in The Lair of the White Worm.

A big moment in her career came in 1996. She played the character Mary in the BBC drama Our Friends in the North. For this role, she won three "Best Actress" awards in 1997. These included the British Academy Television Award, the Royal Television Society Award, and the Broadcasting Press Guild Award. Gina also appeared as a reporter named Libby Shuss in the comedy show Brass Eye.

Gina has also acted in many plays. She performed in plays by famous writer Harold Pinter. In 2008, she was in a BBC drama called Fiona's Story. She also acted in a play called Ivanov in London's West End. In 2010, she played Goneril in a play called King Lear. For this role, she was nominated for an Olivier Award, which is a very important award for theatre actors.

In 2010, she played the mother of a deaf teenager in the BBC TV thriller The Silence. More recently, in 2018, she was in the very popular BBC/Netflix show Bodyguard. In this show, she played Commander Anne Sampson.

Personal Life

Gina McKee has been married to Kez Cary since 1989. They live in East Sussex, England. She has been a vegetarian since 1982.

In 2002, the University of Sunderland gave Gina McKee an special award. It was an Honorary Doctorate of Arts, which means they recognized her great achievements in acting.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

• King Lear ... Goneril; Donmar Warehouse, London
• Ivanov ... Anna Petrovna; Donmar Warehouse, London
• The Lover and the Collection ... Comedy Theatre, London
• The Exonerated ... Sunny Jacobs; Riverside Studios, London
• Aristocrats ... Judith; National Theatre, London
• Old TImes ... Kate; Donmar Warehouse, London
• Five Kinds of Silence ... Lyric Hammersmith, London
• Uganda ... National Theatre (Studio), London
• Hammett's Apprentice ... Royal Court Theatre (Upstairs), London
• Fighting for the Dunghill ... Warehouse Theatre, Croydon
• Separate Tables ... Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester
• Boudicca ... Shakespeare's Globe, London
• Dear England ... National Theatre (Olivier), London
• The Years ... Harold Pinter Theatre, London

See also

In Spanish: Gina McKee para niños