Kathy Burke facts for kids

Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke (born 13 June 1964) is a well-known English actress and comedian. She has appeared in many popular TV shows and films. Kathy is famous for her funny roles in sketch shows like French and Saunders and for playing Magda in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. She also worked a lot with comedian Harry Enfield.

From 1999 to 2001, Kathy starred as Linda La Hughes in the BBC sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme. For this role, she won a British Comedy Award and was nominated for two BAFTA awards. She also won the Best Actress award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival for her role in the film Nil by Mouth. Kathy has also directed plays and TV shows.

Early life and Education

Kathy Burke was born in London, England, on 13 June 1964. She grew up in Islington, North London, with her two older brothers. Her mother passed away when Kathy was two years old. She lived with her father and went to the Maria Fidelis Convent School until she was 16. After that, she studied acting at the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington.

Kathy's Career Journey

Kathy Burke's first acting job was in the 1982 film Scrubbers. This movie was about a young offenders' institute for girls. She then appeared in small roles in TV sketches with famous comedians like Harry Enfield, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders. She became known for playing funny characters like 'Tina Bishop' and 'Perry the Pre-pubescent Schoolboy' on the chat show The Last Resort. These characters later appeared in Harry Enfield's shows, with Tina becoming 'Waynetta Slob'.

Kathy also helped with two Comic Relief charity songs. She was part of a parody band called Lananeeneenoonoo in 1989. Later, in 1997, she joined the Sugar Lumps, a group that looked like the Spice Girls.

Serious Roles and Awards

While Kathy Burke is mostly known for comedy, she has also played serious roles. One important role was Queen Mary Tudor in the 1998 film Elizabeth.

In 1994, Kathy won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actress. This was for her performance as Martha in the 1993 BBC TV series Mr. Wroe's Virgins.

A big moment in her career was winning the Best Actress award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. This was for her role in the drama film Nil by Mouth. She was so surprised she almost didn't make it to the ceremony! This film also earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.

TV Success and Directing

From 1999 to 2001, Kathy starred as Linda La Hughes in the BBC TV series Gimme Gimme Gimme. She helped create this show with writer Jonathan Harvey. For this role, she was nominated for several awards, winning a British Comedy Award. In 2000, she also appeared in the comedy film Kevin & Perry Go Large as Perry.

Around 2001, Kathy started focusing more on directing for the theatre. She found a new passion in directing plays. She has also done voiceover work, like for Ski yoghurt adverts and as Rita's mum in the animated film Flushed Away (2006).

In 2009, Kathy Burke directed her first TV series, Horne & Corden, for BBC Three. She also wrote and appeared in a short film called "Better Than Christmas" for Sky 1 in 2010. This led to her writing a four-part series called "Walking and Talking" in 2012, which was based on her own teenage years.

Recent Work

In 2011, Kathy played Connie Sachs in the film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. She was also in the 2015 film Pan as Mother Barnabas.

More recently, Kathy Burke has presented her own documentary series for Channel 4. These include Kathy Burke's All Woman (2019), which looked at stereotypes about women. She also presented Kathy Burke: Money Talks (2021) and Kathy Burke: Growing Up (2023). In 2021, she was a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

In 2022, Kathy directed the ITV murder mystery series Holding. She also started a podcast called Where There's a Will, There's a Wake in 2022. On this podcast, she talks to guests about how they imagine their own funerals.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Appearances

Theatre Work

As an Actress

As a Director

Podcasting

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Kathy Burke para niños