Vinette Robinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vinette Robinson
Robinson in 2021
Born	1981 (age 43–44) Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1998–present

Vinette Robinson is a talented British actress born in 1981. She won a special award called the British Independent Film Award for her amazing acting in the movie Boiling Point (2021). She even played the same role again in the TV show that came from the movie. You might also know her from popular TV series like Waterloo Road (2009), Sherlock (2010–2014), and The A Word (2016–2017). She also appeared in an episode of Black Mirror (2015) and played the important civil rights leader Rosa Parks in the Doctor Who episode "Rosa" (2018).

Vinette Robinson's Early Life

Vinette Robinson grew up in Bradford, England. Her father was from Jamaica, and her mother was British. She went to primary and secondary school in Bradford. Later, she studied drama at Intake High School in Leeds. She also took weekly classes at the Scala School of Performing Arts, a theatre school in Leeds.

Vinette Robinson's Acting Journey

Vinette started trying out for acting roles when she was just thirteen years old. Her very first audition was for the part of Queen Amidala in the 1999 movie Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. That role eventually went to Natalie Portman.

Starting on Television

Vinette made her first TV appearance at age 17 in a show called The Cops. After that, she spent three years studying at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. She even won a special award called the Laurence Olivier Bursary to help with her studies. In 2004, she had a small role in the film Vera Drake. The director, Mike Leigh, even created a whole background story for her character.

On Stage: Theatre Roles

Vinette's first stage role was in a highly praised play called Measure for Measure at the National Theatre. She also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2006, she played Eve in a well-known production of Paradise Lost. Her performance in another play, Sugar Mummies, in the same year led New York magazine to call her one of "London's hottest young stage actors" in 2007.

Becoming a TV Star

In 2009, Vinette played Josie Porritt in the BBC show Hope Springs. She also appeared as Helen Hopewell, a new English teacher, in eight episodes of Waterloo Road. From late 2009 to early 2010, she starred as Florence in the play Darker Shores at the Hampstead Theatre. Critics praised her performance, saying she brought "warmth and emotional openness" to the role.

In 2010, she began playing police sergeant Sally Donovan in the popular BBC series Sherlock. She continued this role in the second and third seasons of the show.

More Notable Roles

In 2011, Vinette appeared in a play called Tender Napalm, for which she won an award. She then played Ophelia in a production of Hamlet at The Young Vic, earning another award called the Clarence Derwent Award. Her role as Ophelia even led to her being featured in a New York Times Magazine article about important stage actors.

In 2016, she was in "Hated in the Nation", an episode of the TV series Black Mirror. In October 2018, Vinette played the famous civil rights activist Rosa Parks in the Doctor Who episode "Rosa". This was her second time on Doctor Who, as she had also played Abi Lerner in the 2007 episode "42".

In 2019, Vinette had a brief role as Pilot Tyce in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. She also starred in the 2021 movie Boiling Point, which was filmed in one continuous shot. Her performance as Carly, a sous chef working with a difficult head chef during a busy night, received great reviews and she won the BIFA for Best Supporting Actress. She later returned to play Carly in the Boiling Point TV series in 2023.

Theatre Performances

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

Awards and Recognitions