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Gemma Whelan
Whelan at Antwerp Convention 2014
Born	Gemma Elizabeth Whelan 1981 (age 42–43) Leeds, England
Occupation(s)	Actress, comedian
Years active	2005–present
Spouse	Gerry Howell
Children	2

Gemma Elizabeth Whelan (born 1981) is an English actress and comedian known for portraying Yara Greyjoy in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones and as her stand-up character Chastity Butterworth. She also plays Kate in all 4 series of the comedy Upstart Crow (2016–2018), Detective Eunice Noon on the first series of The End of the F***ing World (2017), Geraldine on the third series of Killing Eve (2020), and DCI Kerry Henderson in both series of DI Ray (2022–2024).

Early life and education

Gemma Elizabeth Whelan was born in Leeds in 1981 and grew up in the Midlands.

She attended The King's High School for Girls in Warwick and the London Studio Centre.

She was hospitalised for anorexia nervosa as a teenager. She regards her recovery from the illness as her greatest achievement, and says that the experience has shaped her personality and how she approaches things.

Career

As a stand-up comedian, Whelan won the 2010 Funny Women Variety Award. She performed at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe with her show Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster. In 2014, she recorded a pilot chat show as her character Chastity Butterworth for BBC Radio 4, which was in development in October 2015. She also featured in other shows as this character.

On screen, she has played supporting roles in several films and TV shows, including in the 2010 films Gulliver's Travels and The Wolfman. She played Kate (appearing in all 18 main episodes, as well as three Christmas specials) in Ben Elton's BBC Two comedy Upstart Crow, and was a series regular on The End of the F***ing World. She also played roles in other comedies, including Uncle and The Agency.

In August 2011, she was cast as Yara Greyjoy, elder sister of Theon, of House Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, in the HBO fantasy-drama television series Game of Thrones, and appeared as a recurring cast member from the second season onward.

In 2017, she portrayed Karen Matthews in the two-part TV drama The Moorside, based on the 2008 disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews. In 2019, she appeared as Marian Lister in the BBC drama Gentleman Jack.

In February 2020, a stage adaptation of Upstart Crow opened at the Gielgud Theatre, London, Whelan reprising the role of Kate. Whelan returned to the West End stage as Kate when the play was revived at the Apollo Theatre in 2022.

Whelan appears as DCI Kerry Henderson in the police drama series, DI Ray, written by Maya Sondhi and produced by Jed Mercurio, as superior officer to DI Ray, played by Parminder Nagra. Her role extends from the first series in 2022 to series 2 in 2024.

Personal life

Whelan lives in London with her husband, the comedian and actor Gerry Howell, and their two children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

1. Tripney, Natasha (20 March 2024). "Gemma Whelan: 'Right below my heart is a quiet place that has always burned to do this'". The Stage. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
2. Lash, Jolie. "'Game Of Thrones' Newcomer Gemma Whelan Talks Yara Greyjoy". accessonline.com. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
3. "From King's High to Hollywood". Independent Education Today. 31 March 2018.
4. "Alumni Gallery". londonstudiocentre.org. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
5. ^ Mwitumwa, Monde (2 May 2022). "DI Ray actress Gemma Whelan's age, family, and tough health battle". Leeds Live. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
6. ^ "Funny Women Award Winners". Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
7. Hall, Julian (7 August 2013). "Edinburgh Festival 2013: Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster -". The Independent. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
8. "The Chastity Butterworth Show – Radio 4 Chat Show". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
9. "Chastity Butterworth TV chat show in development". British Comedy Guide. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
10. Whelan, Gemma (24 October 2015). "Circuit Training 86: The Secret Worlds of Gemma Whelan". British Comedy Guide (Interview). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
11. "Live at the Electric". BBC Three. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
12. ^ "Gemma Whelan". Spotlight. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
13. ^ "The Spotlight on ... Gemma Whelan". London is Funny. 18 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
14. Vineyard, Jennifer (6 July 2016). "Game of Thrones' Gemma Whelan on Yara's Sexuality and Freezing on Set". New York magazine.
15. Lawson, Mark (17 February 2020). "The Upstart Crow review – authentically Shakespearean right down to the puffling pants". The Guardian.
16. "Full cast for The Upstart Crow with David Mitchell announced | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
17. Whelan, Gemma (5 June 2022). "New crime show 'DI Ray' tackles racism in a different way: star Gemma Whelan". TimesLIVE (Interview). Interviewed by Smith, Tymon. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
18. Vick, Megan (21 July 2024). "'DI Ray' Season 2, Finale Recap: "Enemy Within"". Telly Visions. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
19. Hibbs, James (2 May 2023). "Line of Duty star joins cast of DI Ray as filming begins on season 2". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
20. "Meet the cast of ITV thriller DI Ray". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
21. Roper, Kerri-Ann (30 November 2018). "Gemma Whelan: 'I'm out pushing my buggy around and I truly look like a bag lady... but it's fine'". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235.(subscription required)
22. The Blue Door
23. Swift, Andy (7 February 2019). "Disney's Star vs. the Forces of Evil Ending With Season 4". TVLine.
24. Mitchinson, James, ed. (14 April 2020). "Whelan 'star-struck' to join the cast of spy thriller Killing Eve". The Yorkshire Post. p. 2. ISSN 0963-1496.
25. Billington, Michael (12 March 2015). "Radiant Vermin review – Philip Ridley's nightmare tale of a dream home". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
26. "Pinter at the Pinter: Pinter Seven". Harold Pinter Theatre official website. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
27. "Upstart Crow – The Comedy". Official Show Website. Archived from the original on 4 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
28. McKenzie, Joi-Marie (29 January 2017). "Screen Actors Guild Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". ABC News. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
29. Nolfi, Joey (14 December 2016). "SAG Awards nominations 2017: See the full list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
30. "Meet the 2017 Women in Film and Television Award Winners". Women in Film & Television UK. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.

External links

• Gemma Whelan at IMDb
• Gemma Whelan on Twitter
• Gemma Whelan at British Comedy Guide
• Amore, video with Whelan on Upstart Crow

• Living people
• English film actresses
• English stand-up comedians
• English women comedians
• Actresses from Leeds
• 21st-century English actresses
• English stage actresses
• English television actresses
• English video game actresses
• English voice actresses
• 1981 births
• WFTV Award winners
• People educated at The King's High School for Girls
• Comedians from Leeds