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Charlene McKenna

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Charlene McKenna
McKenna in 2008
Born
Charlene Lee McKenna

(1984-03-26) 26 March 1984 (age 40)
Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland
OccupationActress
Years active2005–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2021)​

Charlene Lee McKenna (Irish: Searlaoin Nic Chionaoith; born 26 March 1984) is an Irish actress. She became a household name in Ireland after starring as Jennifer Jackson in the miniseries Pure Mule (2005).[1] She appeared on Irish television in Single-Handed 2 (2008), Whistleblower (2008), and Raw (2008–2013). For Raw, she won Best Actress (Television) at the Irish Film & Television Awards, and for Whistleblower, she won Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

Since 2009, McKenna has appeared on British television as Rose Erskine in the BBC mystery drama Ripper Street (2012–2016), Leah Liebermann in the BBC psychological thriller Vienna Blood (2019–present), Laura McKee in series five and six of Peaky Blinders (2019–2022), and DS Niamh McGovern in the BBC police procedural Bloodlands (2021–2022)..

Early life and education

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McKenna grew up in Glaslough, County Monaghan where her parents owned a mushroom farm and later The Pillar House pub. She has five older brothers.[2] She attended St Louis Secondary School in Monaghan before going on to study Classical Music and Religious Education at Mater Dei Institute of Education in Dublin.[1] However, she deferred her third year to make time for her career before withdrawing from the course altogether.[3]

Career

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McKenna first appeared on stage at the age of eleven, playing a small role in Oklahoma! with the Monaghan Youth Theatre. Her first large-scale production was Pure Mule which launched her career.[1] She played Jennifer Jackson, a racy character, in the series.[4] She also appeared in The Old Curiosity Shop, a 2007 ITV adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name starring Derek Jacobi, Toby Jones, Bradley Walsh, Zoë Wanamaker, Martin Freeman, Steve Pemberton, Anna Madeley and Gina McKee.[5]

In 2007, she appeared in the short Danger High Voltage at the Electric Picnic music festival in Stradbally, County Laois. The film, which also starred Barry Ward and was directed by Luke McManus, went on to win awards at both the Galway Film Fleadh and the Cork Film Festival in 2008. McKenna also appeared as Mary McMahon in Dorothy Mills.

She appeared in the second episode of Single-Handed 2, broadcast on 1 January 2008, in which Garda Sergeant Jack Driscoll investigated the case of the missing two-year-old son of her character, Eilish.[4][6] Eilish also had to endure several resentful in-laws.[7] This performance was described as "outstanding".[8]

Whistleblower, a two-part fact-based drama broadcast in August 2008, was based on the late 1970s scandal at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, County Louth, involving gynaecologist Michael Neary.[9] McKenna played Karen, a young mother who has an unnecessary hysterectomy performed on her after giving birth.[9] Emma Stansfield played the nurse who blew the whistle.[9] McKenna won the Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series award for her role in Whistleblower at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in June 2009.[10]

McKenna starred in the RTÉ series Raw. Scenes involving restaurant staff tampering with their guests' food failed to attract much complaint.[11] McKenna's character in the series is Jojo, a young chef, working under Tanya, a stressed manager, and a head chef. In the second episode, Jojo organises a party but the alcohol runs out and tensions rise.[12][13] Raw, a six-part series set in a fictitious restaurant in Dublin, saw McKenna interact with Bachelors Walk actor Keith McErlean and Mistresses actress Shelley Conn.[14] McKenna won the Best Actress (Television) award for her role in Raw at the Irish Film & Television Awards in February 2009.[10][15] McKenna departed Raw following the Season 5 finale on 10 February 2013.

In 2009, McKenna played the role of Paula Abbot in the second series of The Fixer. In 2010, McKenna portrayed the young version of Josie, the love interest of vampire John Mitchell (Aidan Turner) in BBC supernatural comedy-drama Being Human. In 2011, McKenna appeared in an episode of Channel 4 comedy-drama Sirens. She played the eponymous antagonist "Lamia" (/lɑːmiːə/) in the eighth episode of the fourth season of Merlin. She starred as Seth's dead girlfriend Shannon in Misfits.[16] In 2013, she appeared on Skins Pure as Maddie. Between 2012 and 2016, McKenna appeared as Rose Erskine in BBC mystery drama Ripper Street. In 2015, McKenna played Eva in A.D. The Bible Continues.

In 2019, McKenna appeared in the role of Leah Liebermann in BBC crime drama Vienna Blood.[17] In February 2021, McKenna played a lead role as Detective Sergeant Niamh McGovern in the BBC police procedural drama series, Bloodlands.[18]

Personal life

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McKenna announced her engagement to American actor Adam Rothenberg in 2019.[19] They were married in January 2021 at Castle Leslie adjacent to McKenna's hometown.[20] McKenna splits her time between Monaghan, New York, and London.[21]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 Breakfast on Pluto Caroline Braden
2006 Middletown Adele
The 18th Electricity Plan Mia Short film
The Tiger's Tail Samantha
Small Engine Repair Melanie
2007 Kitchen Kirsty Dunne TV movie
The Old Curiosity Shop The Marchioness
2008 Danger High Voltage Sarah Short film
Dorothy Mills Mary McMahon
2009 A Boy Called Dad Nia
2010 Inn Mates Maisie TV movie
2012 Henry Claire Short film
Jump Marie
The Nightclub Days Drew
2014 Ghosts Regina Engstrand Live recording of stage production at Trafalgar Studios
Boogaloo and Graham Mother Short film
2015 Clan of the Cave Bear Iza TV movie
2017 The Date Sinead Short film
2023 A Greyhound of a Girl Tansey Voice[22]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 Pure Mule Jennifer Jackson Miniseries
2006 Stew Various characters 1 episode
2007 Prosperity Natasha Episode: "Gavin's Story"
Coming Up Aisling Episode: "99, 100"
2008 Single-Handed 2 Eilish 2-part series
Whistleblower Karen
2008–2013 Raw Jojo Harte
2009 The Fixer Paula 1 episode
Pure Mule: The Last Weekend Jennifer Jackson
2010 Being Human Josie 1 Episode
2011 Sirens Angie Episode: "Two Man Race"
Merlin Lamia Episode: "Lamia"
Misfits Shannon Speers 1 episode
2012–2016 Ripper Street Rose Erskine Main role
2013 Skins Pure Maddie Special episode
2015 A.D. The Bible Continues Eva Supporting role; 6 episodes
2017 Stan Lee's Lucky Man Clare Cartmell Episode: "What Lies Beneath"
2018 Death and Nightingales Mercy Boyle Miniseries
2019 Bump Liz Pilot
2019–present Peaky Blinders Captain Swing Guest, series 5
Main, series 6
Vienna Blood Leah Liebermann Supporting role; 6 episodes
2021–2022 Bloodlands Detective Sergeant Niamh McGovern Main role
2022 Holding Evelyn Ross 4 episodes
2023 Clean Sweep Shelly Mohan 6 episodes

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2009 Monte Carlo Television Festival Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Raw Nominated [23]
Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series Whistleblower Won [24][10]
2009 Irish Film & Television Awards Best Actress in a leading Role - Television Whistleblower Nominated [24][23]
2009 Raw Won [24][10]
2010 Pure Mule: The Last Weekend Nominated [23]
2011 Raw Nominated [23]
2013 Irish Film & Television Award for Best Supporting Actress – Film Jump Nominated [23]
2017 Best Actress in a leading Role - Drama Ripper Street Nominated [23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Lonesome West for Charlene". Laois Nationalist. 11 March 2005. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  2. ^ "Working in the family pub was my drama school, says Charlene McKenna". Independent.ie. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  3. ^ Lacey, Hester (27 March 2021). "Charlene McKenna: 'I want to win an Oscar and work with the greats'". Financial Times. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b Dunne, Hannah-Louise (8 May 2008). "Raw talent: New RTÉ drama series ready to cook up a storm". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  5. ^ "What the Dickens! Stars film classic novel". Irish Independent. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  6. ^ Whitington, Paul (11 April 2009). "Single-Handed 3: The Drowning ManSunday, RTE1, 9.25pm". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  7. ^ Whitington, Paul (29 December 2007). "Singlehanded 2". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  8. ^ Boland, John (5 January 2008). "Grim tale of abduction a dramatic victory for RTÉ". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  9. ^ a b c Whitington, Paul (30 August 2008). "Syriana". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  10. ^ a b c d "Irish star a winner in Monte Carlo". RTÉ. 12 June 2009. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  11. ^ "It's the Raw truth: Charlene McKenna nabs The Clinic's Aidan Turner". Sunday Tribune. 5 October 2008. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  12. ^ Whitington, Paul (13 September 2008). "Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  13. ^ Whitington, Paul (6 September 2008). "Schindler's List". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  14. ^ Horan, Niamh (14 September 2008). "Raw's racy sex scenes failing to rattle viewers". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  15. ^ Horan, Niamh (15 May 2009). "Fassbender secures top IFTA acting honour for hard-hitting 'Hunger' role". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  16. ^ "Charlene McKenna – Raw Talent". RTÉ News. 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012.
  17. ^ "BBC – Charlene McKenna (Leah Liebermann) – Media Centre". BBC. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Bloodlands star Charlene McKenna says crime thriller should have viewers "screaming at the TV", 16 February 2021". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Monaghan actress Charlene McKenna announces engagement to American actor". The Irish News. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  20. ^ Finn, Melanie (16 February 2021). "Charlene McKenna has lockdown wedding to Adam Rothenberg in Castle Leslie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  21. ^ White, Lucy (21 March 2021). "'In the end it was the most perfect day I could've imagined' – Charlene McKenna on her wedding, filming and converting a barn during lockdown". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  22. ^ "A Greyhound Of A Girl heads to the 73rd Berlin Film Festival". Scannain.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  23. ^ a b c d e f "Charlene Mckenna Awards". imdb.com (Index source only). Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  24. ^ a b c "Winners of the 6th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards 2009". ifta.ie. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
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