Holliday Grainger

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Holliday Grainger
Grainger in 2018
Born
Holliday Clark Grainger

(1988-03-27) 27 March 1988 (age 36)
Other namesHolly Grainger
Alma materUniversity of Leeds and finally Open University
OccupationActress
Years active1994–present
PartnerHarry Treadaway (2015–present)
Children2

Holliday Clark Grainger (born 27 March 1988), also credited as Holly Grainger, is an English screen and stage actress. Some of her prominent roles are Kate Beckett in the BAFTA award-winning children's series Roger and the Rottentrolls, Lucrezia Borgia in the Showtime series The Borgias, Robin Ellacott in the Strike series, DI Rachel Carey in the Peacock/BBC One crime drama The Capture and Estella in Mike Newell's adaptation of Great Expectations.

Early life[edit]

Grainger was born in Didsbury, Manchester. Her maternal grandfather was Italian.[1][2] Her first experience of acting was at the age of five when she was scouted for a BBC TV series. She appeared in many TV shows and independent films as a child actor.[2]

Grainger attended Parrs Wood High School from 1999 to 2006,[3] and in 2007 began study for a degree in English literature at the University of Leeds. However, she eventually opted for the Open University.[2]

Career[edit]

Grainger's first acting role was at five years old in the BBC comedy drama series All Quiet on the Preston Front.[4] Roles followed in Casualty, Doctors and Dalziel and Pascoe. Grainger played Megan Boothe in Where the Heart Is, Stacey Appleyard in Waterloo Road and Sophia in Merlin.

In 2011, she appeared in the television series The Borgias, playing Lucrezia Borgia with Jeremy Irons in the role of Pope Alexander VI. The series, created by Neil Jordan and shot in Hungary, ran for three seasons.[5]

After her role as Emily in the film The Scouting Book for Boys (2009),[6] she played one of the Rivers sisters opposite Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender in Cary Fukunaga's 2011 retelling of Jane Eyre, and had a minor role in Bel Ami alongside Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman.

In June 2011, she was cast in the leading role of Estella in Mike Newell's film adaptation of Great Expectations, opposite Jeremy Irvine and Helena Bonham Carter.[7] The movie, screened at Toronto International Film Festival 2012, had its European premiere as the closing night film of the BFI London Film Festival.[8] She had a minor role in the 2012 film Anna Karenina as Baroness Shilton.

On stage, in 2013 she played a role in Disassociation, a play by Luke Bailey, at The Lowry in Salford,[9] which received largely positive reviews[10] In the same year, she played Bonnie Parker in the 2013 TV mini-series Bonnie & Clyde. She was one of the female leads in the 2014 film The Riot Club, adapted from the play Posh, alongside Max Irons. In the same year, she appeared on stage in Anton Chekov's play Three Sisters at the Southwark Playhouse.[11]

Grainger played Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia Tremaine in Kenneth Branagh's 2015 film version of Cinderella.[12]

In 2016, Grainger starred in Disney's The Finest Hours.[13]

On 20 June 2016, World Refugee Day, Grainger, as well as Jack O'Connell, featured in a film from the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR to help raise awareness of the global refugee crisis.[14] The film, titled Home, has a family take a reverse migration into the middle of a war zone. It is inspired by primary accounts of refugees, and is part of UNHCR's #WithRefugees campaign, which also includes a petition to governments to expand asylum to provide further shelter, integrating job opportunities, and education.[15] Home, written and directed by Daniel Mulloy, went on to win a BAFTA Award and a Gold Lion at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity among many other awards.[16]

In 2017, she appeared in a film adaptation of the novel Tulip Fever alongside Alicia Vikander.[17] From 2017, she plays Robin Ellacott in the TV series Strike (aired in the United States and Canada as C.B. Strike) based on the novels by J. K. Rowling.[18]

Grainger played one of the two lead female roles in the feature film Animals, along with Alia Shawkat. Based on the novel by Emma Jane Unsworth, who also wrote the script, the film was directed by Sophie Hyde and filmed in Dublin.[19]

In 2019, Grainger starred in the BBC conspiracy thriller The Capture.[20]

Personal life[edit]

In May 2021, she had twin children with her partner Harry Treadaway, himself a twin (brother of Luke Treadaway).[21]

Filmography[edit]

Audio[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2022-present Impact Winter Darcy

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1997 The Missing Postman Harriet
2002 Sparkhouse Older Lisa Bolton
2003 The Illustrated Mum Star Westwood
2005 Magnificent 7 Louise Jackson
2006 Johnny and the Bomb Rose Bushell
2007 The Bad Mother's Handbook Charlotte Cooper
2008 Dis/Connected Jenny
2009 Awaydays Molly Carty
The Scouting Book for Boys Emily
2011 Jane Eyre Diana Rivers
2012 Bel Ami Suzanne Rousset
Anna Karenina Baroness
Great Expectations Estella Havisham
2014 The Riot Club Lauren
2015 Cinderella Anastasia Tremaine
2016 The Finest Hours Miriam
2017 My Cousin Rachel Louise
Tulip Fever Maria
Home Holly Short film
2018 Tell It to the Bees Lydia Weekes
2019 Animals Laura
2024 Halo of Stars Emm Post production

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1994 All Quiet on the Preston Front Kirsty 4 episodes
1996 Roger and the Rottentrolls Kate Beckett Lead role: Series 3&4
2000 Comin' Atcha! Pauline Episode: "The Day Off"
Casualty Katie Stoppard Episode: "Seize the Night"
2001 Dalziel and Pascoe Nichola Crowley Episode: "Walls of Silence"
Doctors Nita Harmer Episode: "Writing to Charlie"
2003 The Royal Carole Green Episode: "Coffin Fit"
2003–2005 Where the Heart Is Megan Boothe Main role (series 7–9)
2005 No Angels Simone Episode: "2.5"
Doctors Holly Leavis Episode: "Indestructible"
2006 New Street Law Katie Lewis Episode: "1.1"
2007 Waterloo Road Stacey Appleyard 4 episodes
2008 M.I. High Leah Retsam Episode: "It's a Kind of Magic"
The Royal Today Abigail Episode: "1.3"
Fairy Tales Leeza Gruff Episode: "Billy Goat"
Waking the Dead Nicola Bennet 2 episodes: "Duty and Honour"
Merlin Sophia Episode: "The Gates of Avalon"
2009 Demons Ruby Miniseries
Robin Hood Meg Episode: "A Dangerous Deal"
Blue Murder Jess Burgess Episode: "Having It All"
2010 Above Suspicion 2: The Red Dahlia Sharon Bilkin 3 episodes
Five Daughters Alice Episodes: "1.2", "1.3"
Stanley Park Dirty Debbie Pilot
Any Human Heart Tess Scabius 2 episodes
2011–2013 The Borgias Lucrezia Borgia Main role
2013 Bonnie & Clyde Bonnie Parker Miniseries
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries
2015 Lady Chatterley's Lover Lady Chatterley Television film
2017–present Strike Robin Ellacott 15 episodes
2017 Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams Honor Episode: "The Hood Maker"
2018 Patrick Melrose Bridget Watson Scott Miniseries
2019–present The Capture Rachel Carey 12 episodes
2024 Playdate 5 episodes, post-production

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role Venue
2009 Dimetos Lydia Donmar Warehouse, London
2014 Three Sisters Irina Southwark Playhouse, London

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Holliday Grainger Interview THE BORGIAS; Updates on BEL AMI and JANE EYRE". Collider. 30 January 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Holliday Grainger Interview". 1883 Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Parrs Wood Alumni". parrswood.manchester.sch.uk. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. ^ The Guardian
  5. ^ Harnick, Chris (4 May 2012). "The Borgias renewed season 3". huffingtonpost. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  6. ^ The Guardian
  7. ^ Ge, Linda (17 June 2011). "Holliday Grainger cast as Estella in "Great Expectations" opposite Jeremy Irvine". Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Great Expectations to close BFI London Film Festival". number9films. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  9. ^ Eden, Richard (13 January 2013). "Downton Abbey star Jim Carter enjoys 'bamboo massage'". The Telegraph.
  10. ^ Sykes, Iain (29 January 2013). "Dissociation – The Lowry, Salford".
  11. ^ 'Three Sisters, Southwark Playhouse, review' Retrieved 30 September 2014
  12. ^ 'The Borgias' Star Holliday Grainger Joins Disney's 'Cinderella' (Exclusive) Retrieved 11 June 2013
  13. ^ Schager, Nick (26 January 2016). "Review: 'The Finest Hours' Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Eric Bana, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, And More | IndieWire". www.indiewire.com. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  14. ^ "Jack O'Connell, Holliday Grainger refugee drama 'Home' sets release". Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  15. ^ "What They Took With Them - #WithRefugees". Unhcr. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  16. ^ "BAFTABritish Short Film and Short Animation". 18 January 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  17. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (8 July 2013). "Alicia Vikander To Star In Long-Developing 'Tulip Fever,' Matthias Schoenaerts Sought For Role". indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Holliday Grainger to Star in J.K. Rowling's 'Cormoran Strike'". Variety. 1 November 2016.
  19. ^ Animals interview: Alia Shawkat, Holliday Grainger, Sophie Hyde, Emma Jane Unsworth - 8 Feb 2019 on YouTube
  20. ^ "Meet the cast of BBC conspiracy thriller 'The Capture'". Radio Times. 8 October 2019.
  21. ^ "Actress Holliday Grainger gives birth to newborn twins with beau Harry Treadaway". Daily Mirror. 29 May 2021.

External links[edit]