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Dolly Wells

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Dolly Wells
Wells in 2023
Born
Dorothy Perpetua Gatacre

(1971-12-05) 5 December 1971 (age 52)
Merton, London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1997–present
Spouse
Mischa Richter
(m. 2000; div. 2022)
Children2
ParentJohn Wells
Relatives

Dorothy Perpetua Wells (born Gatacre; 5 December 1971)[1] is an English actress. She co-wrote and starred in the Sky Living series Doll & Em (2014–2015) with Emily Mortimer, and wrote and directed the 2019 comedy-drama Good Posture. Her other television work includes roles in Star Stories (2006–2008), Some Girls (2012–2014), Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy (2012–2014), Blunt Talk (2015–2016), Dracula (2020), The Outlaws (2021) and Inside Man (2022).

Early life

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Wells was born Dorothy Gatacre, in Merton, London, the last of six children.[citation needed] She is the daughter of comic actor John Wells and Teresa Chancellor, daughter of Sir Christopher Chancellor, general manager of Reuters from 1944 to 1959. Wells grew up thinking her father was her stepfather, and did not find out he was her biological father until she was eighteen. She later changed her name from Gatacre—her mother's first husband was Edward Gatacre—to Wells. Her first cousin is the actress Anna Chancellor.[1][2]

She was educated in a Catholic convent school, after failing the entrance exam for St Paul's. While trying to build an acting career, she worked as a journalist at the Evening Standard and as a book reviewer.[3]

Personal life

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Wells married photographer Mischa Richter in 2000. They have a daughter, Elsie (b. 2002) and a son, Ezra (b. 2005). Both appeared with their mother in Doll & Em.[2]

In 2020, Wells and Richter divorced.[4]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes[5][better source needed]
1998 The Sea Change Jane
2001 Far on Foot Sophie Cartwright Short film
Bridget Jones's Diary Woney
2002 Morvern Callar Susan
2003 Nobody Needs to Know Dolly Associate Producer
I Capture the Castle Fur Department Vendeuse
2008 Franklyn Nurse
2009 Mr. Right Fizz
2012 Tumult Tour Guide Short film
2014 Benny & Jolene Rosamund
2015 Black Mountain Poets Claire
45 Years Charlotte
2016 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Mrs. Featherstone
Bridget Jones's Baby Woney
2017 Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town The Woman in the Field
Home Again Tracy
I Do... Until I Don't Vivian Prudeck
2018 Boundaries Sofia
Furlough SA Group Leader
Can You Ever Forgive Me? Anna
2020 The Stand In Second AD Daisy
2021 Love Spreads Julie
2022 Susie Searches Professor Gallagher
2023 Three Birthdays Marian
2024 Down, Down, Down Sarah Short film
Babygirl Therapist

Television

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Year Title Role Notes[5][better source needed]
1997 The Bill Janet James 1 episode
1998 Dinnerladies Hannah
Midsomer Murders Ava Rokeby
1999 In the Name of Love Helen Walters TV film
Goodnight Sweetheart Celia Johnson 1 episode
2000 Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes Elspeth Scott
2002 The Gathering Storm Sarah Churchill TV film
Bertie and Elizabeth Princess Mary
2003; 2008 Peep Show Paula 2 episodes
2004 The Final Quest Anthea TV film
Sex Traffic Sarah
Murphy's Law Susan Green 1 episode
2006 Doctors Claire Morris
2006–2008 Star Stories Various characters 12 episodes
2007 The Mighty Boosh Methuselah 1 episode
2007; 2010 The IT Crowd Miranda / Paula 2 episodes
2009 Comedy Showcase Lydia Tennant 1 episode
Free Agents Sarah Stephens 3 episodes
2009–2011 Campus Lydia Tennant 7 episodes
2011–2012 Spy Judith Elliot 16 episodes
2012 Starlings Annika 1 episode
Casualty Josie Betts
Pramface Ante-natal Instructress
2012–2014 Some Girls Anna Hitchcock 18 episodes
Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy Various characters 9 episodes
2014–2015 Doll & Em Dolly 12 episodes; creator, writer, associate producer
2015–2016 Blunt Talk Celia Havemeyer 20 episodes
2016 Younger Stephanie 1 episode
2018 Portlandia Dolly Wells
Room 104 Catherine 1 episode - "Woman in the Wall"
2019 The Christmas Kid Agent
2020 Dracula Sister Agatha Van Helsing / Dr. Zoe Van Helsing Miniseries
2021 The Pursuit of Love Aunt Sadie Recurring
2021 The Outlaws Margaret 2 series filming back to back
2021 Around the World in 80 Days Estella 1 episode
2022 Inside Man Janice Fife[6][7] Miniseries
2023 And Just Like That... Joy 2 episodes
2024 The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Eliza Bean Recurring character

References

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  1. ^ a b Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, vol. III, 2003, pg 3046
  2. ^ a b Teeman, Tim (31 May 2015). "Dolly Wells on her father, John: 'Why didn't he tell me? I'd like to tap on his grave and ask'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  3. ^ Harvey, Chris (1 January 2020). "Dracula's Dolly Wells, interview: 'Until I was about 12, I wanted to be a nun". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Dolly Wells: 'I got divorced on Zoom'". The Times. 23 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Dolly Wells - Imdb". Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Inside Man star reveals they "got goosebumps" filming key scene". Digital Spy. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Is Janice hiding something in BBC's Inside Man?". gq-magazine.co.uk. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
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