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Liz Carr

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Liz Carr
Born
Elizabeth Anne Carr

(1972-04-21) 21 April 1972 (age 52)
Bebington, Merseyside, England
EducationUniversity of Nottingham
Occupations
TelevisionSilent Witness
Better Off Dead?
Spouse
Jo Church
​
(m. 2010)​

Elizabeth Anne Carr (born 21 April 1972) is an English actress, comedian, broadcaster and international disability rights activist. She is known for portraying the role of Clarissa Mullery in the BBC crime drama Silent Witness (2013–2020), and also for being a campaigner for disabled rights, and fronting the BBC documentary Better Off Dead? (2024).

Early life and education

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Carr was born on 21 April 1972 in Port Sunlight and grew up in Bebington, Merseyside.[1] She attended Upton Hall School FCJ in Upton, Merseyside and Birkenhead High School in Birkenhead.[2][3] She studied law at the University of Nottingham.[4]

Career

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Comedy

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She has been part of a number of comedy groups, including Abnormally Funny People with Tanyalee Davis, Steve Day, Steve Best, Simon Minty and Chris McCausland.

In 2007 she was runner-up in the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition.[5]

Carr co-hosted the BBC's Royal Television Society award-winning Ouch! Podcast[6] with Mat Fraser from 2006 to 2013, and in 2011 worked as a researcher for the BBC comedy panel show Have I Got News for You.

Acting

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Carr was in her thirties when she took on her first professional acting role, playing Mother Courage, before heading to the Young Vic with another Bertolt Brecht play, The Exception and the Rule.[7] In 2013, she joined the long-running BBC crime thriller series Silent Witness as regular character Clarissa Mullery.[8][9] On 5 February 2020 it was announced that she had left the series after eight years.

In 2019, Carr starred in The OA as Dr Marlow Rhodes.[10] In 2020, she appeared as a university lecturer in the miniseries Devs.[11]

In March 2021, it was announced that Carr had joined the cast of The Witcher as Fenn in the show's second series.[12] In December of the same year, it was announced that she had joined the cast of Good Omens for the second series, as the angel Saraqael.[13] Between September and December 2021, she played Dr Emma Brookner in the West End revival of The Normal Heart at the Royal National Theatre, marking the first time a disabled person had played the role on stage. She subsequently won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2022 Laurence Olivier Awards.[14] Carr joined the cast of series 2 of Disney+’s Loki in the role of Judge Gamble.[15]

Disability activism

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Carr was disabled from age seven, owing to arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, and has used a wheelchair since the age of 14.[16] She is frank about her life as a disabled person and the inherent comedy it brings: "I've had some tuts, which is fantastic... I look quite frail to some people, so it's like, 'She's talking about sex, she's swearing.' Every stereotype you didn't expect. People generally look terrified. 'Oh my God, is she going to be funny? Can we laugh at this?'"[17]

Carr became involved in politics, disabled rights, and activism while studying at the University of Nottingham. Following her graduation she left law to work as a disability equality trainer.[18] She has been a disability rights campaigner in the UK and has spoken at many rallies. In May 2008 she joined with ADAPT, a prominent disability rights group in the United States, to raise money for it and to protest against presidential candidate John McCain's position on a bill permitting Americans qualifying for Medicaid coverage of nursing home costs to instead spend it on home-based, or community care, making it easier for disabled people to remain in their own homes.[19]

In 2011, Carr was part of a Newsnight debate on assisted suicide, following the screening on the BBC of Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die, which included Jeremy Paxman and David Aaronovitch.[20] She opposed Lord Falconer's Assisted Dying Bill, stating: "I fear we've so devalued certain groups of people—ill people, disabled people, older people—that I don't think it's in their best interests to enshrine in law the right of doctors to kill certain people."[21]

In 2024, Carr presented a documentary, Better Off Dead?, advocating against assisted suicide.[22]

Personal life

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In 2010, Carr entered into a civil partnership with longtime partner, Jo Church, in what Carr called "A Wheelie Special Wedding". Her father gave a speech in which he joked he was prohibited from using words such as "brave". Carr and her partner prerecorded their first dance. In the video, they danced to the Dirty Dancing theme and the local fire brigade held Carr and her chair aloft.[23]

On 10 August 2017, Carr and her personal assistant were the victims of an attack by a man armed with scissors. The assailant was subsequently arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act 2007.[24]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2017 Le Accelerator The Death Provider
2021 Infinite Garrick
2022 Then Barbara Met Alan Liz

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2013–2020 Silent Witness Clarissa Mullery 79 episodes
2018 Les Misérables Concierge Episode #1.1
2019 The OA Dr Marlow Rhodes 2 episodes
2019 Would I Lie To You? Herself Series 13
2020 Devs Lecturer Episode #1.5
2020 CripTales Meg 2 episodes
2021 The Witcher Fenn 2 episodes
2022 This Is Going to Hurt Tina Episode #1.7
2023 Good Omens Saraqael 3 episodes
2023 Loki Judge Gamble 3 episodes
2024 Better Off Dead? Herself BBC One documentary[25]

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
2021 The Normal Heart Dr Emma Brookner Royal National Theatre
2024 Unspeakable Conversations Harriet McBryde Johnson

References

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  1. ^ Perry, Keith (16 August 2017). "Merseyside actress attacked by man armed with SCISSORS". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  2. ^ "'This has everything to do with disability': Interview with Wirral-born Silent Witness actress Liz Carr on subject of assisted suicide – The Diocese of Shrewsbury – The Diocese of Shrewsbury". dioceseofshrewsbury.org. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  3. ^ O'Hara, Interview by Mary (21 June 2006). "No fear, no frills". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Time to stand up and be counted". Nottingham University. 16 January 2011. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  5. ^ Trish Gant. "Liz Carr, comedian". The UK Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  6. ^ "Official Ouch! Podcast page". BBC. 14 November 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  7. ^ "BBC". Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Liz Carr introduces her new character, Silent Witness". BBC One. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  9. ^ "First look: Liz Carr as Clarissa Mullery in Silent Witness". The Ouch! Blog. BBC. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  10. ^ Neela Debnath (23 March 2019). "The OA season 2 cast: Who is Liz Carr? Who plays Dr. Marlow Rhodes?". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  11. ^ Cydney Yeates (6 February 2020). "Inside Liz Carr's rising Hollywood career as she quits BBC's Silent Witness". MetroUK. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Netflix's the Witcher Season 2 Adds Seven New Cast Members - IGN". 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Good Omens star Jon Hamm returns for season 2 – Liz Carr joins cast". Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Olivier Awards 2022: Eddie Redmayne and Liz Carr among winners". 10 April 2022. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  15. ^ Club, Comic Book (6 October 2023). "Loki Season 2 Cast: Meet Liz Carr, AKA Judge Gamble". Comic Book Club. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  16. ^ ""Silent Witness Star Liz Carr". OK Magazine. Olivia Wheeler. 21 January 2017". 21 January 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  17. ^ Mary O'Hara (21 June 2006). "Interview: Liz Carr". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  18. ^ "Time to stand up and be counted". Nottingham University. 16 January 2011. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  19. ^ Disabled Arrested At McCain Office, CBS News, May 1, 2008, Retrieved March 20, 2023
  20. ^ Choosing to Die: Newsnight Debate at IMDb
  21. ^ Hannah Dunleavy (3 December 2014). "Liz Carr, Not so Silent Witness". Standard Issue.[permanent dead link‍]
  22. ^ Ryan, Frances (14 May 2024). "Better Off Dead? review – Liz Carr's blistering film may well change your mind about assisted dying". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  23. ^ A Wheelie Special Wedding Archived 10 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Liz Carr, 2010, BBC. Retrieved 21 January 2017
  24. ^ "Liz Carr: Silent Witness star attacked with scissors". BBC News. 16 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  25. ^ "Better Off Dead?". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
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