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This article is about the actress. For the diver, see Kelly MacDonald (diver).

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Kelly Macdonald
File:KellyMacdonaldOct07 2.jpg
Macdonald at the 2007 New York Film Festival
Born (1976-02-23) 23 February 1976 (age 48)
Glasgow, Scotland
EducationEastwood High School
OccupationActress
Years active1996–present
Spouse
Dougie Payne
(m. 2003)
Children2

Kelly Macdonald (born 23 February 1976) is a Scottish actress, known for her roles in the films Trainspotting (1996), Gosford Park (2001), Intermission (2003), Nanny McPhee (2005), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) and Brave (2012). For the 2005 TV film The Girl in the Cafe, she was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. She was part of the cast of the famous miniseries State of Play portraying the role of Della Smith.

For her role in the 2007 film No Country for Old Men, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She went on to star for five seasons in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010–14) as Margaret Thompson, for which she received a 2011 Emmy Award nomination.

Career[]

Macdonald's career began while she was working as a barmaid in Glasgow.[1] She saw a leaflet advertising an open casting session for Trainspotting and decided to audition, winning the part of Diane,[2] the underage seductress to Ewan McGregor's Renton. Other roles include Mary O'Neary in Two Family House,[3] and an actress playing Peter Pan in Finding Neverland.[4] She had major roles in Robert Altman's British period piece Gosford Park,[5] where she played an aristocrat's maid, and in Intermission (2003), as Deirdre.[6]

On radio, she portrayed Mary in the 1999 BBC radio drama Lifehouse, based on Pete Townshend's abandoned rock opera, some of the songs for which were released on The Who's album Who's Next.[7] On television, her highest profile roles have been in two BBC dramas, the Paul Abbott serial State of Play (2003),[8] and the one-off Richard Curtis piece The Girl in the Café (2005).[9] Both of these were directed by David Yates, and both also starred Bill Nighy. For her performance in The Girl in the Café, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film in 2006,[10] and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.[11]

File:KellyMacdonald07TIFF.jpg

Macdonald at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

Macdonald starred in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee,[12] as the scullery maid Evangeline, and has since had supporting roles in A Cock and Bull Story (2006),[13] and the Coen brothers' Academy Award-winning No Country for Old Men (2007).[14] Her agent was originally unsure she was right for the latter part, and Macdonald is reported as having to "fight for the role".[15] Her persistence paid off, however, as she was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.[16]

Other films where she had supporting roles include Choke (2008), as Paige Marshall,[17] the film adapted by Clark Gregg from the 2001 Chuck Palahniuk novel; In the Electric Mist (2009) (based on James Lee Burke's In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead (1993), as Kelly Drummond, alongside Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodman; and Skellig (2009), as Louise.[18] She played the lead in The Merry Gentleman (2008), as Kate Frazier.[19]

In 2010, she played her first comedy role, in the British independent romantic comedy film The Decoy Bride.[20] The Decoy Bride was released in 2012. In 2011, she played the "Grey Lady" (revealed to be Helena Ravenclaw) in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the final instalment of the Harry Potter film franchise. She replaced Nina Young, the original actress in the role. In 2012, she provided the voice of Merida, the heroine of the Disney/Pixar film Brave, and starred as Dolly in Anna Karenina.[21]

From 2010 until its ending in 2014, she starred in the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire as Margaret Thompson, the wife of Prohibition-era Atlantic City crime boss Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi). She appeared in all five seasons of the series. In 2011, she and the rest of the show's cast were awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. In 2016, she starred in Ricky Gervais' Special Correspondents as Claire Maddox,[22] and Swallows and Amazons as Mrs. Walker.[23] In 2016, she played the lead role in "Hated in the Nation", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror for which she received critical acclaim.[24] On November 3 2016, Macdonald was featured in the trailer for Danny Boyle's Trainspotting 2 confirming she will reprise her role as Diane from the original film.

Personal life[]

Macdonald was born in Glasgow. Her mother was a garment industry sales executive.[citation needed] In August 2003, Macdonald married musician Dougie Payne, bassist of rock band Travis. The couple have two children.

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Trainspotting Diane Coulston
1996 Stella Does Tricks Stella McGuire
1997 Dead Eye Dick Wendy Short film
1998 Cousin Bette Hortense Hulot
1998 Elizabeth Isabel Knollys
1999 Splendor Mike
1999 Entropy Pia
1999 The Loss of Sexual Innocence Susan
1999 My Life So Far Elspeth Pettigrew
1999 Tube Tales Emma Segment: "Mr. Cool"
2000 Two Family House Mary O'Neary
2000 House! Linda
2000 Some Voices Laura
2001 Strictly Sinatra Irene
2001 Gosford Park Mary Maceachran
2003 Intermission Deirdre
2004 Finding Neverland Peter Pan
2005 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Jin Jenz Reporter
2005 All the Invisible Children Jonathan's wife Segment: "Jonathan"
2005 Nanny McPhee Evangeline
2005 Lassie Jeanie
2006 A Cock and Bull Story Jenny
2007 No Country for Old Men Carla Jean Moss
2008 The Merry Gentleman Kate Frazier
2008 Choke Paige Marshall
2009 In the Electric Mist Kelly Drummond
2011 The Decoy Bride Katie Nic Aodh
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Helena Ravenclaw
2012 Brave Princess Merida Voice
2012 Anna Karenina Dolly Oblonskaya
2016 Special Correspondents Claire Maddox
2016 Swallows and Amazons Mrs. Walker
2017 The Journey Is the Destination Duff In post-production
2017 T2: Trainspotting Diane In post-production
2017 Okja Filming
2017 Goodbye Christopher Robin Olive Filming
2018 Holmes and Watson Mrs. Hudson Filming

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Flowers of the Forest Amy Ogilvie Television film
2003 Brush with Fate Aletta Pieters Television film
2003 State of Play Della Smith 6 episodes
2005 Alias Kiera MacLaine / Meghan Keene Episode: "Ice"
2005 The Girl in the Café Gina Television film
2009 Skellig Louise / Mum Television film
2010–14 Boardwalk Empire Margaret Thompson 56 episodes
2016 Black Mirror Karin Parke Episode: "Hated in the Nation"

Awards and nominations[]

Year Nominated work Award Category Result
1997 Trainspotting BAFTA Scotland Awards Best Film Actress Nominated
2000 Two Family House Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead Nominated
2002 Gosford Park Online Film Critics Society Best Cast Won
Phoenix Film Critics Society Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Cast – Motion Picture Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Won
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Ensemble Cast Won
2003 Empire Awards Best British Actress Nominated
2006 The Girl in the Café Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
2008 Choke Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Ensemble Cast Won
No Country for Old Men Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Nominated
British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
London Film Critics' Circle Supporting Actress of the Year Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Won
2011 Boardwalk Empire Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
2012 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
Brave Annie Awards Outstanding Voice Acting in a Feature Production Nominated

References[]

  1. Cadwallader, Carole (5 April 2009). "Cinema's best-kept secret". The Guardian. London, UK.
  2. "Trainspotting". DVDMG. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  3. "Two Family House". Spirituality and Practice. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  4. "Finding Neverland". Yahoo Movies. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  5. "Gosford Park". TV Guide. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  6. "Intermission". About.com. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  7. Credits from the cassette release from the BBC Radio Collection
  8. "State of Play". BBC. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  9. "Girl in the Café". Qwipster. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  10. "2006 Golden Globe". About.com. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  11. "Scots star wins Emmy for TV role". BBC News. 28 August 2006. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  12. "nanny mcphee". About.com. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  13. "A cock and bull story". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  14. "No Country for Old Men". TV Guide. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  15. "Kelly Macdonald: No Country for Old Men video interview". STV.
  16. "2008 baftas". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  17. "choke". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  18. Wilson, Benji (11 April 2009). "Kelly MacDonald's 'comeback' with Skellig". The Times. London, UK. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  19. "the merry gentleman". Cinematical. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  20. Macnab, Geoffrey (14 May 2010). "Tennant, MacDonald, Eve walk down the aisle with "Decoy Bride"". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  21. Template:Str rightmost/ Kelly Macdonald on IMDb
  22. Sneider, Jeff (30 May 2015). "'Boardwalk Empire's' Kelly Macdonald Joins Ricky Gervais' Netflix Movie 'Special Correspondents' (Exclusive)". TheWrap.
  23. Barraclough, Leo (29 June 2015). "'Sherlock's' Moriarty, Andrew Scott, Joins Cast of 'Swallows and Amazons' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  24. "Joe Wright To Direct 'Black Mirror' Episode For Netflix; Bryce Dallas Howard & Alice Eve To Star". Deadline. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.

External links[]

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