Charlene McKenna

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Charlene McKenna
Charlene McKenna (2008).jpg
McKenna in 2008
Born
Charlene Lee McKenna

(1984-03-26) 26 March 1984 (age 37)
Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ulster
OccupationActress
Years active2005–present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2021)​

Charlene Lee McKenna (Irish: Searlaoin Nic Chionaoith; born 26 March 1984) is an Irish actress. She became a household name and face in Ireland after starring as Jennifer Jackson in the television series Pure Mule in 2005.[1] She has had numerous other roles in television dramas in Ireland, including Single-Handed 2, Raw and Whistleblower. For her role in Raw, she won the Best Actress (Television) award at the Irish Film & Television Awards, and for her role in Whistleblower, she won the Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

Since 2009, McKenna has mainly appeared in British television dramas, where she is best known for roles such as Rose Erskine in the BBC mystery drama Ripper Street (2012–2016), Leah Liebermann in the BBC psychological thriller Vienna Blood (2019–present) and Detective Sergeant Niamh McGovern in the BBC police procedural series Bloodlands (2021–present).

Career[]

McKenna first appeared on stage at the age of eleven, playing a small role in Oklahoma! with the Monaghan Youth Theatre.[1] She studied Religious Education and Music at Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin.[1] Her first large-scale production was Pure Mule which launched her career.[1] She played Jennifer Jackson, a racy character, in the series.[2] 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.[3]

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.[2][4] Eilish also had to endure several resentful in-laws.[5] This performance was described as "outstanding".[6]

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.[7] McKenna played Karen, a young mother who has an unnecessary hysterectomy performed on her after giving birth.[7] Emma Stansfield played the nurse who blew the whistle.[7] McKenna won the Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series award for her role in Whistleblower at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in June 2009.[8]

For her role in Raw, McKenna stripped naked for a full frontal scene in the fourth episode.[9] The actress was pleased with the lack of complaints about the scene, apparently considering it an indication of the growing tolerance of Irish audiences. Scenes involving restaurant staff tampering with their guests' food similarly failed to attract much complaint.[9] 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.[10][11] 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.[12] McKenna won the Best Actress (Television) award for her role in Raw at the Irish Film & Television Awards in February 2009.[8][13] 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.[14] 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.[15] In February 2021, McKenna played a lead role as Detective Sergeant Niamh McGovern in the BBC police procedural drama series, Bloodlands.[16]

Personal life[]

McKenna is originally from County Monaghan, but is now based in New York.[9] She announced her engagement to American actor Adam Rothenberg in 2019.[17] They were married in January 2021.[18]

Filmography[]

Film[]

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

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Pure Mule Jennifer Jackson
2006 Stew Various characters 1 episode
2007 Prosperity Natasha Episode: "Gavin's Story"
Coming Up Aisling Episode: "99, 100"
2008 Single-Handed 2 Eilish
Whistleblower Karen
2008–2013 Raw Jojo Harte
2009 The Fixer Paula 1 episode
Pure Mule: The Last Weekend Jennifer Jackson
2011 Sirens Angie Episode: "Two Man Race"
Merlin Lamia Episode: "Lamia"
Misfits Shannon Speers 1 episode
2012–2016 Ripper Street Rose Erskine
2013 Skins Pure Maddie
2015 A.D. The Bible Continues Eva
2017 Stan Lee's Lucky Man Clare Cartmell Episode: "What Lies Beneath"
2018 Death and Nightingales Mercy Boyle
2019 Bump Liz
2019–present Peaky Blinders Captain Swing Episode: "Black Cats"
Vienna Blood Leah Liebermann
2021–present Bloodlands Detective Sergeant Niamh McGovern

Awards and nominations[]

Year Association Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2009 Irish Film & Television Awards Best Actress (Television) Raw Won [13]
Monte Carlo Television Festival Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series Whistleblower Won [8]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Lonesome West for Charlene". Laois Nationalist. 11 March 2005. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  2. ^ Jump up to: 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.
  3. ^ "What the Dickens! Stars film classic novel". Irish Independent. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  4. ^ Whitington, Paul (11 April 2009). "Single-Handed 3: The Drowning ManSunday, RTE1, 9.25pm". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  5. ^ Whitington, Paul (29 December 2007). "Singlehanded 2". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  6. ^ Boland, John (5 January 2008). "Grim tale of abduction a dramatic victory for RTÉ". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Whitington, Paul (30 August 2008). "Syriana". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Irish star a winner in Monte Carlo". RTÉ. 12 June 2009. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c "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.
  10. ^ Whitington, Paul (13 September 2008). "Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  11. ^ Whitington, Paul (6 September 2008). "Schindler's List". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  12. ^ Horan, Niamh (14 September 2008). "Raw's racy sex scenes failing to rattle viewers". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Horan, Niamh (15 May 2009). "Fassbender secures top IFTA acting honour for hard-hitting 'Hunger' role". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  14. ^ "Charlene McKenna - Raw Talent". RTÉ News. 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012.
  15. ^ "BBC - Charlene McKenna (Leah Liebermann) - Media Centre". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Bloodlands star Charlene McKenna says crime thriller should have viewers "screaming at the TV", 16 February 2021". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Monaghan actress Charlene McKenna announces engagement to American actor". The Irish News. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  18. ^ 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.

External links[]

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