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.
Holliday Grainger | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Grainger in 2018 | |
| Born | Holliday Clark Grainger 27 March 1988 Didsbury, Manchester, England |
| Other names | Holly Grainger |
| Alma mater | University of Leeds and finally Open University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Notable work | |
| Partner | Harry Treadaway (2015–present) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editGrainger 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
editGrainger'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 opposite Jeremy Irons as 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 appeared in Disassociation, a play by Luke Bailey, at The Lowry in Salford.[9] 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.[10]
Grainger played Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia Tremaine in Kenneth Branagh's 2015 film version of Cinderella.[11]
In 2016, Grainger starred in Disney's The Finest Hours.[12]
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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15]
In 2017, she appeared in a film adaptation of the novel Tulip Fever alongside Alicia Vikander.[16] 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.[17]
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.[18]
In 2019, Grainger starred in the BBC conspiracy thriller The Capture.[19]
Personal life
editIn May 2021, she had twin children with her partner Harry Treadaway, himself a twin (brother of Luke Treadaway).[20]
Filmography
editFilm
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 | |
| 2025 | Mickey 17 | Post-production | |
| TBA | 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 |
| TBA | Playdate | 5 episodes, post-production |
Audio
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–present | Impact Winter | Darcy |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dimetos | Lydia | Donmar Warehouse, London |
| 2014 | Three Sisters | Irina | Southwark Playhouse, London |
References
edit- ^ "Holliday Grainger Interview THE BORGIAS; Updates on BEL AMI and JANE EYRE". Collider. 30 January 2011.
- ^ a b c "Holliday Grainger Interview". 1883 Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ "Parrs Wood Alumni". parrswood.manchester.sch.uk. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ The Guardian
- ^ Harnick, Chris (4 May 2012). "The Borgias renewed season 3". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ French, Philip (21 March 2010). "The Scouting Book for Boys". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Great Expectations to close BFI London Film Festival". number9films. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ Eden, Richard (13 January 2013). "Downton Abbey star Jim Carter enjoys 'bamboo massage'". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Cavendish, Dominic (10 April 2014). "'Three Sisters, Southwark Playhouse, review'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (10 June 2013). "'The Borgias' Star Holliday Grainger Joins Disney's 'Cinderella' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ^ Schager, Nick (26 January 2016). "Review: 'The Finest Hours' Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Eric Bana, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, And More". IndieWire. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ "Jack O'Connell, Holliday Grainger refugee drama 'Home' sets release". Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "What They Took With Them - #WithRefugees". Unhcr. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "BAFTABritish Short Film and Short Animation". 18 January 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Holliday Grainger to Star in J.K. Rowling's 'Cormoran Strike'". Variety. 1 November 2016.
- ^ Animals interview: Alia Shawkat, Holliday Grainger, Sophie Hyde, Emma Jane Unsworth - 8 Feb 2019 on YouTube
- ^ "Meet the cast of BBC conspiracy thriller 'The Capture'". Radio Times. 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Actress Holliday Grainger gives birth to newborn twins with beau Harry Treadaway". Daily Mirror. 29 May 2021.