Angel Coulby
Angel Leonie Coulby (born 30 August 1980) is an English actress in film, television, and theatre. She is best known for portraying the character Gwen (Guinevere) in the BBC fantasy series Merlin.
Angel Coulby | |
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![]() Coulby in 2011 | |
Born | Angel Leonie Coulby[1] 30 August 1980 Islington, London, England |
Alma mater | Queen Margaret University |
Occupation |
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Years active | 2001–present |
Children | 1 |
Signature | |
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Early life
Coulby was born in Islington, London, and she is Afro-Guyanese.[2][3] She studied for a degree in acting at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, and achieved a first and was awarded the Laurence Olivier Bursary in 2000.[4][5]
Career
Coulby is first seen in an episode of Scariest Places on Earth as a student who had an encounter with a ghost. Her breakthrough came in 2001 with her role in the Johnny Vaughan BBC sitcom 'Orrible. She was later chosen to play Gwen, a young woman also known as Guinevere who would later become Queen, in the BBC One fantasy TV series Merlin.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Coulby stated that with playing Gwen she "liked the idea that you go on a bit of a journey as an actor, starting off as a humble maidservant, kind of a bit bumbling, and then obviously growing into this very capable queen", and it was "really nice to have that range throughout a job."[6] In that capacity, she starred in all the five seasons, appearing in 61 of the 65 episodes.
She took the star role of the jazz singer Jessie in the BBC Two Stephen Poliakoff five-part 2013 drama serial Dancing on the Edge, alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Goodman, Matthew Goode, Anthony Head and Jacqueline Bisset.[7]
It was announced in February 2013 that Coulby would star in The Tunnel, a British-French remake of Scandinavian crime drama, The Bridge. She starred alongside Stephen Dillane and Clémence Poésy. The first series aired in late 2013, and Coulby reprised her role for a second series in 2016.[8]
Coulby returned to stage for the first time since 2014 in Rupert Goold's Albion at the Almeida Theatre in February 2020, which was filmed and broadcast on BBC Four in August 2020.[9]
It was revealed Coulby joined the cast of the Apple TV+ thriller Suspicious, which is a remake of the Hebrew-language series False Flag, in March 2020.[10] The filming of the series, taking place in London, had stopped temporarily in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic[11] and has resumed in October 2020.[12]
Personal life
In 2019, Coulby announced she had recently become a mother[13] to a son born in 2018.[14]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Scariest Places on Earth | Awassa Tact (scared student), name intended as wordplay on "I was attacked"[15][16] | Episode: "Exorcism: Greyfriars Cemetery 1" |
2001 | 'Orrible | Shiv | 4 episodes |
2002 | Casualty | Sally | Episode: "In the Heat of the Night" |
Having It Off | Kylie Riley | TV series | |
A Good Thief | Leah Pickering | TV movie | |
2003 | The Second Coming | PC Louise Fraser | TV miniseries |
Manchild | Pippa | 1 episode | |
2004 | Making Waves | LMA Anita Cook | 2 episodes |
As If | Amber | 7 episodes | |
Conviction | Jemma Ryan | 6 episodes | |
Holby City | Maxine Framley | Episode: "A Good Day to Bury Bad News" | |
2005 | The Jacket | Intern No. 2 | |
Murder Investigation Team | Lee Allanson | 1 episode | |
The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse | Receptionist | ||
Imagine Me & You | Anna | ||
Vincent | Gillian Lafferty | 7 episodes | |
2006 | Hustle | Alice | Episode: "A Bollywood Dream" |
Doctor Who | Katherine | Episode: "The Girl in the Fireplace" | |
The Bill | Zoe Hughes | Episode: "Good for Gold" | |
Tripping Over | Charity | 1 episode | |
2007 | Blue Murder (UK TV series) | Kate Malin' | Episode: "Crisis Management" |
Magicians | Receptionist | ||
Gina's Laughing Gear | Nurse Jones | Episode: "Dollby City" | |
Secret Life | Young Mum | TV movie | |
New Street Law | Sharon Weir | 1 episode | |
Talk to Me | Faith | 4 episodes | |
The Visit | Rachael | 6 episodes | |
Life Is Wild | Episode: "Heritage Day" | ||
2008–2012 | Merlin | Guinevere "Gwen" | Main role (appears in 61 of the 65 episodes) |
2013 | Dancing on the Edge | Jessie Taylor | Main role |
2013–2018 | The Tunnel | Laura Roebuck | Main role |
2015–2020 | Thunderbirds Are Go | Tanusha "Kayo" Kyrano | Main role; voice |
2016 | Undercover | Julia Redhead | 2 episodes |
2016 | Hooten & the Lady | Melina | Episode: "Egypt" |
2017 | Man in an Orange Shirt | Claudie | 1 episode |
2017 | Body Slam[17] | Ruth | Short movie |
2018 | Innocent | Detective Inspector Cathy Hudson[18] | Main role |
2020 | Moving On | Lisa | Episode: "Time Out" |
TBA | Suspicion | Vanessa[19] | TV series |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Director | Company | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Lavender Blue[20] | Jess | Muriel Romanes | Royal Lyceum Theatre | |
2007 | Statement of Regret | Issimama Banjoko | Jeremy Herrin | Cottesloe Theatre | |
2014 | Good People[21] | Katie | Jonathan Kent | Hampstead Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre | |
2020 | Albion[22] | Anna | Rupert Goold | Almeida Theatre | |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Role | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Monte Carlo TV Festival Awards | Golden Nymph Outstanding Actress – Drama Series | Gwen in Merlin | Nominated |
References
- England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007
- Tempest Bradford, K. (28 February 2015). "Uncovering Hidden Black History, On Screen And on the Page". Code Switch. NPR. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- "15 Black British Actresses Making Major Moves". EBONY. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- "My first year at university". n.d.
- National Theatre Archive, Statement of Regret Resource Pack.
- April 29, 2013 - LA Times Hero Complex - Angel Coulby Discusses Being A Heroine.
- "Stephen Poliakoff's Dancing on the Edge for BBC Two starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Matthew Goode", BBC Media Centre.
- Morgan Jeffery, "'Merlin' star Angel Coulby, Keeley Hawes join 'The Bridge' remake", Digital Spy, 1 February 2013.
- "Albion on the BBC".
- White, Peter (11 March 2020). "Uma Thurman To Headline Apple Drama Series 'Suspicion', Based On Israeli Thriller False Flag". Deadline Hollywood.
- "Kunal Nayyar flees filming in London amid coronavirus outbreak".
- "The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar celebrates return to London with poignant message".
- https://twitter.com/Hushyabeak/status/1178971762647805953%5B%5D
- "BWW Interview: Angel Coulby Talks ALBION On BBC Four".
- "Exorcism". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 10. 4 May 2001. ABC Family. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- "Scariest Places on Earth (Greyfriars Cemetery 1) : paranormal-activity". 3 December 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- "Body Slam (2017)".
- "Hermione Norris and Lee Ingleby lead the cast of new ITV drama Innocent". itv.com.
- "Curtis Brown CV".
- "LAVENDER BLUE by Grace Barnes Royal Lyceum to 2 February".
- "Good People – Hampstead Theatre".
- "Albion". Almeida Theatre, London. February 2020.