Kate Hardie

With no formal training, she auditioned for her first role, in the 1983 film Runners (written by Stephen Poliakoff and directed by Charles Sturridge), at the age of 14, telling her parents she had done so only when she got the part. She went on to appear in numerous films, including Revolution (1985), Neil Jordan's Mona Lisa (1986), Cry Freedom (1987), Tree of Hands (1989), The Krays (1990), Jack and Sarah (1995), Croupier (1998) and I Am Dina (2002).[1] Hardie's stage name is derived from those of both her parents: Jean Hart and Bill Oddie.[2]

On television her roles include The Men's Room, Safe in which she was nominated for the RTS best TV performer, and Beyond Reason. She spent five months in Hollywood, before returning to the UK to play the student nurse Karen O'Malley in the BBC drama series Casualty. In 1998, she starred in Croupier.[1]

In 2006, she graduated in screen writing at the National Film and Television School.[3] She wrote the short film King of London during her time there. She subsequently wrote two plays in Channel 4's Coming Up series, Imprints (2007) and Little Bill Um (2008), the latter also being her directorial debut.

In 2011, she wrote and directed a short film called Shoot Me starring Claire Skinner and Paul Andrew Williams and produced by Rankin.

In 2009, she appeared in the BBC drama Criminal Justice.

Hardie left school and home in Hampstead, North London, to live with a boy when she was 14. She later lived with the actor Dorian Healy for six years. She met the portrait and fashion photographer Rankin (John Rankin Waddell) on a photo shoot, and married him in 1995. After their son was born, she moved in with a fellow actor, David Thewlis, and divorced Waddell in 1998.[1] Her relationship with Thewlis subsequently ended.

• Kate Hardie at IMDb
• Interview