Amanda Drew
Amanda Drew | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 December 1969 |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1992–present |
Amanda Drew (born 21 December 1969)[1] is a British actress from Boston, England, with extensive credits in theatre, television and film.
Biography
One of four children, Drew was born in Boston.[1][2] Drew's mother was a nurse[3] and her father was a vicar.[4] When her parents moved to Leicestershire for work, Drew was educated at Beauchamp College in Oadby,[5][6] where she joined a youth theatre, playing Charity in Sweet Charity.[7] She later attended King's School, Ottery St. Mary, when her family moved to Devon.
After graduating from RADA in 1992,[8] Drew made her name on stage at the Royal Court Theatre and various other West End productions in both drama and comedy roles. In 2001, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.[9]
In March 2009 she starred in the UK premiere of Parlour Song at the Almeida Theatre.[10] In July 2009 she took the role of Claudia Roe, a fictional amalgamation of female executives of the failed Enron Corporation, in ENRON at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, transferring to Royal Court Theatre in October 2009 and the West End in January 2010.[11] She made her Broadway debut in Florian Zeller's play The Height of the Storm in 2019.[12]
Her television credits include A Very British Scandal, The Girl Before, Broadchurch, The Last Post, Chernobyl, Wednesday, and the Black Mirror episode "Smithereens". In 2025, Drew starred in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 (also known as Lockerbie) as a victim's mother. In real life, the incident took place on Drew's 19th birthday.[13]
EastEnders
Drew played the part of Dr. May Wright in the BBC One soap opera, EastEnders, between September 2006 and June 2007, and again in June 2008.[14] Drew was involved in one of largest storylines of the year, a love triangle between May, her husband Rob Minter (Stuart Laing), and Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon).
The personality of the character has earned her the nickname "Mad May" and "Psycho Doctor" from the media.[15] Drew has described the role as "a gift of a role for any actor because of her complexity."[16] Of her return to EastEnders, she has stated: "I'm so excited to be playing her again. It'd be a shame to give too much away, but she has changed in many ways."[16] Executive producer Diederick Santer has said: "It's great to have Amanda back. May is a hugely popular character. I'm sure viewers will be keen to see what she gets up to and how she's changed."[16]
In May 2007, it was decided that the ending of a current storyline featuring characters of May, Dawn and Rob would be substantially rewritten due to the disappearance of toddler Madeleine McCann. The storyline would have seen May ran off with Dawn and Rob's baby shortly after it had been born.[17] The move attracted some criticism as to how it relates directly to the disappearance of the toddler; the BBC said that "In the current circumstances it was felt any storyline that included a child abduction would be inappropriate and could cause distress to our viewers."[17] May holds Dawn hostage, intending to steal her baby by performing a caesarean section. May is arrested and Drew left the series.
Trailers for Drew's return to EastEnders, had been shown in the weeks running up to her return on BBC channels; on 6 June 2008. She reprised her role as May, under the assumed name of "Jenny". She was seen smoking a cigarette and drinking alcohol, two new activities for the character. May was killed-off on 18 June 2008 when she causes a gas explosion at the Miller house.[18][19]
Awards
Drew won the "Outstanding Newcomer" at the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her performance in Eastward Ho! at the Gielgud Theatre.[20]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Remember Me? | Woman Police Constable | |
| Mrs Dalloway | Lucy | ||
| 1999 | This Year's Love | Old Friend | |
| 2004 | Between Us | Lukas' Mother | Short film |
| 2008 | The Other Man | Joy | |
| 2010 | Jerusalem | Kate Blake | Short film |
| 2012 | Elfie Hopkins | Susannah Hopkins | |
| Anonymous | Helen | Short film | |
| 2014 | Charity | Mum | Short film |
| 2015 | Blue Borsalino | Donna | Short film |
| 2018 | A Private War | Amy Bentham | |
| 2021 | The Hitman and Her | Mrs. Pierce | Short film |
| 2023 | Drift | Sonia |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Between the Lines | Angela | Series 1; episode 9: "Watching the Detectives" |
| 1993 | Full Stretch | Natasha | Episode 1: "Ivory Tower" |
| Performance | Daisy | Series 3; episode 2: "The Maitlands" | |
| Paul Calf's Video Diary | Emma | Television film | |
| 1994 | The Bill | Mrs. Sanders | Series 10; episode 26: "Business as Usual" |
| Soldier Soldier | Nurse Siobhan Mitchell | Series 4; episodes 3 & 4: "Damage" & "Second Sight" | |
| 1995 | The Bill | Heather Carney | Series 11; episode 86: "Presumed Guilty" |
| Degrees of Error | Cordell Hospital Nurse | (unknown episodes) | |
| 1998 | The Bill | Kay Richards | Series 14; episode 72: "Stop" |
| Men Behaving Badly | Wendy | Series 7; episodes 1–3: "Performance", "Gary in Love" & "Delivery" | |
| 2002 | Spooks | BBC Woman | Series 1; episode 5: "The Rose Bed Memoirs". Uncredited role |
| Tough Love | WDC Jilly Barnes | Television film | |
| 2003 | M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team | Ruth Taylor | Series 1; episode 6: "Lambs to the Slaughter" |
| The Bill | Annabelle Jameson | Series 19; episodes 81 & 82: "Antecedent" & "Fatality" | |
| 2004 | No Angels | Dr. Jane Salter | Series 1; episode 5 |
| 2005 | The Golden Hour | Peta Larkinson | Mini-series; episode 3 |
| 2006–2008 | EastEnders | Dr. May Wright | Regular role; 97 episodes |
| 2008 | HolbyBlue | Judy Burrows | Series 2; episodes 4–6 |
| 2011 | Britain's Fattest Man | Herself - Narrator | Television film |
| Midsomer Murders | Liz Gerrard | Series 13; episode 7: "Not in My Back Yard" | |
| 2012 | When Paddy Met Sally | Herself - Narrator | Television film |
| Switch | Janet | Episodes 1, 2, 4 & 5 | |
| Paddy and Sally's Excellent Gypsy Adventure | Herself - Narrator | Episodes 1–4: "Spain", "Hungary", "Ireland" & "Borneo" | |
| 2013 | Silent Witness | DI Reed | Series 16; episodes 3 & 4: "Trust: Parts 1 & 2" |
| Life of Crime | Beverley Reid | Mini-series; episodes 1–3: "1985", "1997" & "2013" | |
| New Tricks | Laura Highsmith | Series 10; episode 1: "The Rock: Part One" | |
| Southcliffe | Jacqui Whitehead | Mini-series; episodes 1–4 | |
| 2013–2015 | Broadchurch | Cate Gillespie | Series 1; episode 6, & series 2; episode 1 & 3–6 |
| 2014 | The Passing Bells | Annie Edwards | Mini-series; episodes 1–5 |
| Horizon | Herself - Narrator | Series 51; episodes 8 & 13: "Where Is Flight MH370?" & "Inside the Dark Web" | |
| 2017 | The Last Post | Mary Markham | Mini-series; episodes 1–6 |
| 2018 | Trust | Belinda | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | Father Brown | Miss Cynthia Rosewood | Series 7; episode 4: "The Demise of the Debutante" |
| Chernobyl | Kremlin Aide Female | Mini-series; episodes 2 & 3: "Please Remain Calm" & "Open Wide, O Earth" | |
| Black Mirror | Hayley | Series 5; episode 2: "Smithereens" | |
| Master Moley: By Royal Invitation | Tracey / Signora Maria / Melanie (voice) | Television short film | |
| 2019–2020 | The Trial of Christine Keeler | Julie Ellen Payne | Episodes 2–6 |
| 2020 | Criminal: UK | Alex's Solicitor | Series 2; episode 2: "Alex" |
| 2020–2025 | Gangs of London | Miss Kane | Series 1–3; 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Doctor Who | Voice of the Mouri (voice) | Series 13: episode 3: "Flux: Chapter Three - Once, Upon Time" |
| The Girl Before | Carol Younsen (Psychotherapist) | Mini-series; episodes 1–4 | |
| A Very British Scandal | Yvonne MacPherson | Mini-series; episodes 1–3 | |
| 2021–2024 | The Outlaws | Ruth | Series 1–3; 11 episodes |
| 2022 | Vampire Academy | Diane | 5 episodes |
| The Peripheral | Mrs. West | Episode 3: "Haptic Drift" | |
| Wednesday | Esther Sinclair | Season 1; episode 5: "You Reap What You Woe" | |
| 2023 | The Power | Mrs. Elms | Episode 3: "A New Organ" |
| Wolf | Supt. Harper Driscoll | Mini-series; episodes 1 & 5: "Watching" & "Death Roll" | |
| The Lazarus Project | Dr. Harrison | Series 2; episode 6 | |
| 2023–2024 | The Gold | CS/Asst. Commissioner Cath McLean | Series 1; episodes 1–6, & series 2; episode 1[21] |
| 2024 | Eric | Caroline | Mini-series; episodes 4 & 5 |
| Ellis | DCI Cotton | Series 1; episode 3: "Brindleton" | |
| 2025 | A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story | Bertha Neilson | Mini-series; episodes 1–4 |
| The Bombing of Pan Am 103 | Linda Burman | Mini-series; episodes 1–6[22] | |
| Lynley | Valerie | Episode 1. Post-production | |
| Bookish | Nerina Bean | Episodes 3 & 4: "Deadly Nitrate: Parts 1 & 2". In production |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Hitman 2 | Nancy Burnwood (voice) |
Selected stage appearances
- The Memory of Water
- The Man of Mode (1994)
- The Way of the World (1995)
- John Gabriel Borkman (1996)
- Taking Sides (1997)
- The School of Night (1999)
- The House of Bernarda Alba (1999)
- Top Girls (2000)
- Jubilee (2001)
- Eastward Ho! (2002)
- The Island Princess (2002)
- Blithe Spirit (2004)
- Otherwise Engaged (2005)
- Parlour Song (2009)
- ENRON (2009–2010)
- House of Games (2010)
- Butley (2011)
- Twelfth Night (2011)
- A Streetcar Named Desire (2012)
- Three Days in the Country (2015)
References
- ^ a b Paddock, Terri (10 September 2007). "20 Questions with ... Amanda Drew". whatsonstage.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
Date & place of birth Born 21 December 1969 in Boston, Lincolnshire.
- ^ "The Big Interview: Amanda Drew". Official London Theatre. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "Amanda Drew's doctor dream". FemaleFirst.com. 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ^ "EE: Amanda Drew Interview - The People". Digital Spy. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Garrett, Lee (11 February 2023). "Cast for BBC One's The Gold includes Leicestershire star". LeicestershireLive. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Garrett, Lee (20 December 2021). "Leicestershire actors star in BBC thriller The Girl Before". LeicestershireLive. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Dessau, Bruce (28 June 2023). "The strong whiff of success". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Fabrique. "Amanda Drew — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "Amanda Drew | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Billington, Michael (27 March 2009). "Parlour Song". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Hoyle, Ben (29 June 2023). "Play about Enron scandal fails to win transatlantic acclaim". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Soltes, John (30 October 2019). "INTERVIEW: Amanda Drew finds herself at the 'Height of the Storm'". Hollywood Soapbox. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (5 June 2019). "Black Mirror season 5 'Smithereens' ending explained". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ^ "Amanda Drew". BBC EastEnders. profile.
- ^ "Amanda: I've never felt broody". Metro. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
- ^ a b c "May's mad comeback!". Inside Soap. England. 22 April 2008. p. 11.
- ^ a b "'EastEnders' axe baby abduction plot". Digital Spy. 22 May 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2007.
- ^ "'Mad May' returns to EastEnders". Digital Spy. 14 April 2008.
- ^ "May's on her way back". BBC EastEnders. 15 April 2008.
- ^ "Theatre Awards 2003 shortlist". Evening Standard. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "First Look images and further casting announced for upcoming BBC Drama The Gold". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (5 March 2024). "'Suits' Star Patrick J. Adams, Connor Swindells, Merritt Wever Cast in Netflix, BBC Series 'Lockerbie'". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
External links
- Amanda Drew at IMDb