Lucy Ann Cohu (born 2 October 1968) is an English stage and film actress, known for portraying Princess Margaret in The Queen's Sister, Evelyn Brogan in Cape Wrath and Alice Carter in Torchwood: Children of Earth.
Lucy Cohu | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lucy Ann Cohu 2 October 1968 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Background
editLucy Ann Cohu was born in Wiltshire in 1968. She attended a boarding school, Stamford High School, as a child, and went on to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama.[1] Cohu said that, despite her family's strong military background, her parents were entirely supportive of her desire to be an actress. Cohu lives in Kensal Green in Brent, London.[2]
Personal life
editCohu was married to the actor Corey Johnson, but later divorced.[3]
Television and film work
editBefore she made a living from acting she used to perform for children's parties. She has been quoted as saying that had she not found success as an actress she would have gone into children's nursing.[2]
Cohu's first acting job after graduating from drama school was at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, in a production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She made her television debut in an episode of Casualty.[2] She went on to work extensively in television, including playing the role Major Jessica Bailey in the popular ITV show Soldier Soldier followed by many parts in British television. In 2005 she portrayed Princess Margaret in the semi-fictional version of her life, The Queen's Sister, for Channel 4, for which she was nominated for Emmy and BAFTA awards. She was widely praised for the role; for example, Variety disliked the "somewhat tawdry biopic", but said that "Cohu makes it all worth watching".[4] Cohu herself said she played Margaret like a proper woman with an insatiable and tremendous energy for life: previous images in her mind had been of a bloated and sick elderly princess confined to a wheelchair. She hoped the production hadn't offended anyone as she really liked the Queen.[5]
Cohu has also appeared in Cape Wrath, Ballet Shoes, as Theo Danes,[6] and Torchwood: Children of Earth, as Alice Carter, the daughter of Captain Jack Harkness.
Cohu has also appeared in several films, including Gosford Park and Becoming Jane.
She played Madame Maigret in the ITV television series Maigret starring Rowan Atkinson.
Theatre work
editIn 2018 Cohu appeared in a production of Speaking in Tongues at the Duke of York's Theatre, opposite John Simm, Ian Hart and Kerry Fox.[7] Cohu received positive reviews for this performance.[8] In February 2010 she began a five-week run in a production of An Enemy of the People at the Crucible Theatre, starring alongside Sir Antony Sher as Katrina Stockmann, and later appeared in Arthur Miller's Broken Glass at the Tricycle Theatre. She is due to appear in Dawn King’s play ‘The Trials’ at the Donmar Warehouse in London from 12 August 2022 to 27 August.
Awards
editIn November 2008 Cohu won an international Emmy award for Best Actress for her role in the true-life drama Forgiven.[9]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Casualty | Theresa Johnson | One episode: "Beggars Can't Be Choosers" |
| 1992 | The Good Guys | Lucy Howells | One episode: "Relative Values" |
| Sam Saturday | Jill Connor | One episode: "On the Other Hand" | |
| 1993 | Poirot: The Chocolate Box | Marianne Deroulard | |
| 1994 | A Very Open Prison | Reporter | |
| The Dwelling Place | Isabelle Fischel | Three episodes: Episode 1.1, Episode 1.2, Episode 1.3 | |
| 1995 | Loving | Violet | |
| Pie in the Sky | Miss Watson | One episode: "Swan in His Pride" | |
| 1996 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Magdelene Heller | Two episodes: "The Secret House of Death: Part 1", "The Secret House of Death: Part 2" |
| 1997 | Peak Practice | Gina Johnson | Three episodes: "State of Mind", "Running to Hide", "Borrowed Time" |
| Rebecca | Rebecca de Winter | ||
| Casualty | Jayne Bazeley | Five episodes | |
| Queen: Made in Heaven | Woman | ||
| Soldier Soldier | Major Jessica Bailey | Seven episodes | |
| 1998 | Wycliffe | Sophie Cattran | One episode: "Standing Stone" |
| 1999 | RKO 281 | Dolores del Río | Uncredited |
| 2000 | Reach for the Moon | Amelia Marchant | Six episodes |
| 2002 | In Deep | Elinor | Two episodes: "Blood Loss: Part 1", "Blood Loss: Part 2" |
| The Real Jane Austen | Cassandra Austen | ||
| 2003 | Red Cap | Megan Rhodes | One episode: "Cold War" |
| Sweet Medicine | Anna Winterson | Five episodes | |
| 2004 | The Bill | Philippa Manson | Nine episodes (2004–2005) |
| 2005 | The Queen's Sister | Princess Margaret | |
| 2006 | Bombshell | Valerie Welling | |
| Coup! | Amanda Mann | ||
| 2007 | Cape Wrath | Evelyn Brogan | |
| Forgiven | Liz | Won 2008 International Emmy award for Best Actress | |
| Ballet Shoes | Thea Dane | ||
| 2008 | Einstein and Eddington | Mileva Einstein | |
| 2009 | Torchwood: Children of Earth | Alice Carter | |
| Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye | Pat Fortescue | ||
| Murderland | Sally | ||
| 2010 | Silent Witness | Rebecca Connelly | Two episodes: "Intent: Part 1", "Intent: Part 2" |
| Midsomer Murders | Jenny Russell | One episode: "The Sword of Guillaume" | |
| 2012 | Lewis | Marion Hammond | One episode: "Fearful Symmetry" (Series 6) |
| 2012, 2016 | Ripper Street | Deborah Goren | |
| 2013 | Atlantis | Circe | Two episodes: "Songs of Siren", "Touched by the Gods (Part 1)" |
| Inspector George Gently | Margaret Turner | (Series 6) | |
| 2015 | Broadchurch | Tess Henchard | |
| Charlie | Terry Keane | RTÉ mini-series; 3 episodes | |
| Erotic Adventures Of Anaïs Nin | Anaïs Nin | Sky Documentary with Dramatic Reconstructions of events from her life. | |
| 2016 | Death in Paradise | Caroline Bamber | Episode 5.2 |
| 2016–17 | Maigret | Madame Maigret | Four episodes: Maigret Sets a Trap, Maigret's Dead Man, Maigret's Night at the Crossroads and Maigret in Montmartre |
| 2019 | Summer of Rockets | Miriam Petrukhin | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | COBRA | Rachel Sutherland | Series regular |
Film
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Pressing Engagement | ||
| 2001 | Gosford Park | Lottie | |
| 2007 | Becoming Jane | Eliza de Feuillide | |
| 2011 | The Awakening | Constance Strickland | |
| 2014 | The Inbetweeners 2 | Nikki | |
| 2016 | Maigret's Dead Man | Madame Maigret | |
| 2016 | Maigret Sets a Trap | Madame Maigret |
References
edit- ^ Jackson, Alan (10 January 2009). "I didn't get where I am today without... Lucy Cohu, 38, actress". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ^ a b c Anna Macarthur (March 2006). "Brent people: A royal performance – Lucy Cohu". The Brent Magazine, Issue 52. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ^ "I still pine for my lost love:interview Lucy Cohu : The Secret House of Death", The Mirror, 15 March 1996
- ^ Lowry, Brian (1 March 2006). "The Queen's Sister". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Davies, Hugh (19 August 2005). "Channel 4's shocking portrayal of the life of Princess Margaret". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ All-star cast dance onto BBC One in Ballet Shoes Archived 9 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine BBC Press Office. 2007-08-11,
- ^ "Award-winner Cohu joins Speaking in Tongues". OfficialLondonTheatre.com. 16 July 2009. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ Spencer, Charles (29 September 2009). "Speaking in Tongues at Duke of York's Theatre, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ "British talent on a roll at Emmys". Metro. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
