Crystal Clarke Explained

Crystal Clarke
Birth Date:1993/1994
Birth Place:New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality:American
Alma Mater:Royal Conservatoire
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:2013–present

Crystal Clarke (born)[1] is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tina Argyll in the BBC and Amazon Prime miniseries Ordeal by Innocence (2018) and Georgiana Lambe in the ITV and PBS adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Sanditon (2019–).[2] [3]

Early life

Clarke was born and raised in Essex County, New Jersey, to Caribbean parents; her mother is from Trinidad and her father was from Guyana.[4] [5] She has one older brother.[6] Clarke attended Newark Arts High School, graduating in 2011.[7] She also spent part of her childhood in Tennessee.[8] Clarke made the decision to leave the United States to pursue acting because she felt her race and class put her at a disadvantage.[9] Clarke moved to Glasgow to attend the Royal Conservatoire and graduated in 2014.

Career

Clarke made her West End theatre debut as Hester Worsley in Dominic Dromgoole's revival of A Woman of No Importance. She had roles in the Force Awakens, and Last Jedi installments of Star Wars. She, Lupita Nyong'o and Maisie Richardson-Sellers were the first three black actresses to appear in a Star Wars film in the former.[10] She also appeared in the 2019 Black Mirror episode "Smithereens"[11] and the Channel 5 film Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar.[12] *

Clarke played Tina Argyll in the 2018 mini-series adaptation of Agatha Christie's Ordeal by Innocence.[13] In 2019, she began starring as Miss Georgiana Lambe in the ITV and Masterpiece adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sanditon. Lambe is the only black character written by Austen. In 2022, she played Magali in The King's Daughter. The same year, she appeared in Sam Mendes' Empire of Light.[12] In 2023, she played Amber (Ruby) Bradfield in Blindspot, a four-part UK series.

Filmography

Film

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Denotes works that have not yet been released
YearTitleRoleNotes
2015Woman in GoldCashier
Ensign Goode
2016Assassin's CreedSamia
2017Resistance Transport Pilot
2021The Electrical Life of Louis WainAlicia Simmonds
2022The King's DaughterMagali
Empire of LightRuby

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018Ordeal by InnocenceTina ArgyllMiniseries
2019Black MirrorTipiEpisode: "Smithereens"
Agatha and the Curse of IshtarPearl TherouxTelevision film
2019–presentSanditonMiss Georgiana LambeMain role
2020RoadkillNadia Baker2 episodes
2023Blindspot Amber BradfieldMain role

Video games

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2014The GamblersKrugelTour
2017A Woman of No ImportanceHester WorsleyVaudeville Theatre, London

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Actor Crystal Clarke found hope in Jane Austen adaptation, 'Sanditon'. Elber. Lynn. 2020-02-08. Daily Herald. en-US. 2020-05-03.
  2. Web site: ITV and Red Planet Pictures announce cast as filming commences on Jane Austen's Sanditon. Press Centre. en. 2019-03-29.
  3. Web site: TV Quickfire: Star Wars actress Crystal Clarke on her Agatha Christie TV role. Humphreys. Georgia. The Irish News. 31 March 2018 . 2019-03-29.
  4. Web site: Agatha Christie star Crystal Clarke on her favourite Glasgow haunts. HeraldScotland. en. 2019-03-29.
  5. Web site: Rising Star Crystal Clarke on Appearing in the West End's A Woman of No Importance & Two Star Wars Movies. Broadway.com. en. 2019-03-29.
  6. Web site: Agatha Christie star Crystal Clarke on her favourite Glasgow haunts. Glasgow Times. en. 2020-05-03.
  7. https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/ART/ Home Page
  8. Web site: Sanditon Cast Interview: Crystal Clarke Masterpiece PBS. Masterpiece. en-US. 2020-05-03.
  9. Web site: Last Jedi star Crystal Clarke on swapping Glasgow for the silver screen. Croce. Maria. 2017-11-28. dailyrecord. 2019-03-29.
  10. Web site: Crystal Clarke Cast in New Star Wars Movie. 2014-07-09. Black Enterprise. en-US. 2020-05-03.
  11. Web site: How PBS adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel 'Sanditon' introduces the author's first black character . Lawler. Kelly. USA TODAY. en-US. 2020-05-03.
  12. Web site: Crystal Clarke Credits . tvguide.com. July 26, 2023.
  13. Web site: BBC - Interview with Crystal Clarke - Media Centre . bbc.co.uk . 2019-03-29.