Kelly Reilly Explained

Kelly Reilly
Birth Name:Jessica Kelly Siobhán Reilly
Birth Date:18 July 1977
Birth Place:Chessington, London, England
Occupation:Actress
Yearsactive:1995–present

Jessica Kelly Siobhán Reilly (born 18 July 1977) is an English actress. She first appeared on screen in 1995 on the series The Biz. Her other television work includes starring roles in the British crime drama Above Suspicion (2009–2012), the American psychological medical drama Black Box (2014), the American anthology crime drama True Detective (2015) and the historical fantasy drama Britannia (2018). Since 2018, she has played Beth Dutton on the Paramount Network neo-Western drama series Yellowstone, opposite Kevin Costner.

Reilly's film work began in 2000 in the English comedy film Maybe Baby. She went on to have a supporting role in the romantic drama Pride & Prejudice (2005), a leading role in the horror thriller film Eden Lake (2008), the role of Mary Morstan in Sherlock Holmes (2009) and its 2011 sequel , a leading role in Flight with Denzel Washington (2012), and the thriller 10x10 with Luke Evans (2018).

She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in After Miss Julie at the Donmar Warehouse (2003–2004).

Early life

Reilly was born and brought up in Chessington, the daughter of a hospital receptionist mother and Jack Reilly, a police officer. She attended Tolworth Girls' School in Tolworth, where she studied drama to obtain a GCSE.[1] [2] Her grandparents are Irish.[3]

Career

Reilly wrote to the producers of the television drama Prime Suspect, starring Helen Mirren, to ask for work. Six months later she auditioned for a role in "Prime Suspect 4: Inner Circle", which was broadcast on ITV on 7 May 1995. The following year, she appeared in an episode of the Carlton UK television period drama series Bramwell playing a disturbed young woman. She also played Tina, a tearaway, in Pie In The Sky. Six years later, she appeared alongside Mirren in the film Last Orders.[4]

Her first professional role was followed by a series of parts on the English stage. She worked with Terry Johnson in four productions: Elton John’s Glasses (1997), The London Cuckolds (1998), The Graduate (2000) and Piano/Forte (2006).[5] Johnson wrote Piano/Forte for her and said, "Kelly is possibly the most natural, dyed-in-the-wool, deep-in-the-bone actress I've ever worked with."[6] Reilly has stated that she learned the most as an actor from Karel Reisz, who directed her in The Yalta Game in Dublin in 2001. She said, "He was my masterclass. There is no way I would have been able to do Miss Julie if I hadn't done that play."[7]

By 2000, Reilly felt she was being typecast in comedy roles, and actively sought out a role as the young Amy in Last Orders, directed by Fred Schepisi.[4] This was followed by a role in the Royal Court's 2001 rerun of Sarah Kane's Blasted. The Times called her "theatrical Viagra".[8] In 2002, Reilly starred alongside Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris as Wendy, an English Erasmus student, in the French comedy L'Auberge espagnole (The Spanish Apartment). She reprised her role in the 2005 sequel, Les Poupées russes (Russian Dolls) and the 2013 follow-up, Casse-tête chinois (Chinese Puzzle). Also in 2005, Reilly had roles in such films as Mrs Henderson Presents and Pride & Prejudice.

Reilly's first lead role came in 2008 in the horror film Eden Lake and, in 2009, she had a high-profile role on prime-time British television in Above Suspicion. Reilly also appeared in three major films: Sherlock Holmes, Triage, and Me and Orson Welles.

In 2011, Reilly reprised her role as Mary Watson (née Morstan) in . In 2012, Reilly appeared opposite Sam Rockwell in A Single Shot and had a leading role in Robert Zemeckis' Flight opposite Denzel Washington. In 2014, Reilly starred with Greg Kinnear in the film Heaven is for Real and in the John Michael McDonagh film Calvary. The same year, Reilly starred in the short-lived ABC series, Black Box, as Catherine Black, a famed neuroscientist who explores and solves the mysteries of the brain (the black box) while hiding her own bipolar disorder from the world.

In 2015, Reilly starred in the second season of the television series True Detective as Jordan Semyon, the wife of Vince Vaughn's character, Frank Semyon. The same year, Reilly made her Broadway debut opposite Clive Owen and Eve Best in Harold Pinter's play Old Times at the American Airlines Theatre.[9] [10]

In 2016, she had a supporting role in Bastille Day. In 2017, Reilly played the Celtic Queen Kerra, confronting the Roman invasion of Britain in Sky TV's Britannia.

She was cast in the leading female role in the Western-style U.S. series Yellowstone, a Paramount Network drama that debuted on 20 June 2018. Reilly plays Beth Dutton, the daughter of John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner. Reilly's and Costner's characters are constantly at war with several outside parties who want to gain control of the Duttons' family land.[11]

Awards and nominations

Reilly's performance in After Miss Julie at the Donmar Warehouse made her a star of the London stage and earned her a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress of 2003. Aged 26, she was the youngest person ever nominated for that award.[6] In 2005, she won Best Newcomer Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role as Wendy in Russian Dolls (Les Poupées Russes).[6] In 2006, Reilly won the Empire Award for Best Newcomer for her role in the British comedy film, Mrs Henderson Presents. She was nominated once again for an Olivier Award for her performance as Desdemona in the acclaimed production of Othello at the Donmar Warehouse in 2009. Reilly was nominated for Best Actress at the British Independent Film Awards for Eden Lake in 2010. She won the Spotlight Award at the 2012 Hollywood Film Festival for her performance as Nicole in Flight.

Personal life

Reilly was engaged to actor Jonah Lotan from 2007 to 2009.[12] In 2010, Kelly met Kyle Baugher, a financier, in Marfa, Texas. They married in Somerset, England in 2012.[13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000Maybe BabyNimnh
PeachesCherry
2001Last OrdersYoung Amy
StarchedMaidShort film
2002The Spanish ApartmentWendyCredited as Keilly Reilly
2003Dead BodiesViv McCormack
2004The LibertineJane
2005Russian DollsWendy
Pride & PrejudiceCaroline Bingley
2005Mrs Henderson PresentsMaureen
2007PuffballLiffey
2008Eden LakeJenny
Me and Orson WellesMuriel Brassler
2009Sherlock HolmesMary Morstan
TriageDiane
2010Meant to BeAmanda
Ti presento un amicoSarah
2011Citizen GangsterDoreen Boyd
Mary Watson
2012FlightNicole Maggen
2013A Single ShotJess
Chinese PuzzleWendy
InnocencePamela Hamilton
2014CalvaryFiona Lavelle
Heaven Is for RealSonja Burpo
Set Fire to the StarsCaitlin
2016Bastille DayKaren Dacreaka The Take
201810x10Cathy
2019EliRose
2021The CursedIsabelle Laurent
PromisesLaura
2023A Haunting in VeniceRowena Drake
2024Little WingMaddie
Post-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995The BizLaura
Prime Suspect: Inner CirclesPolly HenryTV film
Prime Suspect: The Scent of DarknessPolly HenryTV film
1996Ruth Rendell MysteriesKimberley2 episodes
BramwellKathleen Le SauxEpisode: #2.5
PoldarkClowance PoldarkTV film
SharmanSophie BrightEpisode: #1.3
1997RebeccaClarice2 episodes
Pie in the SkyTinaEpisode: "The Apprentice"
The History of Tom Jones, a FoundlingNancy Miller3 episodes
1998The Children of the New ForestPatience HeatherstoneTV film
1999Wonderful YouNancy5 episodes
Sex 'n' DeathJulieTV film
2002The Safe HouseFiona "Finn" MacKenzieTV film
2003PoirotMary GerrardEpisode: "Sad Cypress"
2006A for AndromedaChristine Jones / AndromedaTV film
2007Joe's PalaceCharlotteTV film
2008He Kills CoppersJeannieTV film
2009–2012Above SuspicionDI Anna Travis / DC Anna TravisMain role (11 episodes)
2014Black BoxDr. Catherine BlackMain role (13 episodes); also producer
2015True DetectiveJordan SemyonMain role (8 episodes)
2018BritanniaKerraMain role (9 episodes)
2018–present YellowstoneBeth DuttonMain role (40 episodes)
2023Greek SaladWendy3 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year AwardCategory Nominated work Result
2005Cannes Film FestivalTrophée Chopard
César AwardsBest ActressRussian Dolls
Empire AwardsEmpire Award for Best NewcomerMrs Henderson Presents
British Independent Film AwardsBest ActressMrs Henderson Presents
London Film Critics' CircleLondon Film Critics' Circle for British Newcomer of the YearMrs Henderson Presents
National Board of ReviewNational Board of Review Award for Best CastMrs Henderson Presents
2008British Independent Film AwardsBest ActressEden Lake
Fright Meter AwardsBest ActressEden Lake
2021Hollywood Critics AssociationBest Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, DramaYellowstone
2022Hollywood Critics AssociationBest Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, DramaYellowstone
Gold Derby AwardsBest Drama ActressYellowstone
MTV Movie & TV AwardsBest Performance in a ShowYellowstone
Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesYellowstone

Notes and References

  1. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/6762854/Kelly-Reilly-interview.html "Kelly Reilly From The Heart"
  2. https://archive.today/20130505132039/http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/TV-Life-Reilly/story-12259239-detail/story.html "Kelly Reilly stars in ITV's Above Suspicion"
  3. http://www.scotsman.com/news/the-life-of-reilly-1-1401233 "The life of Reilly"
  4. Stephen Applebaum (2002). Interview with Kelly Reilly, Netribution.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  5. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2006/sep/21/theatre Review of Piano/Forte
  6. Chloe Fox (20 October 2007). "Kelly Reilly: from the heart", Telegraph (London). Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  7. News: It's good days and bad days, no rules . The Guardian . Kate Kellaway . 3 September 2006 . 11 May 2008.
  8. Kate Whiting (5 January 2009). "Kelly Reilly stars in Above Suspicion", Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  9. Web site: Old Times . roundabouttheatre.org . 13 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160713184831/http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/Old-Times.aspx . 13 July 2016 . dead.
  10. Web site: Backstage on Broadway: Clive Owen, Kelly Reilly make debut in Old Times alongside Eve Best . Tamsen . Fadal . Kim . Pestalozzi . pix11.com . 8 October 2015.
  11. 'Yellowstone': Kelly Reilly's Shattering Take on the Unbreakable Beth Dutton . Vanity Fair . 10 November 2022 . 27 June 2022.
  12. News: A Whale of a Time . Doron . Halutz . Haaretz . 13 November 2008 . 25 January 2020.
  13. Web site: Tracy . Nancy . 19 November 2012 . Five Things You Should Know About 'Flight's' Kelly Reilly . . . 2 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121124083007/http://omg.yahoo.com/news/five-things-know-flight-kelly-reilly-224000460.html . 24 November 2012.