Morven Christie

Morven Christie
Christie in Ordeal by Innocence 2018
Born
Helensburgh, Scotland
Years active2004–present
SpouseScott Graham (2012–2015)[1]
PartnerIain Cook[1]

Morven Christie is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her roles as Alison Hughes in the BBC drama The A Word, Amanda Hopkins in the ITV drama Grantchester, and Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong in ITV crime series The Bay.

Early life and education

Christie was born in Helensburgh and raised in Glasgow.[1] After leaving school at 15, she studied method acting at the Drama Centre London,[1] under Reuven Adiv, an associate of Lee Strasberg.[2] Her family spent holidays in Aviemore, where Christie learned to ski by the age of five.[1]

Career

Theatre

Christie has multiple stage credits, spanning over a decade, including plays by Jack Thorne and Tom Stoppard alongside a classical canon. In 2006, Christie played Juliet, Hero, and Blanche (King John) for the Royal Shakespeare Company in their star-studded Complete Works season.[3]

In 2009, Christie played Anya in The Cherry Orchard and Perdita in The Winter's Tale,[4] for Sam Mendes' "Bridge Project", both at Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York and at The Old Vic, London, alongside Simon Russell Beale, Ethan Hawke and Rebecca Hall.[5][6] She played Isa in the National Theatre, Glasgow, production of Men Should Weep, directed by Josie Rourke.[7]

TV & film

In 2014, Christie played Amanda Hopkins in the ITV drama Grantchester for its first three seasons with James Norton and Robson Green.[1] In 2017, she played Ellen Rooney in the BBC drama The Replacement, alongside Vicky McClure, and Dougray Scott.[8] This role gained Christie her first BAFTA Scotland nomination.[6]

From 2016–2020, she played Alison Hughes, the mother of an autistic child, in the BBC drama The A Word,[1] for which she was again nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award. In 2018 she also played Kirsten Lindstrom in Sarah Phelps' production of Agatha Christie's Ordeal by Innocence [See image].[9]

Christie starred as DS Lisa Armstrong, the lead role in the ITV crime drama series The Bay, filmed through the latter months of 2018, and aired on ITV from 20 March 2019.[10] She received her third consecutive BAFTA Scotland nomination for her performance. It was announced on 16 February 2021 that Christie had quit the drama, which had just completed a second series.[11]

She has since completed two independent films and Joe Cornish's eight-part drama Lockwood & Co. for Netflix.[12]

In 2023, she leads a six-part drama Payback, for Jed Mercurio’s HTM label, opposite Peter Mullan, airing on ITV and internationally.[13]

Personal life

Christie lives in Glasgow with her partner, musician Iain Cook.


Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2006 The Flying Scotsman Katie
2009 The Young Victoria Watson
2011 Gee Gee Peaches Short film
2011 Hollow Alice Short film
2012 Shell Young Mother
2014 Lilting Margaret
2014 Between Places Liv Short film
2022 The Road Dance Mairi Macleod
2022 Floodlights Jean Woodward

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Quite Ugly One Morning DS Jenny Dunlop Television film
2006 The Family Man Joanne
2007 Oliver Twist Rose Maylie Miniseries
2008 Lost in Austen Jane Bennet Miniseries
2009 Monday Monday Sally Newman
2010 The Sinking of the Laconia Laura Ferguson
2011 Case Histories Michelle Moore 1 episode
2012 Twenty Twelve Fi Healey
2012 Hunted Zoe
2013 Agatha Christie's Poirot Elsie Clayton Episode: "The Labours of Hercules"
2014 From There to Here Louise
2014 Death in Paradise Sally Goodman
2014 Silent Witness DS Sally Kirchner 1 episode
2014–2017 Grantchester Amanda Kendall
2015 Doctor Who O'Donnell 2 episodes: "Under the Lake"
and "Before the Flood"[14]
2016–2020 The A Word Alison Hughes
2017 The Replacement Ellen Rooney [8]
2018 Ordeal by Innocence Kirsten Lindstrom [9]
2019–2021 The Bay DS Lisa Armstrong
2023 Lockwood & Co. Penelope Fittes 3 episodes
2023 Payback Lexie Noble 6 episodes

Stage

Year Title Role Theatre Company
2005 Festen Pia Lyric Theatre, London
2005 When You Cure Me Rachel Bush Theatre, London
2006 Romeo & Juliet Juliet Royal Shakespeare Company[7]
2006–2007 Much Ado About Nothing Hero
2006 King John Blanche
2009 The Cherry Orchard Anya New York, London and international tour [5][6]
2009 The Winter's Tale Perdita [4][5]
2010–2011 Men Should Weep Isa Morrison Royal National Theatre, London [7]
2015 The Driver's Seat Lise National Theatre of Scotland[1][6]

Audio

Radio

  • When You Cure Me (2006, radio play) as Rachel
  • An Inspector Calls as Sheila Birling
  • Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think of You as Molly Naylor
  • A Farewell to Arms (2011, BBC Radio 4) as Catherine Barkley[15]
  • Austerlitz (December 2012, BBC Radio 3) as Agata

Audiobooks

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Jamieson, Teddy (7 June 2015). "Morven Christie: I think it's kind of heartbreaking that women have never seen a reflection of themselves in film or on television". heraldscotland.com.
  2. ^ "Morven Christie". talentedbritishactors.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Romeo And Juliet, Royal Shakespeare Theatre". The Independent. 20 April 2006. Archived from the original on 3 April 2008.
  4. ^ a b "UK - "The Winters Tale" Performance in London". gettyimages.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  5. ^ a b c "Theatre review: The Bridge Project at the Old Vic". theguardian.com. 14 June 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d "Morven Christier". nationaltheatrescotland.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "Morven Christie". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b Doran, Sarah (15 March 2017). "The Replacement: who's who in BBC maternity drama - Morven Christie, Vicky McClure, Dougray Scott, Richard and Rankin". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  9. ^ a b Billen, Andrew (31 March 2018). "Ordeal by Innocence: the Christie Mystery that almost got away". The Times. No. 72497. Saturday Review. pp. 4–5. ISSN 0140-0460.
  10. ^ Sutton, Megan (28 March 2019). "The Bay on ITV: Everything you need to know". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  11. ^ Jamie Lopez (16 December 2021). "ITV's The Bay series 3 release date confirmed". lancs.live. Retrieved 6 January 2022..
  12. ^ White, Peter (16 March 2022). "'Bridgerton's Ruby Stokes Set As Lead Of Netflix's 'Lockwood & Co.' Series Adaptation". Deadline.
  13. ^ Crosby, Eve (1 September 2022). "Line of Duty creator teams up with Morven Christie for new thriller - and we can't wait". hellomagazine.com.
  14. ^ The Doctor Who Team (14 January 2015). "Filming Begins on Doctor Who, Series 9". Doctor Who. BBC One. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  15. ^ BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour Drama. Bbc.co.uk (2011-08-05). Retrieved on 2012-07-03.