Lorraine Marie Stanley (born 28 June 1976) is an English actress, known for playing Kelly in the 2006 film London to Brighton and Karen Taylor in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2017–2024).
Early life
Lorraine Marie Stanley was born on 28 June 1976 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, the daughter of June (née Almy), and David Stanley.[1] She was brought up in Portsmouth by her parents, who divorced when she was ten years old.[2] She has Scottish and Polish ancestry from her father and mother respectively.[1] She then trained at London's Arts Educational Schools.[3]
Career
Stanley's made her acting debut in 2000, when she appeared in the crime drama film Gangster No. 1 in a minor role as the attacker's friend. She also appeared in episodes of The Bill and London's Burning.[4]
In 2006, Stanley took the lead role in the neo-noir crime film London to Brighton. She portrayed Kelly, a prostitute who is coerced into procuring an 11-year-old girl for a paedophile.[1]
In 2004, Stanley appeared as a young Mo Harris in the EastEnders spin off Pat and Mo which aired in April 2004 and revealed what caused the feud between Mo and sister-in-law Pat Butcher, who was played by Emma Cooke.[6]
A year later, Stanley returned to EastEnders, this time on a permanent basis portraying Karen Taylor, the head of the newly introduced Taylor family, who arrived in June 2017.[9] In July 2023, it was announced that Stanley had been "written out" of the show after six years, and Stanley's final scenes aired on 8 December 2023 though she later returned for a one-off appearance on 25 December.[10] On 24 January 2024 it was confirmed she would return to the series in February less than 3 months since her departure.
Personal life
Stanley and her partner Mark Perez have been together since 2014, and have a daughter, named Nancy, born in 2015.[11]
Series regular 2018 British Soap Award for Best Newcomer[13] 2019 Inside Soap Award for Funniest Female[14] 2020 Inside Soap Award for Funniest Performance[15] Shortlisted—2018 Inside Soap Award for Funniest Female[16] Shortlisted—2019 British Soap Award for Best Actress[17] Shortlisted—2019 TV Choice Award for Best Soap Actress[18] Longlisted—2019 Inside Soap Award for Best Actress[19]
