Angel Coulby
Coulby in 2011
Born
Angel Leonie Coulby[1]

(1980-08-30) 30 August 1980
Islington, London, England
Alma materQueen Margaret University
OccupationActress
Years active2001–present
Children1

Angel Leonie Coulby (born 30 August 1980) is an English actress. She gained recognition for portraying the character Gwen (Guinevere) in the BBC fantasy series Merlin.

Early life

Coulby was born and grew up in Finsbury Park, Islington, London, and is of Afro-Guyanese descent.[2][3][4] She studied for a degree in Acting at Queen Margaret University’s School of Drama, Edinburgh, achieved a first, and was awarded the Laurence Olivier Bursary in 2000.[5][6]

Career

Coulby was first seen in an episode of Scariest Places on Earth as a student who had an encounter with a ghost. Her breakthrough came in 2001 with her role in the Johnny Vaughan BBC sitcom 'Orrible.

She was later chosen to play Gwen, also known as Guinevere who would later become Queen, in the BBC One fantasy TV series Merlin. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Coulby stated that in playing Gwen she "liked the idea that you go on a bit of a journey as an actor, starting off as a humble maidservant, kind of a bit bumbling, and then obviously growing into this very capable queen", and it was "really nice to have that range throughout a job".[7] She starred in all five seasons, appearing in 61 of the 65 episodes.

She took the starring role of the jazz singer Jessie in the BBC Two Stephen Poliakoff six-part 2013 drama serial Dancing on the Edge, alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Goodman, Matthew Goode, Anthony Head, and Jacqueline Bisset.[8]

It was announced in February 2013 that Coulby would star in The Tunnel, a British-French remake of the Scandinavian crime drama, The Bridge. She starred alongside Stephen Dillane and Clémence Poésy. The first series aired in late 2013, and Coulby reprised her role for a second series in 2016.[9]

Coulby returned to the stage for the first time since 2014 in Rupert Goold's Albion at the Almeida Theatre in February 2020, which was filmed and broadcast on BBC Four in August 2020.[10]

Coulby joined the cast of the Apple TV+ thriller Suspicion, which is a remake of the Hebrew-language series False Flag in March 2020.[11] Coulby plays Vanessa Okoye, the investigator questioning the "five Brits, quickly pinpointed as the potential suspects" of the kidnapping in the thriller.[12]

In June 2021, it was announced that Coulby will star in the series, The Net, as the character Diana. The Austrian football drama aired in November 2022 in conjunction with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[13]

In November 2021 it was announced she would be in the Hampstead Theatre production of The Forest by Florian Zeller in 2022. She plays the mistress, Sophie, of the protagonist, Pierre.[14]

Personal life

In 2019, Coulby announced she had become a mother[15] to a son born in 2018.[16]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2001 'Orrible Shiv 4 episodes
2001 Scariest Places on Earth Awassa Tact (scared student), name intended as wordplay on "I was attacked"[17][18] Episode: "Exorcism: Greyfriars Cemetery 1"
2002 Casualty Sally Episode: "In the Heat of the Night"
Having It Off Kylie Riley TV series
A Good Thief Leah Pickering TV movie
2003 The Second Coming PC Louise Fraser TV miniseries
Manchild Pippa 1 episode
2004 Making Waves LMA Anita Cook 2 episodes
As If Amber 7 episodes
Conviction Jemma Ryan 6 episodes
Holby City Maxine Framley Episode: "A Good Day to Bury Bad News"
2005 The Jacket Intern No. 2
Murder Investigation Team Lee Allanson 1 episode
The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse Receptionist
Imagine Me & You Anna
Vincent Gillian Lafferty 7 episodes
2006 Hustle Alice Episode: "A Bollywood Dream"
Doctor Who Katherine Episode: "The Girl in the Fireplace"
The Bill Zoe Hughes Episode: "Good for Gold"
Tripping Over Charity 1 episode
2007 Blue Murder Kate Malin' Episode: "Crisis Management"
Magicians Receptionist
Gina's Laughing Gear Nurse Jones Episode: "Dollby City"
Secret Life Young Mum TV movie
New Street Law Sharon Weir 1 episode
Talk to Me Faith 4 episodes
The Visit Rachael 6 episodes
Life Is Wild Episode: "Heritage Day"
2008–2012 Merlin Guinevere "Gwen" Main role; 61 episodes
2013 Dancing on the Edge Jessie Taylor Main role
2013–2018 The Tunnel Laura Roebuck Main role; 21 episodes
2015–2020 Thunderbirds Are Go Tanusha "Kayo" Kyrano Main role; voice
2016 Undercover Julia Redhead 2 episodes
2016 Hooten & the Lady Melina Episode: "Egypt"
2017 Man in an Orange Shirt Claudie 1 episode
2017 Body Slam[19] Ruth Short movie
2018 Innocent Detective Inspector Cathy Hudson[20] Main role; 4 episodes
2020 Moving On Lisa Episode: "Time Out"
2022[21] Suspicion Vanessa Okoye Main role; 8 episodes
2022 The Net - Prometheus Diana[13] TV series

Theatre

Year Title Role Director Company Notes
2002 Lavender Blue[22] Jess Muriel Romanes Royal Lyceum Theatre
2007 Statement of Regret Issimama Banjoko Jeremy Herrin Cottesloe Theatre
2014 Good People[23] Katie Jonathan Kent Hampstead Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre
2020 Albion[24] Anna Rupert Goold Almeida Theatre
2022 The Forest[25] Sophie Jonathan Kent Hampstead Theatre

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Role Result
2010 Monte Carlo TV Festival Awards Golden Nymph Outstanding Actress – Drama Series Gwen in Merlin Nominated

References

  1. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007
  2. ↑ Tempest Bradford, K. (28 February 2015). "Uncovering Hidden Black History, On Screen And on the Page". Code Switch. NPR. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "15 Black British Actresses Making Major Moves". EBONY. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "BBC - Press Office - Merlin press pack: Angel Coulby". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "My first year at university". TheGuardian.com. n.d.
  6. ↑ National Theatre Archive, Statement of Regret Resource Pack.
  7. ↑ April 29, 2013 - LA Times Hero Complex - Angel Coulby Discusses Being A Heroine.
  8. ↑ "Stephen Poliakoff's Dancing on the Edge for BBC Two starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Matthew Goode", BBC Media Centre.
  9. ↑ Morgan Jeffery, "'Merlin' star Angel Coulby, Keeley Hawes join 'The Bridge' remake", Digital Spy, 1 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "Albion on the BBC". Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  11. ↑ White, Peter (11 March 2020). "Uma Thurman To Headline Apple Drama Series 'Suspicion', Based On Israeli Thriller False Flag". Deadline Hollywood.
  12. ↑ Suspicion (Crime, Drama, Thriller), Keshet Media Group, Keshet Productions, 4 February 2022, retrieved 15 February 2022
  13. 1 2 Wiseman, Andreas (11 June 2021). "Beta & Red Bull Underway On First Season Of Ambitious Soccer Drama 'The Net'". Deadline. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES THREE WORLD PREMIERES FOR 2022, FEATURING NEW PLAYS BY FLORIAN ZELLER (TRANSLATED BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON), ALEXIS ZEGERMAN AND ROY WILLIAMS". Hampstead Theatre. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  15. ↑ @Hushyabeak (1 October 2019). "October 7th LONDON. @ExtinctionR protect the ones you love. Act now.#TheTimeIsNow #EverybodyNow" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ↑ "BWW Interview: Angel Coulby Talks ALBION On BBC Four".
  17. ↑ "Exorcism". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 10. 4 May 2001. ABC Family. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  18. ↑ "Scariest Places on Earth (Greyfriars Cemetery 1) : paranormal-activity". 3 December 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  19. ↑ "Body Slam (2017)". IMDb.
  20. ↑ "Hermione Norris and Lee Ingleby lead the cast of new ITV drama Innocent". itv.com.
  21. ↑ "Suspicion: Apple TV+ Sets Premiere Date for Thriller Series Starring Uma Thurman". canceled + renewed TV shows - TV Series Finale. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  22. ↑ "LAVENDER BLUE by Grace Barnes Royal Lyceum to 2 February". Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  23. ↑ "Good People – Hampstead Theatre".
  24. ↑ "Albion". Almeida Theatre, London. February 2020.
  25. ↑ "THE FOREST". Hampstead Theatre. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
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