Early life

McKee was born in Peterlee, County Durham, the daughter of a coal miner. She grew up in her birthplace as well as in nearby Easington and Sunderland. Her first experience of acting occurred in her final year at primary school where her teacher finished the school week off with improvisations. Seeing a poster in a shoeshop window for a new youth drama group, McKee and her friends decided to attend, initially not seriously but later becoming enthusiastic. It led to McKee's first professional appearance, working on Tyne Tees children's series, Quest of Eagles.

From the age of 15, McKee spent three summers in London with the National Youth Theatre. After completing her A-Levels at East Durham College, she decided, with her parents' blessing, to apply to drama schools rather than art college. However, she was rejected by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career

McKee began her career in TV with several small background roles including a part on the Lenny Henry Show. She made her film debut in 1988 when she had a small role in the Ken Russell film The Lair of the White Worm which co-starred Hugh Grant. In 1996 she played Mary in the BBC drama Our Friends in the North, a role for which she won three Best Actress awards in 1997: the British Academy Television Award, the Royal Television Society Award and the Broadcasting Press Guild Award. McKee appeared in several episodes of the Chris Morris spoof current affairs show, Brass Eye (1997, 2001), as reporter Libby Shuss.

McKee's theatre credits include Harold Pinter's The Lover and The Collection at the Comedy Theatre in London.

In 2008 she appeared in the BBC drama Fiona's Story and a West End revival of Chekhov's Ivanov. In 2010, she appeared as Goneril in the Donmar Warehouse revival of King Lear, directed by Michael Grandage and starring Derek Jacobi. She received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. She also played the mother of a deaf teenager in BBC TV's thriller, The Silence, opposite Genevieve Barr.

Personal life

McKee has been married to Kez Cary since 1989; they live in East Sussex, England. She has been a vegetarian since 1982.

In 2002, McKee was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Sunderland, receiving the honour alongside footballer Niall Quinn.

Filmography

Film

• The Lair of the White Worm (1988) … Nurse Gladwell
• The Rachel Papers (1989) … Evonne
• Naked (1993) … Café Girl
• The Treasure Seekers (1996)
• Croupier (1998) … Marion Nell
• Notting Hill (1999) … Bella
• Wonderland (1999) … Nadia
• Women Talking Dirty (1999)
• There's only one Jimmy Grimble (1999) … Donna
• The Zookeeper (2001) … Ankica
• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) … Genevieve
• Burning the Bed (2003) … Caroline
• The Reckoning (2003) … Sarah
• Mickybo and Me (2004) … Jonjo's ma
• Greyfriars Bobby (2005) … Maureen Gray
• MirrorMask (2005) … White Queen/Dark Queen
• Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006) … Julia
• And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007) … Kathy Morrison
• Atonement (2007) … Nurse Drummond
• In the Loop (2009) … Judy Molloy
• Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013) ... Madeleine
• Hector (2015)... Lizzie

Television

• Quest of Eagles (1979)
• Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1986)
• Inspector Morse (1987)
• The Lenny Henry Show (1988)
• Minder (1989)
• Drop the Dead Donkey (1990)
• An Actor's Life For Me (1991)
• Our Friends in the North (1996)
• The Chest (1997)
• Brass Eye (1997)
• Premier Passions (1998)
• Dice (2001)
• The Forsyte Saga (2002-2003)
• The Lost Prince (2003)
• The Blackwater Lightship (2004)
• Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006)
• The Lavender List (2006)
• Lewis (2007)
• The Old Curiosity Shop (2007)
• The Street (2007)
• Fiona's Story (2008)
• Waking the Dead (2009)
• Dive (2010)
• The Silence (2010)
• Vera (2011) ... Julie
• The Borgias (2011-2013) ... Caterina Sforza
• Missing (2012)
• Line of Duty (2012)
• Hebburn (2012 Series 1 2013 Series 2)
• Secret State (2012)
• By Any Means (2013)
• Royal Wives At War (2016)

Theatre credits

• King Lear … Goneril; Donmar Warehouse, London (director: Michael Grandage)
• Ivanov … Anna Petrovna; Donmar Warehouse, London (director: Michael Grandage)
• The Lover and the Collection … Comedy Theatre, London (director: Jamie Lloyd)
• The Exonerated … Sunny Jacobs; Riverside Studios, London (director: Bob Balaban)
• Aristocrats … Judith; National Theatre, London (director: Tom Cairns)
• Old TImes … Kate; Donmar Warehouse, London (director: Roger Michell)
• Five Kinds of Silence … Lyric Hammersmith, London (director: Ian Brown)
• Uganda … National Theatre (Studio), London (director: Polly Teale )
• Hammett’s Apprentice … Royal Court Theatre (Upstairs), London (director: James McDonald)
• Fighting for the Dunghill … Warehouse Theatre, Croydon (director: Richard Osborne)
• Separate Tables ... Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester (director: Philip Franks)

References and notes

[ Source: Wikipedia ]