Katherine Kelly

Katherine Bridget Kelly was born on Nov. 19, 1979 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England. She came from a theatrical family, her father having founded the local Lamproom Theatre in 1998, and carried this torch through her studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

Shortly after graduation in 2001, Kelly began acting professionally, making her film debut in "Sons & Lovers" (2003) and touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2004. She landed her first major role on the long-running British soap opera "Coronation Street" (ITV 1960-), playing the character Becky Granger (later Becky McDonald) between 2006 and 2012.

While on the series, Kelly and her fellow cast members released the musical album Coronation Street: Rogues, Angels, Heroes & Fools (2010), on which she performed in character as Becky. Following her leave from "Coronation Street," Kelly starred in a National Theatre production of "She Stoops to Conquer" (2012), and played a major role on the period drama "Mr. Selfridge" (ITV 2013-).

She joined the central cast of the crime drama "Happy Valley" (BBC 2014-) in its second season in 2016, playing a police detective character, Jodie Shackleton, who was written specifically for her. Meanwhile, Kelly appeared on the espionage miniseries "The Night Manager" (BBC 2016) as Pamela, a secretary.

Around the same time, Kelly landed the lead in the science fiction series "Class" (BBC 2016-), a spinoff of the wildly popular program "Doctor Who" (BBC 1963-1989, 2005-). Kelly was cast in "Class" as the teacher of a high school whose students are inclined toward time travel adventures.