Kathy Burke

Kathy Burke Headshot

Actress • Comedian • Writer • Producer • Director

Birth Date: June 13, 1964

Age: 60 years old

Birth Place: London, England, UK

While Kathy Burke seemingly came out of nowhere when she was thrust into the world spotlight upon being named the winner of the Best Actress prize at the 50th Cannes Film Festival, the petite, dark-haired, slightly zaftig actress with the working-class Cockney accent had amassed numerous TV credits in her native England.

Raised in Islington by her widower father and two older brothers, Burke found an escape in acting. While studying at the renowned Anna Scher Theatre School while in her teens, she was spotted by director Mai Zetterling who cast her in "Scrubbers" (1982), Around the same time, Burke penned her first play, "Mr. Thomas," about a closeted homosexual, and its 1990 professional production not only marked her own directing debut but also her first collaboration with actor Ray Winstone. By then, the actress had also appeared in three films helmed by Alex Cox: "Sid and Nancy" (1986), the nearly unwatchable "Straight to Hell" and "Walker" (both 1987).

While the 1980s had proven relatively fallow, the 90s marked her ascension to TV stardom in England. As the decade dawned, Burke was tapped to join the variety program "Harry Enfield and Chums" and over the course of three seasons created several memorable characters, most notably the proletarian housewife Waynetta Slob, Lulu, the sniveling baby sister of Enfield's nasty toddler Harry, and the gormless male teen Perry (sidekick to Enfield's Kevin). She went on to create the recurring role of Magda, a hard-bitten magazine editor, on the popular "Absolutely Fabulous" (1994-96) and demonstrated her prodigious dramatic talents with an award-winning turn as a mute, bald woman sent to live with a Messianic preacher in the miniseries "Mr. Wroe's Virgins" (1993). Those who were aware of the actress' gifts weren't surprised when she delivered a star-making turn as a lower-class abused housewife in Gary Oldman's semi-autobiographical directorial debut "Nil by Mouth" (1997). Teamed with Ray Winstone as her brutish husband, Burke was heartbreaking as the pregnant Val, a woman struggling to maintain her family unit despite her spouse's beatings. It was a tour de force role and the actress was more than capable of displaying the intense emotions which the role required.

Although offers from America arrived, Burke opted to remain in England. She offered a memorable cameo as Queen Mary in the biopic "Elizabeth" (1998) and held her own amidst the formidable ensemble (including Meryl Streep, Brid Brennan and Catherine McCormack) playing Maggie, the somewhat slow sister in an Irish family in "Dancing at Lughnasa" (also 1998). She followed with a turn as a romantically accommodating pub singer in "This Year's Love" (1999) and reprised her TV creation alongside Enfield in the big screen comedy "Kevin and Perry Go Large" (2000). Burke also developed a secondary career as a stage director, helming the 1995 premiere of Jonathan Harvey's play "Boom-Bang-a-Bang." The writer was so impressed he specifically created the role of Linda, a fright-wigged woman rooming with a gay man in "Gimme, Gimme. Gimme" (1999- ). Burke further repaid him by staging his play "Out in the Open" (2001).

Credits

BlitzStream

Actor
Beryl
Movie
2024
81%

Kathy Burke: Growing Up

Host
Show
2023

HoldingStream

Director
Series
2022
100%

The Sea BeastStream

Voice
Gwen Batterbie
Movie
2022
94%

Biff and Chip

Actor
Miss Grizzlesniff
Show
2021

Kathy Burke: Money Talks

Executive Producer
Show
2021

Kathy Burke: Money Talks

Host
Show
2021

Inside Cinema: Meet the Family

Narrator
Show
2020

RuPaul's Drag Race UKStream

Judge
Reality
2019

Kathy Burke's All Woman

Host
Show
2019

Joe Lycett's Got Your Back

Guest
Show
2019

Bad Girls Behind Bars

Narrator
Show
2019

Lady Windermere's Fan

Director
Show
2018

Celebrity Catchphrase

Contestant
Show
2018

School of Roars

Actor
Miss Grizzlesniff
Show
2017

Absolutely Fabulous: The MovieStream

Actor
Magda
Movie
2016
58%

An Evening with Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse

Actor
Show
2015

Travel ManStream

Self
Series
2015

Pan

Actor
Mother Barnabas
Movie
2015

The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice

Guest
Show
2014

Bunk Bed

Guest
Show
2014

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

Contestant
Show
2013

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

Guest
Show
2013

Catchphrase

Contestant
Show
2013

The Last Leg

Guest
Talk
2013

Nation's Best Am Dram

Narrator
Show
2012

River Cottage: Three Go Mad

Guest
Show
2012

Walking and Talking

Actor
Show
2012

Walking and Talking

Executive Producer
Show
2012

Walking and Talking

Writer
Show
2012

Playhouse Presents

Actor
Mona Lisa
Show
2012

Playhouse Presents

Writer
Show
2012

Drama on 4

Director
Show
2012

Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyStream

Actor
Connie Sachs
Movie
2011
84%

Straight to Hell Returns

Actor
Sabrina
Movie
2010

The Graham Norton ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2007

The One Show

Guest
Show
2006

Flushed AwayStream

Voice
Rita's Mum
Movie
2006
73%

Harry Enfield and Christmas Chums

Actor
Show
2005

The Catherine Tate Show

Actor
Diane
Show
2004

Imagine...

Guest
Show
2003

Comedy Connections

Guest Star
Show
2003

Never Mind the Buzzcocks

Host
Show
2002

Anita & Me

Actor
Mrs. Rutter
Movie
2002

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

Actor
Carol
Movie
2002

The Martins

Actor
Angie Martin
Movie
2001

Harry Enfield's Festive Television Programme

Actor
Show
2000

In Confidence

Guest Star
Show
2000

Liza and Huey's Pet Nation

Guest
Show
2000

Love, Honour and Obey

Actor
Kathy
Movie
2000

Kevin & Perry Go Large

Actor
Perry
Movie
2000

Harry Enfield Presents ...

Actor
Waynetta
Show
1999

Kevin's Guide to Being a Teenager

Actor
Show
1999

Suits You Sir! The Inside Leg of the Fast Show

Self
Show
1999

Gimme Gimme Gimme

Actor
Show
1999

This Year's Love

Actor
Marey
Movie
1999

Harry Enfield's Yule Log Chums

Actor
Show
1998

ElizabethStream

Actor
Queen Mary Tudor
Movie
1998
83%

Dancing at Lughnasa

Actor
Maggie Mundy
Movie
1998

Ted and Ralph

Actor
Movie
1998

Tom Jones

Actor
Honour
Show
1997

Have I Got News for You

Guest
Game Show
1997

Nil by Mouth

Actor
Valerie
Movie
1997

On Baby Street

Voice
Show
1996

After Miss Julie

Actor
Christine
Show
1995

Hello, Hello, Hello

Actor
Jo Thomas
Movie
1995

Absolutely FabulousStream

Actor
Magda
Series
1994

Absolutely FabulousStream

Guest Star
Magda
Series
1994

Room 101

Guest
Show
1994

Sin Bin

Actor
Debbie
Show
1994

Mr. Wroe's Virgins

Actor
Show
1993

Harry Enfield Xmas Special

Guest
Show
1992

Harry Enfield and Chums

Actor
Show
1990

Harry Enfield's Television Programme

Actor
Waynetta Slob
Show
1990

French and Saunders

Guest Star
Show
1987

The Comic Strip Presents

Actor
Show
1982

Scrubbers

Actor
Glennis
Movie
1982

Parkinson

Guest
Show
1971