Gemma Whelan

Gemma Elizabeth Whelan (born 1981) is an English actress and comedian known for portraying Yara Greyjoy in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones and as her stand-up character Chastity Butterworth. She also plays Kate in all 3 series of the comedy Upstart Crow (2016–2018), Detective Eunice Noon on the first series of The End of the F***ing World, Geraldine on the third series of Killing Eve (2020), and DCI Kerry Henderson in both series of DI Ray (2022–2024).

Early life and education Gemma Elizabeth Whelan was born in Leeds in 1981 and grew up in the Midlands.

She attended The King's High School for Girls in Warwick and the London Studio Centre.

She was hospitalised for anorexia nervosa as a teenager. She regards her recovery from the illness as her greatest achievement, and says that the experience has shaped her personality and how she approaches things.

Career

As a stand-up comedian, Whelan won the 2010 Funny Women Variety Award. She performed at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe with her show Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster. In 2014, she recorded a pilot chat show as her character Chastity Butterworth for BBC Radio 4, which was in development in October 2015. She also featured in other shows as this character.

On screen, she has played supporting roles in several films and TV shows, including in the 2010 films Gulliver's Travels She played Kate (appearing in all 18 main episodes, as well as two Christmas specials) in Ben Elton's BBC Two comedy Upstart Crow, and appeared as a recurring cast member from the second season onward.

In 2017, she portrayed Karen Matthews in the two-part TV drama The Moorside,

In February 2020, a stage adaptation of Upstart Crow opened at the Gielgud Theatre, London, Whelan reprising the role of Kate. Whelan returned to the West End stage as Kate when the play was revived at the Apollo Theatre in 2022.

Whelan appears as DCI Kerry Henderson in the police drama series, DI Ray, written by Maya Sondhi and produced by Jed Mercurio, to series 2 in 2024.

Personal life Whelan lives in London with her husband, the comedian and actor Gerry Howell, and their two children.

In an Instagram post in July 2026, she revealed that her mother, Sue Whelan, died by drowning while overseas in 2025. Whelan described the sudden loss as a "catastrophic shock" and shared about the effects of grief on her life while also underlining that she is "happy and fulfilled and smiling most of the time". She also wrote:

"I suppose I'm looking to say that if you're in a similar position of sudden loss and reeling from shock, as I continue to, you're not alone. What terrible things we can endure, and be ok in the not ok". Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas Tiffany / Henchwoman (voice) English version Keyed Alike Coley Short film Sump Kate Short film 2018 Surviving Christmas with the Relatives Miranda 2020 Emma. Miss Taylor / Mrs. Weston 2021 Hireth Eve (voice) Short film 2026 7 Miles Out

TBA The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde In production

Television Year Title Role Notes 2006 The Enforcers Holly 2009 10 Minute Tales Pretty Nurse Episode: "Ding Dong" 2010 The Persuasionists Josephine 3 episodes 2011 Threesome Wendy Episode: "It's Not Cheating" Living Doll Moaning Mona For the Win Various Pilot 2012 Comedy Blaps Bar Waitress / Lost Woman in Park / Girlfriend 2 episodes: "Dr. Brown: Episodes 1 & 2" Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul Various Series 4; Episode 5 Cardinal Burns Claire 2012–2019 Game of Thrones Yara Greyjoy Recurring role, 16 episodes 2013 The Day They Came to Suck Out Our Brains! (unknown) Mini-series; Episode: "The Wrath of Ken" Nick Helm's Heavy Entertainment Various Claudia O'Doherty Comedy Blaps Sarah Mini-series, 3 episodes 2014 Live at the Electric Chastity Butterworth 3 episodes Siblings Ruth Episode: "Vet Drugs" Badults Juliet Series 2; Episode 2: "Neighbours" Mapp & Lucia Quaint Irene Coles 3 episodes 2014–2016 Almost Royal Narrator (voice) 13 episodes 2015 Asylum Journalist Mini-series; Episode: "Strange Bedfellows" The Art of Foley Pippa Mini-series; 3 episodes Not Safe for Work Davina Mini-series; Episode 5 Murder in Successville Nurse Adele Episode: "Dr. Death" 2015–2017 Uncle Veronica 5 episodes 2016 Comedy Playhouse Chloe Series 17; Episode 2: "Broken Biscuits" Morgana Robinson's The Agency Kat Cassidy 7 episodes 2016–2018 Hetty Feather Ida Battersea 14 episodes 2016–2020 Upstart Crow Kate Recurring role, 18 episodes and 3 specials 2017 Decline and Fall Diane Fagan Mini-series; 2 episodes The Moorside Karen Matthews Mini-series; 2 episodes The Crown Patricia Campbell Series 2; Episode 5: "Marionettes" Queers Bobby Mini-series; Episode 7: "The Perfect Gentleman" The End of the F***ing World DC Eunice Noon 5 episodes Eat Your Heart with Nick Helm Herself 1 episode 2017–2022 Horrible Histories Various 7 episodes 2018 Danger Mouse Ego (voice) Series 2; Episode 29: "For Your Insides Only" 2019 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Additional voices Series 4; Episode 20: "Pizza Party/The Tavern at the End of the Multiverse" 2019–2022 Gentleman Jack Marian Lister 16 episodes 2020 White House Farm Ann Eaton Mini-series; 6 episodes Untitled Pajama Men Project Glenda Killing Eve Geraldine Martens Series 3; 6 episodes 2021 Frayed Hannah Series 2; 2 episodes Inside No. 9 Columbina, a Maid Series 6; Episode 1: "Wuthering Heist" 2021–2024The Tower DI/DS Sarah Collins Main role, 11 episodes 2022–2024 DI Ray DCI Kerry Henderson 10 episodes 2024 Cristóbal Balenciaga Prudence Glynn 6 episodes Inside No. 9 Party Guest Series 9; Episode 6: "Plodding On" Funny Woman Lynda Jay Series 2; 2 episodes The Cleaner Lara Series 3; Episode 2: "The Baby"

Stage Year Title Role Notes 2005 Newsrevue Various Edinburgh Festival 2006 Shakespeare for Breakfast Petruchio C Venues Celebrity Love Panto Island Various Canal Cafe Theatre 2008 Red Death Lates (unknown) Gideon Reeling Improvathon Bunny Valentine The Sticking Place 2009 Infinite Variety Various Whoopee Productions New Players Theatre 2010 Stephen & the Sexy Partridge Chanel Trafalgar Studios 2013 One Man, Two Guvnors Rachel Crabbe Royal National Theatre Dark Vanilla Jungle Andrea Supporting Wall & Pleasance Theatre Chastity Butterworth & the Spanish Hamster Chastity Butterworth Pajama Men Productions 2014 Dark Vanilla Jungle Andrea Supporting Wall 2015 Radiant Vermin Jill and others Soho Theatre 2019 Pinter Seven: A Slight Ache Flora Harold Pinter Theatre 2020The Upstart Crow Kate Gielgud Theatre 2024 Underdog: The Other Other Brontë Charlotte Brontë National Theatre

Video games

Audio Year Title Role Notes2021–presentSeveral Big Finish productions starting with Doctor Who: Dalek UniverseThe Meddling Nun 2025 Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions Pomona Sprout

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2010 Funny Women Awards Best Variety Herself 2017 WFTV Awards The MAC Best Performance Herself