Roxanne McKee

Roxanne McKee (born 10 August 1980) actress. She is best known for playing Louise Summers in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks (2005–2008), Lou Foster in the BBC Three drama series Lip Service, Doreah in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011–2012) and Lady Claire Riesen in the Syfy apocalyptic supernatural series Dominion (2014–2015). She has also starred in films including Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines (2012), Vendetta (2013) and The Legend of Hercules (2014).

Early life and education McKee was born in Canada to Irish parents, and has additional paternal Scottish ancestry. She went to school in Sussex. In 2005 she completed a BA degree in Social Policy & Political Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London in 2005. Before securing her first acting roles, McKee worked in various occupations, including as a waitress, a recruitment consultant and in Human resources. After being chosen from over 35,000 applicants, McKee began portraying Louise, who was introduced by series producer David Hanson in 2005. She told Look magazine: "I'm not going to be there forever. I don't mind the long hours but I'll have been doing that for four years in October when my contract ends." After her contract ended in October 2008, McKee decided to leave the show to focus on other projects, mainly theatre. Several months after her final on-screen appearance, tabloid newspapers began to speculate that McKee would reprise the role to coincide with the exit of Jamie Lomas's character, Warren. McKee had previously told Digital Spy: "Well, Louise might not be dead! That's the exciting twist in the future... On screen, you'll feel like she's dead but depending on me and whether I want to come back for an episode in March — I might be back. I filmed an extra scene showing that I'm still alive. There are flashbacks which show me being killed, but then there's a flashback which viewers won't see for a while, that will be used if I choose to come back for the episode. I kind of want to come back and finish off Louise's storyline, but at the moment, I might be doing something else. It would be really good, though — I'd be going back to kill a few people off." Hollyoaks series producer Bryan Kirkwood commented on her departure, stating: "As well as being the nation's sexiest soap star for two years running, Roxanne has worked incredibly hard to prove herself as a talented actress. She has been at the centre of one of our biggest storylines for the past two years and her exit scenes will be a fitting climax. Roxanne is a real star in the making and I'm sure this won't be the last that we hear of her."

McKee won the award 'Sexiest Female' at The British Soap Awards in 2007 and 2008, an award she had been nominated for in 2006 and 2009. McKee was also won 'Sexiest Female' at the Inside Soap Awards in 2007 and 2008.

2008–2010: She's like a Star, Lip Service Post-Hollyoaks, McKee said "that when you come out of a soap opera people see you in a different light and since Hollyoaks I have consciously tried to pick roles that are challenging and different". On casting McKee, Cruz said: "Why Roxanne? She's fit and I wanted her in my video! I'm only joking. I've known Roxanne for some time... We needed an actress who wouldn't feel awkward doing the mock love scenes so I just rang her and she agreed to do it. It was a case of canoodling for a few hours in sunny Spain".

In July 2009, McKee became the face of Clothes Show Live, stating: "I've always watched it on TV and wanted to go, so I'm very flattered to be part of such a huge event". In 2010, she was cast in a small role in the on-line drama EastEnders: E20, playing bisexual character Pippa. and BBC Two's sitcom The Persuasionists.

In 2010, McKee appeared in BBC Three's lesbian drama Lip Service, set in Glasgow. She played Lou Foster, a closeted television presenter from Northern Ireland who falls in love with Tess (Fiona Button). McKee was originally asked to audition for Frankie, Ruta Gedmintas's role. Regarding her performance, McKee stated that she wanted to make Lou more rounded and less one-dimensional: "She has her reasons for being the way she is and hopefully the audience can see that". In January 2011, she expressed excitement for being a part of the show. She’s bright, quick-witted, and she’s got an instinct to survive. And she knows that that’s a way to control people, with sexuality. People do it all the time. She uses her femininity and her sexuality because she doesn’t have anything else... I think she just had a survivor instinct in her. Doreah is initially a handmaiden to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) but eventually betrays Daenerys. She is last seen being imprisoned in season 2's Valar Morghulis. McKee stated in 2014 "there was talk of going back at some stage, but I think that will be knocked on the head now". She played Blanche de Vesci, a Crusader's daughter, in the historical war film Ironclad: Battle for Blood, Her character is a socialite who develops a romance with the series' protagonist.

In 2020, McKee played Amanda Eastman in Picture Perfect Royal Christmas In 2023 she appeared in The Admirer. In 2025, she appeared as Xana in the horror film Bambi: The Reckoning. and as of 2011 she co-owned a nightclub in Leeds.

Filmography Feature film Year Title Role NotesRef 2010 F Nicky Wright 2020 Picture Perfect Royal Christmas Amanda Eastman 2023 The Admirer Nancy Williams TBA The Experiment Lincoln Jones Post-production

Short film Year Title Role Notes 2027 Dakota Stone 2.0 Unknown Main cast

Television Year Title Role NotesRef 2005 Hollyoaks: No Going Back Louise Summers Main role 2017–2018 Strike Back: Retribution Captain Natalie Reynolds Main role (season 6) 2020 Pandora Eve Recurring role (season 2)

Awards and nominations 2006 No. 91 in the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World.

2007 Won at British Soap Awards in category of Sexiest Female for her role in Hollyoaks. Won at Inside Soap Award in category of Sexiest Female for her role in Hollyoaks. No. 42 in the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World.

2008 Won at Digital Spy Soap Awards in the category of Sexiest Female for her role in Hollyoaks. No. 97 in the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World. Won at British Soap Awards in category of Sexiest Female for her role in Hollyoaks.

2012 Nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards