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Jemima Rooper (born 24 October 1981) is an English actress. Having started as a child actress in television series, she has appeared in numerous film and theatre roles.

Background

Born in Hammersmith, London, Rooper is the daughter of TV journalist Alison Rooper. She attended Redcliffe Gardens School in Chelsea and the Godolphin and Latymer School. While working on The Famous Five, she passed eight GCSEs with A* and A grades. From there she went to MPW sixth form college where she got three A-grade A levels. Rooper bought her first home at the age of 19.

Career

Rooper expressed a wish to be an actress at the age of nine and contacted an agent. Her first professional roles were in the 1993 film The Higher Mortals and the 1994 film Willie's War. In 1996, she appeared in all episodes as George in Enid Blyton's The Famous Five.

She said:

I remember writing "I want to act" on my bed in lipstick. I think I told my mum I wanted to be an actress and she said I needed an agent to do that. I must have said: "Well, I'm going to get one"—and I think that's why. She was devastated. She said: "Please don't be an actress, be a doctor or lawyer." But I was very tunnel-visioned about it all. I'm an only child and I spent a lot of time alone. I played a lot of imaginary games. I just wanted to dress up and be weird, I suppose.

After several small roles in British TV series, Jemima took the role of Nicki Sutton in the popular Channel 4 teenage series As If, which successfully ran for three years. Her next appearance was in the supernatural drama Hex where she played a lovable lesbian ghost named Thelma. Hex aired on Sky One and ran for two series between 2004 and 2005.

Rooper made her Hollywood debut in The Black Dahlia. In 2008 she starred in the TV series Lost in Austen. In 2013 she played a role as Medusa in Atlantis. Also guest starred in Agatha Christie's Poirot. She also played a lead role in Her Naked Skin, a new play at the National Theatre. In December 2010, Rooper was cast in the musical Me and My Girl at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, alongside Miriam Margolyes. Having been featured in films including The Railway Children, A Sound of Thunder, Kinky Boots, One Chance and The F Word (as the on-screen sister of Daniel Radcliffe's character) since 2003, she has since appeared in numerous guest roles on British series including Father Brown. As a voice actress, Rooper voiced companion Izzy Sinclair in Doctor Who, in Big Finish Productions audio dramas.

In September 2023, Rooper starred in the Channel 5 drama series The Inheritance, appearing alongside Samantha Bond, Rob James-Collier, Gaynor Faye and Adil Ray.

Stage

Rooper was seen on stage in One Man, Two Guvnors, which was favourably reviewed. She has since appeared in Blithe Spirit and Breeders in the West End.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theatre

• Where Do We Live – Royal Court Theatre, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, May 2002 (playing Lily)
• Us and Them – Hampstead Theatre, June 2003 (playing Izzie)
• A Respectable Wedding (part of The Big Brecht Fest) – Young Vic, April 2007 (playing Bride)
• Her Naked Skin – National Theatre, July 2008 (playing Eve Douglas)
• The Great Game: Afghanistan – Tricycle Theatre, April – June 2009
• The Power of Yes – National Theatre October 2009
• All My Sons – Apollo Theatre, May – October 2010 (playing Ann Deever)
• Me and My Girl – Jan 2011 (playing Sally)
• One Man, Two Guvnors- National Theatre June 2011 (playing Rachel Crabbe)
• Blithe Spirit – Gielgud Theatre, March 2014 (playing Elvira)
• Breeders by Ben Ockrent – St James Theatre, September 2014
• Blithe Spirit – Ahmanson Theater, Los Angeles, December 2014 – January 2015 (playing Elvira)
• Hand to God – Vaudeville Theatre, London, February 2016
• Little Shop of Horrors – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London, August – September 2018 (playing Audrey)

References

1. Williams, Andrew (8 September 2005). "60 Seconds: Jemima Rooper". Metro. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
2. "IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
3. ^ "Jemima Rooper | London Theatre". Westendtheatre.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
4. Robinson, Abby (4 September 2023). "The Inheritance cast: Meet the characters in Channel 5 drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
5. "One Man, Two Guvnors – review" Archived 14 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, 25 May 2011.
6. Petski, Denise (17 August 2021). "Lifetime Greenlights 'Flowers In The Attic' Prequel Miniseries With Jemima Rooper, Max Irons, Kelsey Grammer, Harry Hamlin, Moren". Deadline.
7. "BBC unveils first glimpse of The Famous Five - Mystery at the Prospect Hotel" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. 19 November 2024. Archived from the original on 20 November 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
8. Bamsey, Ryan Thomas (12 September 2023). "The Isle Tide Hotel Review - An Over-The-Top Mystery Romp". thegamer.com. Compelling writing and a juicy mystery make for a fun time in this stylish, if uneven, FMV game.
9. Packwood, Lewis (20 September 2023). "The Isle Tide Hotel: like Wes Anderson directing a playable episode of Doctor Who". The Guardian. Brother and sister duo Grace and Harry Chadwick have followed in the footsteps of Charlie Brooker's Bandersnatch with an interactive film about body swapping
10. "Acting Company Announced for Tricycle Theatre's 'The Great Game: Afghanistan'". Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
11. "The Power of Yes Cast Credits". Royal National Theatre. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
12. "All My Sons Extends At The Apollo Theatre Through Oct 2". Broadway World. 18 June 2010. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
13. "One Man, Two Guvnors Cast Credits". Royal National Theatre. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
14. "Blithe Spirit, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres". Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.

External links

• Jemima Rooper at IMDb
• Jemima Rooper's Naked Skin, Stephen Armstrong, The Times, 13 July 2008
• "How We Met: Jemima Rooper & Ralf Little". The Independent on Sunday. 24 August 2008.

• 1981 births
• Living people
• English film actresses
• English stage actresses
• English television actresses
• English voice actresses
• People educated at Godolphin and Latymer School
• Actresses from London
• People from Hammersmith
• 20th-century English actresses
• 21st-century English actresses
• English child actresses
• English radio actresses