Emma Rigby

Emma Rigby

Rigby in September 2011
Born Emma Catherine Rigby
(1989-09-26) 26 September 1989
St Helens, Merseyside, England, UK
Occupation Actress, model
Years active 2002–present

Emma Catherine Rigby (born 26 September 1989) is an English actress. She is best known for playing the role of Hannah Ashworth in long-running soap opera Hollyoaks, Gemma Roscoe in BBC One drama series Prisoners' Wives and as the Red Queen in American fantasy-drama Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

Career

Rigby's first acting role was Lisa Gunstone in Born and Bred. Before getting the role as Hannah Ashworth in Hollyoaks, she had a few minor roles and appeared in popular soap Brookside as Elena Jones. In addition to acting, Rigby has also done some modelling work. In 2005, Rigby got the role as Hannah Ashworth in Hollyoaks at the age of 15. She was given praise and recognition for her anorexia storyline, in which she was nominated for various awards.

In November 2008, Rigby announced she was leaving Hollyoaks to pursue other projects, and would remain on-screen until June 2009. However, after meetings with soap bosses, it was later confirmed that Rigby had extended her contract for an additional six months and would remain on-screen until February 2010. Her final episode was broadcast on 11 February 2010. For a brief time Emma turned from acting to modelling shooting a campaign with Rory Lewis Photographer in Late February 2010.[1] In July 2010, Rigby made her debut in the West End psycho-sexual thriller musical Wolfboy. She had a non-singing part, playing the role of nurse Cherry. She received positive feedback from critics. In 2011, Rigby starred as Brandy Mulligan in online series Becoming Human. She also had a main role in British horror film Demons Never Die as Samantha and then later on in 2011 she had a minor role in the first episode of C4 comedy Fresh Meat as Rachel. In 2012, she had a guest role in Pramface as Mike's Blind Date Carrie-Ann.

In December 2011, it was announced that Rigby would be starring in brand new six-part drama series Prisoners' Wives along with Jonas Armstrong. The show's first episode aired on 31 January 2012 with Rigby playing Gemma Roscoe, a young pregnant girl whose life falls apart when her husband is arrested for murder. The sixth and final episode of the series was broadcast on 6 March 2012. In January 2013 Rigby appeared in episode four of Ripper Street as Lucy Eames. In April 2013 she appeared in episode one of The Job Lot, and was also cast in a lead role as the Red Queen in the U.S. television series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. She was number 98 on FHM 100 Sexiest of 2015. [2]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2009 A Kingdom without a King Alicia Waterstone Short
2010 Talk Eloise Short
2011 Analogue Love Maggie Short
2011 Demons Never Die Samantha Rearden
2013 The Physician Rebecca
2013 The Counsellor Tony's Girlfriend
2014 Endless Love Jenny
2014 Plastic Frankie
2016 Actors Anonymous Bree
2016 A Hundred Streets Rose
2016 A Christmas Stocking

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002–2003 Brookside Elena Jones 3 episodes
2003 Born and Bred Lisa Gunstone 1 episode
2005–2010 Hollyoaks Hannah Ashworth Regular role, 3 October 2005 – 12 February 2010
Nominated for Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards 2007
Winner for Best Actress at the British Soap Awards 2008
Nominated for Best Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards 2008
Nominated for Best Storyline for Hannah's Anorexia at the British Soap Awards 2008
Nominated for Sexiest Female at the British Soap Awards 2009
2009 Hollyoaks Later Hannah Ashworth 5 episodes
2011 Becoming Human Brandy Mulligan 5 episodes
2011 Fresh Meat Rachel 1 episode
2012 Prisoners' Wives Gemma Roscoe 6 episodes
2012 Pramface Carrie-Ann 1 episode
2013 Ripper Street Lucy Eames 1 episode
2013 The Job Lot Chloe 1 episode
2013–2014 Once Upon a Time in Wonderland Red Queen/Anastasia Lead role
2016 Death in Paradise Laura Hagen Episode 5.1

Awards and nominations

In 2007, at the age of 17, Rigby was nominated for Best Actress in the British Soap Awards (being 1 year too old to qualify for consideration for Best Dramatic Performance for a Young Actor/Actress), but did not make it to the final four. She was also nominated for Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards. A year later, she won The British Soap Award for Best Actress and was nominated for Best Dramatic Performance, but lost to Jo Joyner.[3]

Her portrayal of Hannah Ashworth's battle with anorexia attracted praise. The Daily Mail's television critic, Jaci Stephen, wrote on 24 November 2007 that the Hollyoaks storyline had "taught her more than any drama or documentary on anorexia has ever done". Stephen also admitted some of Hannah's scenes had moved her to tears. She won best storyline for Hannah's eating disorder at the annual Hollyoaks awards. She was up against John Paul and Craig's affair, The "Who pushed Clare?" storyline, and Kris and Jess's relationship.[4] At the All About Soap Bubble Awards in April 2008, Rigby won an award for the "I'm a Survivor - Bravest soul in soap" category.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Emma Rigby Photoshoot Rory Lewis Photographer http://rorylewisphotography.com/blog/emma-rigby-photoshoot/
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Hollyoaks triumphs, Metro.co.uk; accessed 7 March 2014.
  4. ↑ The Hollyoaks Awards 2007 » Hollyoaks » Channel 4; accessed 7 March 2014.
  5. ↑ all about soap awards, channel4.com; accessed 7 March 2014.

External links

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