{{Short description|English actress (born 1979)}} {{Use British English|date=December 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox person |name = Kelly Adams |image = |caption = |birth_name = Kelly Diane Adams |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1979|10|16}} |birth_place = Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England |alma_mater = Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts |occupation = Actress |spouse = {{marriage|Chris Kennedy|2011}} |years_active = 2002–present }} '''Kelly Diane Adams'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Kelly Diane Adams |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/?name=Kelly_Adams&event=_lincoln-lincolnshire-england-united+kingdom_85279&birth=1979&matchAllTermsChecked=false |website=Ancestry.com |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> (born 16 October 1979) is an English actress. She has played leading roles in a number of British television series: Mickie Hendrie in the BBC One medical drama series ''Holby City'' (2004–2006) and ''Casualty'' (2005); Emma Kennedy in the BBC One drama series ''Hustle'' (2009–2012); Padre Mary Greenstock in the BBC Three comedy drama series ''Bluestone 42'' (2013–2014); Nancy Webb in the ITV period drama series ''Mr Selfridge'' (2015); and Michelle Charr in the BBC daytime murder/police drama series ''London Kills'' (2020).
==Career== Adams was born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lincolnshire/4422720.stm | work=BBC News | title=Actress to switch on city lights | date=9 November 2005 | access-date=7 May 2010}}</ref> A pupil of North Kesteven School in North Hykeham,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/lincolnshire/hi/front_page/newsid_8460000/8460032.stm|title=Holby to Hustle success for Lincolnshire lass |date=15 January 2010|publisher=BBC Lincolnshire|access-date=24 January 2010}}</ref> Adams trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in Wood Green, London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.holby.tv/db/index.php?id=41,1074,0,0,1,0 |publisher=holby.tv |title=Kelly Adams |access-date=24 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221183310/http://holby.tv/db/index.php?id=41%2C1074%2C0%2C0%2C1%2C0 |archive-date=21 February 2009 }}</ref>
Initially playing Tara Palmer-Tomkinson in a docu-soap about Prince William, she later appeared in ''Doctors'' before playing Mickie Hendrie in ''Holby City'' from 2004 to 2006. Adams was cast in the role of Mickie alongside fellow series six newcomer Jaye Jacobs, who was cast as staff nurse Donna Jackson. The pair's arrival in the show was heavily publicised and the subject of a documentary entitled ''Making It at Holby'', chronicling their casting process,<ref name="makingitatholby">{{cite episode |title=Making It At Holby |episode-link=Holby City (series 6)|series=Holby City |series-link=Holby City |network=BBC|station=BBC One|airdate=23 March 2004|season=6}}</ref> which entailed seven weeks of auditions, including group workshops to allow the series producers to gauge candidates' personalities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Box:+Gimme,+gimme,+gimme+a+role+in+Holby.-a0114466542|title=The Box: Gimme, gimme, gimme a role in Holby.|last=Laws|first=Roz|date=21 March 2004|work=Sunday Mercury|publisher=Trinity Mirror|access-date=15 November 2010|location=Birmingham, England}}</ref>
Adams originally auditioned as Donna. However, the casting directors felt that she would be better suited to Mickie, the quieter character<ref name="RV"/> and "mild mannered" counterpart to Donna's "sassy staff nurse".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/TV+review:+Could+the+con+be+off%3f-a0114570675|title=TV review: Could the con be off?|last=Johnson|first=Emma|date=24 March 2004|work=Liverpool Echo|publisher=Trinity Mirror|access-date=21 February 2011}}</ref> She and Jacobs were paired together during a three-hour workshop, and the producers detected an "instant spark" between them, leading to their dual casting.<ref name="RV">{{cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20041212/ai_n12914247/?tag=content;col1 |title=Star Style: Holby City party girls|last=Vivian|first=Rhiannon|date=12 December 2004|work=Sunday Mirror|publisher=Trinity Mirror|access-date=15 November 2010}} {{Dead link|date=April 2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> In 2004, her character had a lesbian liaison with Jacobs' character. The scene in which they kissed was edited to half its original length after being deemed too explicit for pre-watershed broadcast.<ref name="JW">{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-149723700|title=My lesbian kiss was naughty..but nurse|first=Jon|last=Wise|work=The People|publisher=Trinity Mirror|date=20 August 2006|access-date=15 November 2010|location=London, England|archive-date=1 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701085022/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-149723700/my-lesbian-kiss-was-naughty-but-nurse-exclusive-holby|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the aftermath of the Mickie/Donna storyline, the BBC banned its actresses from appearing in raunchy photo-shoots, after Jacobs and Adams were photographed in intimate poses while dressed in nurse's uniforms for various "lads' mags".<ref name="ladsmags">{{cite news|url=http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2004/09/19/beeb-babes-cover-up-98487-14658213/ |title=Beeb Babes Cover-Up |first=Danielle |last=Lawler |work=Sunday Mirror |publisher=Trinity Mirror |date=19 September 2004 |access-date=6 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313190233/http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2004/09/19/beeb-babes-cover-up-98487-14658213/ |archive-date=13 March 2008 }}</ref> In 2006, her ambitious character left for Newcastle Medical school to study to be a doctor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/holbycity/characters-cast/characters/mickiehendrie.shtml |access-date=14 January 2009 |title=BBC – Holby City – Characters – Mickie Hendrie |publisher=BBC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110050312/http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/holbycity/characters-cast/characters/mickiehendrie.shtml |archive-date=10 January 2009 }}</ref>
Adams subsequently appeared as the servant Eve in the ''Robin Hood'' episode "A Thing or Two About Loyalty".
In 2009, Adams joined the cast of long-running BBC1 drama series ''Hustle'' for its fifth season, playing the role of Emma Kennedy, a new member of Mickey Bricks' crew of con artists. She continued in the role of Emma for three further seasons of the drama. In an episode of Series 6, Adams plays the role of Kylie Minogue as a parody of Adams' resemblance to the Australian singer. In real life, Adams has been mistaken for Minogue.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/kelly-adams-mistaken-for-kylie-29105352.html|title=Kelly Adams mistaken for Kylie|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=3 March 2013|access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref>
She had a small role in the 2009 biographical film ''Bronson'', about the prisoner Charles Bronson,<ref>{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Tobias |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113495932 |title=A Performance Artist Whose Medium Is Rage |publisher=National Public Radio |date=9 October 2009 |access-date=16 October 2020 }}</ref> and appeared in the British science fiction thriller ''Beacon77'' in 2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beacon77.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=29|access-date=13 May 2009|title=Beacon77 Cast|publisher=[Revolt Films]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725140729/http://www.beacon77.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=29|archive-date=25 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Allen |url=http://www.28dayslateranalysis.com/2009/11/beacon-77-world-premiere.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203131404/http://www.28dayslateranalysis.com/2009/11/beacon-77-world-premiere.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=3 December 2010 |title=Beacon 77 World Premiere! |website=28 Days Later |date=7 November 2009 |access-date=16 October 2020 }}</ref> and as Wendy in ''My Last Five Girlfriends'' in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |first=Alison |last=Willmore |url=https://www.ifc.com/2009/04/my-last-five-girlfriends |title=Tribeca 2009: 'My Last Five Girlfriends' |work=IFC |publisher=IFC |date=26 April 2009 }}</ref>
Adams appeared in the second series of ''Death in Paradise'', shown on the BBC in early 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/productions/death-in-paradise/death-in-paradise-series-2 |title=''Death in Paradise'' Series 2 |publisher=Red Planet Pictures |access-date=16 October 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> She then starred as Padre Mary Greenstock in the BBC Three comedy ''Bluestone 42'' for its first two series.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Woods |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/sex.swearing.and.grisly.black.humour.why.the.writer.of.bluestone.42.believes.his.work.is.deeply.christian/51051.htm |title=Sex, swearing and grisly black humour: why the writer of Bluestone 42 believes his work is deeply Christian |work=Christian Today |date=30 March 2015 |access-date=16 October 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01t05j9/p01t053s |title=Bluestone 42, Series 2: Mary |publisher=BBC Three |type=gallery |access-date=16 October 2020 }}</ref>
In 2015 she played Nancy Webb in the third instalment of the ITV period drama series ''Mr Selfridge'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.itv.com/goodmorningbritain/articles/kelly-adams-mr-selfridge |title=Meet Mr Selfridge's new love interest |website=Good Morning Britain |date=27 February 2015 |access-date=16 October 2020 |type=video }}</ref> and in 2020 Michelle Charr in the second series of the BBC daytime murder/police drama series ''London Kills''.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=David |last=Craig |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-03-26/london-kills-cast-bbc-one/ |title=Meet the cast of BBC One's crime drama London Kills |magazine=Radio Times |date=26 March 2020 |access-date=16 October 2020 }}</ref>
==Personal life== Adams married fashion photographer Chris Kennedy in 2011.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/201102285020/kelly-adams/exclusive/interview/ |title='Hustle' actress Kelly Adams shares 'no-fuss' £200 wedding full of warmth and laughter with HELLO! |magazine=Hello! |date=28 February 2011 |type=interview |access-date=16 October 2020 }}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Films=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2008 | ''Bronson'' | Irene Peterson | |- | rowspan=3| 2009 | ''The Boxer'' | Natalie | |- | ''My Last Five Girlfriends'' | Wendy | |- | ''The 7th Dimension'' | Sarah | Original title: ''"Beacon77"'' |- |2012 | ''2 in a Million'' | Neema | rowspan="3" | Short film |- | 2013 | ''Tomorrow in a Day'' | Rose |- | 2019 | ''Huntington Gardens'' | Mrs. Morris |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2002 |''Prince William'' |Tara Palmer-Tomkinson |TV film |- | 2005 | ''Casualty'' | rowspan="2" | Mickie Hendrie | Episode: "Deny Thy Father: Part One" |- | 2004–2006 | ''Holby City'' | Series regular, 81 episodes |- | 2006 | ''Robin Hood'' | Eve | Episode: "A Thing or Two About Loyalty" |- | 2008 | ''Doctors'' | Amanda Prior | Episode: "The Front Page" |- | 2010 | ''The Persuasionists'' | Victoria Smeet | Episode: "The Handsomeness" |- | 2009–2012 | ''Hustle'' | Emma Kennedy | Series regular, 24 episodes |- | rowspan="2"|2012 | ''The Town'' | Lucy | Mini-series, 3 episodes |- | ''The Cricklewood Greats'' | Jenny Driscoll | |- | rowspan=2| 2013 | ''Death in Paradise'' | Liz Curtis | Episode: "A Deadly Curse" |- | ''Endeavour'' | Cynthia Riley | Episode: "Home" |- | 2013–2014 | ''Bluestone 42'' | Padre Mary Greenstock | Series regular, 15 episodes |- | 2014–2015 | ''Ronja, the Robber's Daughter'' | Birk Borkason (Voice role) | Series regular, 23 episodes |- | rowspan="3"|2015 | ''Mr Selfridge'' | Nancy Webb | Series regular, 10 episodes |- | ''The Delivery Man'' | Jess | Episode: "Theft" |- | ''Doc Martin'' | Erica Holbrooke | Episode: "Facta Non Verba" |- | 2019 | ''London Kills'' | Michelle Charr | Episode: "Family Affairs" |- | 2020 | ''Agatha Raisin'' | Melissa Sheppard | Episode: "Love from Hell" |}
===Theatre=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Venue ! Notes |- | 2002 | ''My Three Angels'' | Marie Louise Ducotel | The Mill, Sonning Eye | |- | 2003 | ''Dreams from a Summer House'' | Mel | Watermill Theatre, Bagnor | |- | 2007 | ''Our Man in Havana'' | Beatrice Severn/Milly Wormwold | Yvonne Arnaud Theatre - Guildford, Churchill Theatre - Bromley & Theatre Royal, Windsor | with Bill Kenwright Ltd. |- | 2014 | ''Two into One'' | Jennifer | Menier Chocolate Factory, London | |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|1433549|Kelly Adams}} * [http://unitedagents.co.uk/kelly-adams Kelly Adams] at United Agents
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Kelly}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Actresses from Lincoln, England Category:Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Category:English television actresses