Kate Ellen O'Flynn (born 1985) is a British actress. She is the recipient of a number of accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for a Laurence Olivier Award and British Academy Television Award.
On stage, O'Flynn is known her roles in the National Theatre productions of Port (2013), for which she won a Critics' Circle Theatre Award, and A Taste of Honey (2014), and The Glass Menagerie (2016–2017) at the Duke of York's Theatre, for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2017.
On television, O'Flynn had roles in the ITV series Doctor Thorne (2018), the Sky Atlantic series Landscapers (2021), the Channel 4 series Everyone Else Burns (2023–2024), and the Amazon Prime series My Lady Jane (2024). She currently stars in the Apple TV comedy horror series Widow's Bay (2026–present), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. Her films include Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), and Tender Loving Care (2026).
Early life and education Born in Bury, O'Flynn grew up on Hunters Green in Holcombe Brook. She is of Irish descent. Her father was a dentist, while her mother Clodagh was a French-language teacher at Tottington High School who was active in amateur dramatics as a longterm member of the Summerseat Players.
O'Flynn attended Bury Grammar School, completing her A Levels in 2003. As a teenager, she took part in school productions and followed her mother in joining the Summerseat Players as well as Manchester's Royal Exchange youth theatre. O'Flynn went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.
Career O'Flynn's first professional role was in Mike Leigh's 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky. Later that year, her performance in The Children's Hour with the Royal Exchange Theatre Company won her the 2008 TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Play, with The Guardian writing "the one to watch is the outstanding newcomer Kate O'Flynn."
In 2009, Kate O'Flynn starred in the comedy-drama TV series Kingdom, with Stephen Fry, as Emily Cartright, council solicitor and girlfriend of trainee solicitor Lyle Anderson, played by Karl Davies. In the same year, O'Flynn appeared with Russell Tovey at London's Royal Court Theatre in Molly Davies' A Miracle. Michael Billington gave the play 3 stars out of five in his review for British newspaper The Guardian, finding that "Kate O'Flynn's Amy is a model of gawky despair" but concluding that the cast "fill out a play that provides plenty of evidence of youthful talent but that also leaves you wanting more". In the Evening Standard, Nicholas de Jongh praised O'Flynn's "beautiful rendering of passivity, selfishness and vulnerability", while The Daily Telegraphs Charles Spencer wrote, "Kate O'Flynn brings an astonishingly raw vulnerability to the stage as Amy, the tears streaming down her face as she describes how impossible she finds it to love and nurture her child".
O'Flynn appeared as Elizabeth Gough in the 2011 television film The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and as Liz in the British feature film comedy Up There, which was the winner of the Best Feature Film award at the 2012 British Academy Scotland Awards and was broadcast on BBC Two in August 2015. In 2012, O'Flynn played the role of Beryl in BBC Four's BAFTA Award-winning television adaptation Room at the Top, based on John Braine's novel of the same name.
In 2013, she performed at the National Theatre in its production of Port. Writing in The Guardian, Maddy Costa noted: "As Rachael [sic] in Simon Stephens's Port, she grew from a mouthy 11-year-old to a downtrodden but resilient 24-year-old – and in the process transformed from a relative unknown to a star in the making". Her performance won her the Critics' Circle's Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright). She returned to the National Theatre, playing Jo in its 2014 production of Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey.
In 2014, O'Flynn appeared in her second Mike Leigh film Mr. Turner. She would then go on to appear in another of Leigh's films, Peterloo, in 2018.
In 2015, O'Flynn played the part of Dr Peep in police comedy drama No Offence, reprising her role in all three series. The following year, O'Flynn played Myrtle in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Dot set in the Cabinet War Rooms. In the same year, she also played Lady Alexandrina De Courcy in the ITV costume drama Doctor Thorne, based on Anthony Trollope's novel of the same name. O'Flynn also played Alice Peabody, the new boss at Hard News in Bridget Jones's Baby.
Also in 2016, O'Flynn appeared in episode 6 of the second series of BBC's Father Brown "The Eagle and the Daw" as Katherine Corven. She reprised the character in the 2017 episode 6.2 "The Jackdaw's Revenge".
In 2019, O'Flynn played Victoria Woodcock in the television drama Brexit: The Uncivil War, written by James Graham. In 2021, she appeared in the miniseries Landscapers as DC Emma Lancing. In 2022, O'Flynn appeared in Death in Paradise as DI Neville Parker's sister Izzy.
In 2023, she was cast in Everyone Else Burns for Channel 4, playing Fiona, the wife of Simon Bird's character David. For this, she won a Royal Television Society North West Award for Best Performance in a Comedy. O'Flynn also appeared as Jen in Henpocalypse! on BBC Two; in the same year she played the lead character, Cassie, in the BBC Radio Four psychological drama Spores. In 2024, O'Flynn played Princess Mary Tudor in My Lady Jane, with The i Paper writing she "almost steals the show".
From October 16-23 2026, O'Flynn will perform at the Almeida Theatre in London in Caryl Churchill's new play Triumph.
Personal life Jonathan Bailey, who starred alongside O'Flynn in the play The House of Special Purpose (2009), calls her his "all-time bezzie". The pair also hiked to the Everest base camp in Nepal together in 2018.
Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 2008 Happy-Go-Lucky Suzy 2011 Up There Liz 2014 Mr. Turner Prostitute 2015 Eliana Eliana Short film 2016 Bridget Jones's Baby Alice 2018 Peterloo Chadderton Woman 2019 The Octopus Nest Becky Short film 2026 Tender Loving Care Amy
Television Year Title Role Notes 2006HeartbeatLaura HillEpisode: "Pretty Woman"2007Trial & RetributionJane DonnellyEpisode: "Paradise Lost: Part 1"2008The PalaceRuby RileyRegular character2009KingdomEmily CartwrightSeries 3 regular2011The Suspicions of Mr WhicherElizabeth GoughTelevision film: "The Murder at Road Hill House"2012Above SuspicionJeannie Bale3 episodesPlayhouse PresentsWomanEpisode: "The Snipist"The SyndicateTanya2 episodesRoom at the TopBeryl2 episodes2013New TricksGrace KennedyEpisode: "Wild Justice"2015Ordinary LiesSaskiaEpisode: "Rick's Story"2015–2018No OffenceDr Peep9 episodes2016Doctor ThorneLady Alexandrina de CourcyMini series, regular2017; 2017Father BrownKatherine Corven2 episodes2018WanderlustEmily Riley5 episodes2019Brexit: The Uncivil WarVictoria WoodcockTelevision filmShakespeare & Hathaway: Private InvestigatorsAva FoyleEpisode: "Nothing Will Come of Nothing"CasualtyLou BriggsSeries 33, episode 332021Close to MeRose3 episodesLandscapersDC Emma LancingMain role2022Death in ParadiseIzzy Parker3 episodes2023–2024Everyone Else BurnsFiona LewisMain role2023Henpocalypse!JenMain role2024My Lady JanePrincess MaryMain role2026–presentWidow's BayPatricia MoyerMain role
Theatre Year Title Role Venue2008The Children's HourMary TilfordRoyal Exchange ManchesterSee How They RunIdaRoyal Exchange Manchester2009A MiracleAmy AstonJerwood Theatre, Royal Court TheatreThe House of Special PurposeAnastasiaMinerva Theatre2010The Whisky TasterNicolaBush Theatre2010Marine ParadeSallyBrighton Festival, as part of the English Touring Theatre2011Theatre Uncut - Open Heart SurgeryLisaSouthwark PlayhouseLungsWThe Crucible, Shoreditch Town Hall, part of Paines Plough's Roundabout seasonThe Sound of Heavy RainFoxy O'HaraThe Crucible, Shoreditch Town Hall, part of Paines Plough's Roundabout season2013PortRacheal KeatsLyttelton Theatre, Royal National TheatreThe Ritual Slaughter of George MastromasLouisaRoyal Court2014A Taste of HoneyJoLyttelton Theatre, Royal National Theatre2015The TrialRosa, Cherry, Female Guard, Chastity, Girl, TiffanyYoung Vic2017The Glass MenagerieLauraDuke of York's Theatre, Edinburgh International FestivalAnatomy of a SuicideAnnaRoyal Court2018Precisely, One for the Road, Mountain Language, Ashes to AshesRoger, Gila, Young Woman, RebeccaHarold Pinter Theatre2019The End of HistoryPollyRoyal CourtBlankVariousDonmar Wharehouse, Royal Court2020All of ItVariousRoyal Court, monologue2021The Two-Character PlayClareHampstead Theatre2022Grey ManMayaYoung Vic, also digital theatre short2023All of ItVariousJerwood Theatre, Royal Court, one woman show
Radio Year Title Role Notes2013LungsWBBC Radio 3 play, adapted from stageAbsolutely DelishCharlotteBBC Radio 4, episode 3: "Flying the Nest"2015The StuartsCharlotte StuartBBC Radio 4 historical drama, episode: "Charlotte Stuart: The Last Stuart"2016–2020DotMyrtleBBC Radio 4 sitcom, written by Ed Harris2016Blood Sex and Money by Emile ZolaSatinBBC Radio 4 historical drama based on Émile Zola's Les Rougon-Macquart novels, series 2- Sex2017I Confess AnnaBBC Radio 4 dramaLong Time ComingRachel 2019 Opening Pandora's Box Writer, Lulu BBC Radio 4 drama written by Katie HimsThe Love TestKateBBC Radio 4 comedy dramaChina TownsAnnaBBC Radio 4 drama based on Arnold Bennett's Five Towns novels2020The English LessonLola, studentBBC Radio 4 drama2023SporesCassieBBC Radio 4 psychological horror
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2021 The Good Life Elizabeth Dickins, Rita Barrett, Virginia YeatsVoice role2022Dragon Quest TreasuresAdditional voices English version
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2014 Critics' Circle Theatre Award Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer Port 2017 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Glass Menagerie 2025 British Academy Television Awards Best Female Comedy Performance Everyone Else Burns 2026 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series, or Made-for-TV Movie Widow's Bay Dorian Awards Best Supporting TV Performance – Comedy TCA Awards Individual Achievement in Comedy Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series San Sebastián International Film Festival Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance Tender Loving Care
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