Dorothy Perpetua Wells (born Gatacre; 5 December 1971)[1] is an English actress. She co-wrote and starred in the Sky Living series Doll & Em (2014–2015) with Emily Mortimer, and wrote and directed the 2019 comedy-drama Good Posture. Her other television work includes roles in Star Stories (2006–2008), Some Girls (2012–2014), Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy (2012–2014), Blunt Talk (2015–2016), Dracula (2020), The Outlaws (2021) and Inside Man (2022).
Dolly Wells | |
|---|---|
 Wells in 2023 | |
| Born | Dorothy Perpetua Gatacre 5 December 1971 Merton, London, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse |
Mischa Richter
(m. 2000; div. 2022) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | John Wells |
| Relatives |
|
Early life
editWells was born Dorothy Gatacre, in Merton, London, the last of six children.[citation needed] She is the daughter of comic actor John Wells and Teresa Chancellor, daughter of Sir Christopher Chancellor, general manager of Reuters from 1944 to 1959. Wells grew up thinking her father was her stepfather, and did not find out he was her biological father until she was eighteen. She later changed her name from Gatacre—her mother's first husband was Edward Gatacre—to Wells. Her first cousin is the actress Anna Chancellor.[1][2]
She was educated in a Catholic convent school, after failing the entrance exam for St Paul's. While trying to build an acting career, she worked as a journalist at the Evening Standard and as a book reviewer.[3]
Personal life
editWells married photographer Mischa Richter in 2000. They have a daughter, Elsie (b. 2002) and a son, Ezra (b. 2005). Both appeared with their mother in Doll & Em.[2]
In 2020, Wells and Richter divorced.[4]
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes[5][better source needed] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Sea Change | Jane | |
| 2001 | Far on Foot | Sophie Cartwright | Short film |
| Bridget Jones's Diary | Woney | ||
| 2002 | Morvern Callar | Susan | |
| 2003 | Nobody Needs to Know | Dolly | Associate Producer |
| I Capture the Castle | Fur Department Vendeuse | ||
| 2008 | Franklyn | Nurse | |
| 2009 | Mr. Right | Fizz | |
| 2012 | Tumult | Tour Guide | Short film |
| 2014 | Benny & Jolene | Rosamund | |
| 2015 | Black Mountain Poets | Claire | |
| 45 Years | Charlotte | ||
| 2016 | Pride and Prejudice and Zombies | Mrs. Featherstone | |
| Bridget Jones's Baby | Woney | ||
| 2017 | Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town | The Woman in the Field | |
| Home Again | Tracy | ||
| I Do... Until I Don't | Vivian Prudeck | ||
| 2018 | Boundaries | Sofia | |
| Furlough | SA Group Leader | ||
| Can You Ever Forgive Me? | Anna | ||
| 2020 | The Stand In | Second AD Daisy | |
| 2021 | Love Spreads | Julie | |
| 2022 | Susie Searches | Professor Gallagher | |
| 2023 | Three Birthdays | Marian | |
| 2024 | Down, Down, Down | Sarah | Short film |
| Babygirl | Therapist |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes[5][better source needed] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Bill | Janet James | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Dinnerladies | Hannah | |
| Midsomer Murders | Ava Rokeby | ||
| 1999 | In the Name of Love | Helen Walters | TV film |
| Goodnight Sweetheart | Celia Johnson | 1 episode | |
| 2000 | Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes | Elspeth Scott | |
| 2002 | The Gathering Storm | Sarah Churchill | TV film |
| Bertie and Elizabeth | Princess Mary | ||
| 2003; 2008 | Peep Show | Paula | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | The Final Quest | Anthea | TV film |
| Sex Traffic | Sarah | ||
| Murphy's Law | Susan Green | 1 episode | |
| 2006 | Doctors | Claire Morris | |
| 2006–2008 | Star Stories | Various characters | 12 episodes |
| 2007 | The Mighty Boosh | Methuselah | 1 episode |
| 2007; 2010 | The IT Crowd | Miranda / Paula | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Comedy Showcase | Lydia Tennant | 1 episode |
| Free Agents | Sarah Stephens | 3 episodes | |
| 2009–2011 | Campus | Lydia Tennant | 7 episodes |
| 2011–2012 | Spy | Judith Elliot | 16 episodes |
| 2012 | Starlings | Annika | 1 episode |
| Casualty | Josie Betts | ||
| Pramface | Ante-natal Instructress | ||
| 2012–2014 | Some Girls | Anna Hitchcock | 18 episodes |
| Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy | Various characters | 9 episodes | |
| 2014–2015 | Doll & Em | Dolly | 12 episodes; creator, writer, associate producer |
| 2015–2016 | Blunt Talk | Celia Havemeyer | 20 episodes |
| 2016 | Younger | Stephanie | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Portlandia | Dolly Wells | |
| Room 104 | Catherine | 1 episode - "Woman in the Wall" | |
| 2019 | The Christmas Kid | Agent | |
| 2020 | Dracula | Sister Agatha Van Helsing / Dr. Zoe Van Helsing | Miniseries |
| 2021 | The Pursuit of Love | Aunt Sadie | Recurring |
| 2021 | The Outlaws | Margaret | 2 series filming back to back |
| 2021 | Around the World in 80 Days | Estella | 1 episode |
| 2022 | Inside Man | Janice Fife[6][7] | Miniseries |
| 2023 | And Just Like That... | Joy | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin | Eliza Bean | Recurring character |
References
edit- ^ a b Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, vol. III, 2003, pg 3046
- ^ a b Teeman, Tim (31 May 2015). "Dolly Wells on her father, John: 'Why didn't he tell me? I'd like to tap on his grave and ask'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ Harvey, Chris (1 January 2020). "Dracula's Dolly Wells, interview: 'Until I was about 12, I wanted to be a nun". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Dolly Wells: 'I got divorced on Zoom'". The Times. 23 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Dolly Wells - Imdb". Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Inside Man star reveals they "got goosebumps" filming key scene". Digital Spy. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ "Is Janice hiding something in BBC's Inside Man?". gq-magazine.co.uk. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
External links
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