Dolly Wells
Dorothy Perpetua Wells (born Gatacre; 5 December 1971)[1] is a British actress and writer.
Dolly Wells | |
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Born | Dorothy Perpetua Gatacre 5 December 1971 |
Nationality | British |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1997–present |
Spouse(s) | Mischa Richter (m. 2000) |
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | John Wells |
Relatives |
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She co-wrote and starred in the Sky Living series Doll & Em (2014–15) with best friend Emily Mortimer, and wrote and directed the 2019 comedy-drama Good Posture. Her other television work includes roles in Star Stories (2006–08), Some Girls (2012–14), Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy (2012–14), Blunt Talk (2015–16) and Dracula (2020).
Personal life
Wells was born Dorothy Gatacre, in London, the last of six children. She is the daughter of the late comic actor John Wells and Teresa Chancellor, daughter of Sir Christopher Chancellor, general manager of Reuters from 1944–59. 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 in London. While trying to build an acting career, she worked as a journalist at the Evening Standard and a book reviewer.[3]
Wells married photographer Mischa Richter in 2000 and they've been living in New York since 2014. They have a daughter, Elsie (b. 2002) and a son, Ezra (b. 2005). Both appeared with their mother in Doll & Em.[2]
Filmography
Films
Year | Title | Role | Notes[4] |
---|---|---|---|
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 | |
TBA | Love Spreads | Julie | Post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes[4] |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | The Bill | Janet James | 1 episode |
1998 | Dinnerladies | Hannah | 1 episode |
Midsomer Murders | Ava Rokeby | 1 episode | |
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 | 1 episode |
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 | 1 episode |
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 | 1 episode | |
Pramface | Ante-natal Instructress | 1 episode | |
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 | 1 episode |
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 |
TBA | The Pursuit of Love | Aunt Sadie | Upcoming series |
References
- Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, vol. III, 2003, pg 3046
- 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 - Imdb". Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.