Gemma Whelan

Gemma Whelan is an English actress and comedian with credits in stand-up and on screen. She is known for her character Chastity Butterworth and for playing Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. Born in Leeds in 1981, she grew up in the Midlands and trained at the London Studio Centre. As a stand-up, she won the 2010 Funny Women Variety Award and performed her Chastity Butterworth show at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe, later recording a BBC Radio 4 pilot as that character. Her early film credits include The Wolfman (2010) and Gulliver's Travels. On television she appeared as Yara Greyjoy from the second season of Game of Thrones onward, and played Kate in Upstart Crow, Karen Matthews in The Moorside, Marian Lister in Gentleman Jack, Geraldine in Killing Eve, and DCI Kerry Henderson in DI Ray from 2022 to 2024. She also played Mrs Weston in Emma. (2020) and reprised Kate on the West End stage.