British actress Kelly Reilly began her career in her native country with a role on the children’s program The Biz and has since appeared in projects such as the Paramount Network original Yellowstone, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes films and the Denzel Washington-starrer Flight Have given.
Interestingly, after a stint on The Biz, Reilly furthered his acting journey with a letter addressed to the producers of the ITV crime drama Prime Suspect, which notably starred Helen Mirren as a detective chief inspector. Starring as a lawyer’s daughter in the fourth season, Reilly earned supporting roles in British shows before transferring to American productions.
Headlining films like survivalist thriller Eden Lake and shows like medical drama Black Box, Reilly has played some inspiring and bold heroines in her vast filmography. Some of her characters clash with the male-dominated world, which adds a hopeful touch to her acting.
After several single-episode appearances in TV movies and shows, Reilly eventually broke into the mainstream with leading roles in Season 2 of True Detective and the entirety of Yellowstone. Reilly also occasionally dabbled in theatre, earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for the comedy-drama After Miss Julie and making her Broadway debut opposite Clive Owen in Harold Pinter’s Old Times.
The gripping British police procedural drama Above Suspicion features a strong performance from Kelly Reilly as well as Oscar-nominated veteran Ciarán Hinds. Reilly plays ambitious rookie police detective Anna Travis, while Hinds plays her superior, as they investigate a series of gruesome murders.
With Travis determined to prove his worth to his judgmental male colleagues, Reilly perfectly exemplifies the lead detective’s determined and sometimes reckless attitude. Above Suspicion served as an early career showcase for the actress, who was transitioning into lead roles at this time. The ITV production received positive reviews for its lead roles and ran for four seasons.
Kelly Reilly Most Popular TV Shows Right Now
Above Suspicion (2009-2012)
The gripping British police procedural drama Above Suspicion features a strong performance from Kelly Reilly as well as Oscar-nominated veteran Ciarán Hinds. Reilly plays ambitious rookie police detective Anna Travis, while Hinds plays her superior, as they investigate a series of gruesome murders.
With Travis determined to prove his worth to his judgmental male colleagues, Reilly perfectly exemplifies the lead detective’s determined and sometimes reckless attitude. Above Suspicion served as an early career showcase for the actress, who was transitioning into lead roles at this time. The ITV production received positive reviews for its lead roles and ran for four seasons.
Pride And Prejudice (2005)
Kelly Reilly can hold her own no matter how brief the role or how talented the ensemble. An example of this is Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice. While Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen were the faces of comedy-dramas of the period as Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Reilly joined the cast as Caroline Bingley, the snobbish socialite who plots against the heroine.
Jane Austen fans will agree that Reilly fits the part of the hostile supporting character effortlessly as she attempts to poison Mr. Darcy’s mind against Lizzie. The 2005 film Pride and Prejudice deviates from the book at times but is still one of Jane Austen’s finest adaptations.
Britannia (2018-2021)
The fearlessly campy Britannia is a delightful return to the sword-and-sandal genre with Kelly Reilly as an outspoken Celtic princess protecting her people. The story also focuses on militaristic tensions between Britain’s own tribes, with the action beginning during the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD.
In this context, Reilly shines as Princess Kira, an emperor who can not only lead campaigns against rival tribes but also make strategic agreements with the Roman Empire. While Britannia may not be the most historically-accurate representation of this era, it’s still entertaining and Reilly gives one of the best performances of his television career.
Russian Dolls (2005)
The French comedy-drama Russian Dolls features a non-linear narrative revolving around a group of friends who reunite after five years. Kelly Reilly plays Wendy, a skilled TV writer who confronts her own romantic dilemmas.
As she is involved in an unhealthy relationship that leads to contact with her ex-husband, Reilly is as dramatic and comedic in her performance as Wendy, All the Money in the World’s Romain Duris (who plays Xavier) and Emily Shares screen space with popular French artists like. Star Audrey Tautou. Her tenure in French cinema was so successful that she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination at France’s prestigious Cesar Awards.