Anna Crilly

Anna Crilly
Born
Anna Crilly
EducationKent College, Pembury
Alma materMiddlesex University
Occupations
Years active1996–present
SpouseWilliam Andrews
RelativesRobert Crilly (brother)

Anna Crilly is an English actress and comedian.

Education

Crilly was educated at Kent College, Pembury, and attended Middlesex University, where she studied performing arts.

Career

She was a finalist in the So You Think You're Funny? competition at the Gilded Balloon in 2003 and performed two shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the following year.[1] [2] In 2004, she was placed at the Funny Women Awards.[3] From 2006 to 2011 she played the role of Magda, an Eastern European housekeeper, in the BBC sitcom Lead Balloon. Her deadpan performance has been described as "scene-stealing".[4] In 2013 she and regular comedy partner Katy Wix began starring in their own sketch show, Anna and Katy, on Channel 4, having originated the show as a Comedy Lab episode the previous year.

She stars in the BBC children's comedy series Sorry, I've Got No Head, alongside William Andrews, James Bachman, Marcus Brigstocke, Mel Giedroyc, Marek Larwood and Nick Mohammed. In December 2008 Crilly was nominated for a British Comedy Award as Best Female Newcomer for her portrayal of Magda in Lead Balloon, but lost out to Katy Brand. In 2007 she appeared in episode 78, "Susan of Troy", of My Family as an assistant on The Weakest Link. She also appeared as "woman" in Ricky Gervais' comedy Extras as an extra herself (series 2, episode 5).[citation needed] She has also starred in Pixelface, a comedy for children, as a waitress zombie slayer called Claire Parker.

In 2011, she appeared in an episode of the sitcom Not Going Out, playing the role of a drug misuse counsellor.[5] The same year she had a guest role on the radio series Cabin Pressure as Linda Fairburn.

Crilly plays the lead role as Coma Girl in Channel 4's Comedy Showcase, again alongside Katy Wix. She and Wix also appeared together in the Harvey's Furniture Store sponsorship bumpers for Coronation Street until the sponsorship deal ended in 2012.

She plays Mel Gatwick in Tom Basden's sitcom Party for BBC Radio 4.[6]

On 22 June 2012, she played Gertrude Wermers in the third episode of BBC series Dead Boss.

In 2016, she appeared in an episode of BBC Three's comedy series Witless.[7]

In 2017, she appeared in Death in Paradise episode "Man Overboard".

Crilly portrayed Detective Sergeant Natalie Golding in the 2023 BBC One drama The Sixth Commandment, which portrayed the crimes of Ben Field.[8]

In October 2023 Crilly appeared in Ghosts (2019 British TV series) as an insurance investigator.

Filmography

TV

Year Title Character Production Notes
2006-2011 Lead Balloon Magda BBC Two TV series
2008-2011 Sorry, I've Got No Head Various CBBC TV series
2011-2012 Pixelface Claireparker CBBC TV series
2013 Anna & Katy Herself Channel 4 TV series
2023 Ghosts (2019 British TV series) Joy BBC One TV series

Personal life

Crilly is married to British comedian William Andrews. Crilly's brother is journalist and author Robert Crilly.

References

  1. ^ "Anna Crilly". Comedy CV. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  2. ^ "Edinburgh 2004: Anna Crilly". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  3. ^ Guide, British Comedy (18 April 2016). "Funny Women Awards". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  4. ^ Johns, Ian (2 November 2006). "Programme times they are a-changin'". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  5. ^ "Not Going Out Series 4, episode 1 - Drugs". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Party". BBC. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  7. ^ "Witless, episode 4". BBC. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  8. ^ "The Sixth Commandment cast: Who stars in the BBC drama?". Radio Times. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.