Gillian Kearney
| Gillian Kearney | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Gillian Louise Kearney 9 May 1972 Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Television |
Brookside/Damon and Debbie (Brookside: 1986−89, D&D: 1987) Shameless (2005–07) Casualty (2008−10) Emmerdale (2015−) |
Gillian Louise Kearney (born 9 May 1972, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English actress best known for playing Jessica Harrison in the long-running BBC television medical drama series Casualty, her early role as Debbie McGrath in Channel 4's Liverpool-based soap opera Brookside and the spin-off mini-series Damon and Debbie as well as Emma Barton in the ITV Yorkshire-based soap opera Emmerdale.
One of four children born to Gerard and Barbara (née Allerston) Kearney, Gillian Kearney has three brothers: Matthew, renowned surgeon, Peter, who makes labels, and Tom, a professional footballer. Her father is a retired civil engineer and her mother a school care worker. Growing up in Aigburth, she attended St. John Almond RC High School, Garston, where she gained nine GCSEs and four A-levels. She later trained at the Rose Bruford College.
Her interest in acting began at secondary school. After repeatedly being overlooked for the lead roles in school productions, she decided to join the Liverpool Playhouse Youth Theatre, where she featured in plays including All Flesh is Grass (as Ema),Katie Crackernuts and Yer Dancin'? It was there, in 1986, that she was spotted by members of the production team at Mersey Television, an event that resulted in her being asked to audition for a role in Channel 4's Liverpool-set drama series Brookside. Kearney landed the role of Debbie McGrath, the girlfriend of Damon Grant (played by Simon O'Brien). When O'Brien decided to leave The Close, he requested that his character be killed off so he wouldn't be tempted to return to the show. Because Damon was so popular, particularly with younger viewers, it was decided to create a "soap bubble" in which the character would meet his demise — Damon and Debbie became Britain's first mini-series spin-off from a soap opera. A year after filming her final scenes, Kearney was asked to return for a few episodes. Christmas 1988 saw Debbie McGrath make an unexpected return to visit Sheila Grant, Damon's mother; she arrived with her baby, Simon – Damon's son.
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