Heather Craney (born 1971) is an English actress, known for portraying Joyce Drake in Vera Drake, Alison Weaver in Life of Riley and Emily Holroyd in Torchwood.
Background Craney was born in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire.
Her family lived in Darlington for two years during the 1980s, where Craney attended Hummersknott School. She attended Stapleford Community Primary School, Sawston Village College and Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridgeshire, and went on to study English and drama at Liverpool Hope University, graduating in 1992.Profile – Heather Craney Mandy Actors; retrieved 12 August 2009. She trained in Acting and Musical Theatre at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1995.
Career Craney has appeared in the Mike Leigh films Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002) and Vera Drake (2004), for which she was nominated for the 2005 BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Her other film credits include Drinking Crude (1997), Loop (1997) and Dangerous Parking (2007).
On television, Craney played Alison Weaver in the sitcom Life of Riley, and Cheryl Matthews in EastEnders. She also played Emily Holroyd in the Torchwood episode "Fragments". She has also appeared in Silent Witness, The Bill, Holby City and the television films The Mark of Cain and Ahead of the Class. In May 2022, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Sian Corcoran.
Craney's theatre credits include Death of an Elephant, Dangerous Corner, Sugar Mummies, Stoning Mary and Passion Play, at the Donmar Warehouse.
Filmography + List of television performances Year Title Role Notes 1998 Silent Witness DI's Receptionist 2 episodes: Divided Loyalties: Parts One and Two 2002 The Bill Kirsty 1 episode: Episode 058 2005 Ahead of the Class Nadine Television film 2005 Holby City Melissa Finch 1 episode: Bird on a Wire 2007 The Mark of Cain Brenda Tate Television film 2007 Coming Up Sarah 1 episode: In the Dark 2007 Holby City Amy Bonner 1 episode: Lovers and Madmen 2008 Torchwood Emily Holroyd 1 episode: Fragments 2009–11 Life of Riley Alison Weaver Series regular 2010 Holby City Lucy Weir 3 episodes: Future Shock, Losing Game, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year 2011 EastEnders Cheryl Matthews 6 episodes2012Line of DutyDCI Alice Pryor/Prior 2 episodes 2019, 2022 Doctors Viv Pierce, Sian Corcoran 2 episodes
+ List of film performances Year Title Role Notes 1997 Drinking Crude Julie 1997 Loop Cashier 1999 Topsy-Turvy Miss Russell 2002 All or Nothing Silent Passenger 2004 Vera Drake Joyce Drake Nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role 2004 Dangerous Parking Marlene 2004 Tales of the Fourth Dimension Short film 2024 We Live in Time Buffy Jones
Theatre + List of stage performances Year Production Venue Role Notes 1996 Death of an Elephant Orange Tree Theatre Sandra 1999 Dangerous Corner Watford Palace Theatre Olwen 2000 Passion Play Donmar Warehouse Rebecca / Ruth 2004 Still Life / The Astonished Heart Liverpool Playhouse Dolly Messiter 2005 Stoning Mary Royal Court Theatre Ego 2006 Sugar Mummies Royal Court Theatre Kitty 2007 I Like Mine with a Kiss Bush Theatre Annie 2007 Joe Guy Soho Theatre Monique Christie / Helen Blake 2010 Women, Power and Politics Tricycle Theatre Mags / Kim 2014 Made in Dagenham Adelphi Theatre Clare 2017 Consent Royal National Theatre GayleThe Vote
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