Crystal Clarke (born 1993 or 1994)[1] is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tina Argyll in the BBC and Amazon Prime miniseries Ordeal by Innocence (2018) and Georgiana Lambe in the ITV and PBS adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Sanditon (2019–).[2][3]
Crystal Clarke | |
|---|---|
 Clarke in Ordeal by Innocence 2018 | |
| Born | 1993/1994 New Jersey, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Royal Conservatoire |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2013–present |
Early life
editClarke was born and raised in Essex County, New Jersey, to Caribbean parents; her mother is from Trinidad and her father was from Guyana.[4][5] She has one older brother.[6] Clarke attended Newark Arts High School, graduating in 2011.[7] She also spent part of her childhood in Tennessee.[8] Clarke made the decision to leave the United States to pursue acting because she felt her race and class put her at a disadvantage.[9] Clarke moved to Glasgow to attend the Royal Conservatoire and graduated in 2014.[4]
Career
editClarke made her West End theatre debut as Hester Worsley in Dominic Dromgoole's revival of A Woman of No Importance. She had roles in the Force Awakens, and Last Jedi installments of Star Wars.[5] She, Lupita Nyong'o and Maisie Richardson-Sellers were the first three black actresses to appear in a Star Wars film in the former.[10] She also appeared in the 2019 Black Mirror episode "Smithereens"[11] and the Channel 5 film Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar.[12]*
Clarke played Tina Argyll in the 2018 mini-series adaptation of Agatha Christie's Ordeal by Innocence.[3][13] In 2019, she began starring as Miss Georgiana Lambe in the ITV and Masterpiece adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sanditon. Lambe is the only black character written by Austen.[8] In 2022, she played Magali in The King's Daughter. The same year, she appeared in Sam Mendes' Empire of Light.[12] In 2023, she played Amber (Ruby) Bradfield in Blindspot, a four-part UK series.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Woman in Gold | Cashier | |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Ensign Goode | ||
| 2016 | Assassin's Creed | Samia | |
| 2017 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Resistance Transport Pilot | |
| 2021 | The Electrical Life of Louis Wain | Alicia Simmonds | |
| 2022 | The King's Daughter | Magali | |
| Empire of Light | Ruby |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Ordeal by Innocence | Tina Argyll | Miniseries |
| 2019 | Black Mirror | Tipi | Episode: "Smithereens" |
| Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar | Pearl Theroux | Television film | |
| 2019–present | Sanditon | Miss Georgiana Lambe | Main role |
| 2020 | Roadkill | Nadia Baker | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Blindspot | Amber Bradfield | Main role |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Star Ocean: Anamnesis | Sophia | English version |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Gamblers | Krugel | Tour |
| 2017 | A Woman of No Importance | Hester Worsley | Vaudeville Theatre, London |
References
edit- ^ Elber, Lynn (2020-02-08). "Actor Crystal Clarke found hope in Jane Austen adaptation, 'Sanditon'". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- ^ "ITV and Red Planet Pictures announce cast as filming commences on Jane Austen's Sanditon". Press Centre. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
- ^ a b Humphreys, Georgia (31 March 2018). "TV Quickfire: Star Wars actress Crystal Clarke on her Agatha Christie TV role". The Irish News. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
- ^ a b "Agatha Christie star Crystal Clarke on her favourite Glasgow haunts". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
- ^ a b "Rising Star Crystal Clarke on Appearing in the West End's A Woman of No Importance & Two Star Wars Movies". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
- ^ "Agatha Christie star Crystal Clarke on her favourite Glasgow haunts". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- ^ Home Page, Newark Arts High School. Accessed June 20, 2022. "Crystal Clarke: AHS 2011 in Sanditon"
- ^ a b "Sanditon Cast Interview: Crystal Clarke | Masterpiece | PBS". Masterpiece. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- ^ Croce, Maria (2017-11-28). "Last Jedi star Crystal Clarke on swapping Glasgow for the silver screen". dailyrecord. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
- ^ "Crystal Clarke Cast in New Star Wars Movie". Black Enterprise. 2014-07-09. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- ^ Lawler, Kelly. "How PBS adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel 'Sanditon' introduces the author's first black character". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- ^ a b "Crystal Clarke Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "BBC - Interview with Crystal Clarke - Media Centre". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-03-29.