Faye Elaine Marsay (born 30 December 1986) is a British actress. Her notable roles include Anne Neville in The White Queen (2013), the recurring character Candice in Fresh Meat (2013), Steph in the film Pride (2014), Amy in Need for Speed (2015), The Waif in the fifth and sixth seasons of Game of Thrones (2015–2016), Blue Colson in the Black Mirror episode "Hated in the Nation" (2016), and Vel Sartha in Andor (2022).

Faye Marsay
Marsay at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Faye Elaine Marsay

(1986-12-30) 30 December 1986 (age 37)
Alma materBristol Old Vic Theatre School
OccupationActress
Years active2008–present

Early life

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Marsay was born in Middlesbrough. She moved to Loftus, North Yorkshire, where she attended the Laurence Jackson School in Guisborough. Marsay went on to Prior Pursglove College, before joining the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where she played the roles of Sissy Jupe in Hard Times, First Wyrd Sister and Fleance in Macbeth, Runt in Disco Pigs, and Shen Te in The Good Soul of Szechuan. It was during her time at the Old Vic school that she won the Spotlight Prize of 2012. As soon as she graduated, she landed a main role in The White Queen.[1]

Career

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In 2013, Marsay landed her first professional role, playing Anne Neville in The White Queen.[2] Next, Marsay played new "fresher" Candice Pelling in the TV series Fresh Meat.[3]

In 2014, Marsay played the role of Lizzie Lancaster in series two of The Bletchley Circle.[1] In September, she had two projects debut, the first being BAFTA nominated film Pride, in which she played the character of Steph.[4] The second was the TV miniseries murder mystery Glue.[5] Marsay played the character Janine Riley. Marsay also appeared in the 2014 Doctor Who Christmas special "Last Christmas" as Shona McCullough. The character of Shona was intended by showrunner Steven Moffat to become a new, permanent companion, replacing Jenna Coleman who had decided to leave the production. Coleman changed her mind during filming and an additional final scene was added at the last minute, reversing her exit, and leaving Shona to her current life.

2015 began with Marsay appearing in the fifth season of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones as the Waif.[6][7] In June, Marsay was cast as new character Katie Springer in the TV series My Mad Fat Diary for the final season. At the beginning of October, Marsay was named one of Screen International's 2015 Stars of Tomorrow.[8]

In October 2015, a radio drama debuted on BBC Radio 4 called The Price of Oil.[9] The episode "No Two Days" starred Marsay as Izzie. In November, Marsay appeared as Amy in the video game Need for Speed, donning an American accent. Next, the short film NippleJesus, based on the short story by Nick Hornby, debuted at the Austin Film Festival and premiered in London, though it has not yet been made available to mass audiences. Marsay plays Siobhan.

2016 brought Marsay the role of Christine in the sixth season of ITV's Vera. She then continued her role as the Waif in Game of Thrones later that month. In May and June 2016, Marsay played the leading role of Nina Stibbe in the BBC's Love, Nina.[10][11] Later that year, she appeared in "Hated in the Nation", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror as Blue Colson alongside Kelly Macdonald.[12]

In 2017 Marsay costarred in Daisy Aitkens' debut feature You, Me and Him with Lucy Punch and David Tennant, and appeared in the film Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman. She also appeared in a revival of Jim Cartwright's play Road at the Royal Court Theatre[13] In December 2017, Marsay starred in ITV drama Bancroft alongside Sarah Parish. In 2017, she also appeared in Channel 4 drama Shamed.

In 2018, Marsay appeared in the BBC/AMC's McMafia,[14] with James Norton. In November, Marsay appeared in A Private War alongside Rosamund Pike, Stanley Tucci and Jamie Dornan.

In 2019, Marsay played the role of DC Joanne Aspinall in the ITV six-part drama Deep Water, starring Anna Friel, Rosalind Eleazar, and Sinead Keenan.[15] In 2020 she narrated two episodes of the E4 series The Sex Clinic.

In 2022, she premiered in the new Star Wars television series Andor, a prequel to the movie Rogue One, as Vel Sartha. Later, she portrayed Hilda Reid in Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre's adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover, starring Emma Corrin and Jack O'Connell.

2023 saw Marsay star next to Warren Brown and Michelle Keegan as Annie Roberts in Ten Pound Poms about a group of British citizens who leave their home for Australia in search of a better life. The series won Best TV Series and Best Actor for Warren Brown at the 2023 Monte Carlo TV Festival.

Personal life

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Marsay is a football fan, watching Premier League matches and also supporting Middlesbrough Football Club. [16]

Filmography

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Key
Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 Is That It? Sue
2014 Pride Steph Chambers
2015 NippleJesus Siobhán Short film
2017 Darkest Hour Sybil
2017 You, Me and Him Alex
2018 A Private War Kate Richardson
2019 Seconds Out Stella Short film
2022 Lady Chatterley's Lover Hilda

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 The White Queen Anne Neville 10 episodes
Fresh Meat Candice Pelling 8 episodes
2014 The Bletchley Circle Lizzie Lancaster 4 episodes
Glue Janine Riley 7 episodes
Doctor Who Shona McCullough Episode: "Last Christmas"
2015 My Mad Fat Diary Katie Springer 3 episodes
2015–2016 Game of Thrones The Waif 11 episodes
2016 Vera Christine Episode: "Dark Road"
Love, Nina Nina Miniseries: 5 episodes
Black Mirror Blue Colson Episode: "Hated in the Nation"
2017 Bancroft Katherine Stevens 4 episodes
Shamed Sarah Ivy TV movie[17]
2018 McMafia Katya Godman Miniseries[18]
2019–2020 The Sex Clinic Narrator (2 series) 11 episodes
2019 Deep Water Joanne Aspinall Miniseries: 6 episodes
2020 Avocado Toast The One 7 episodes
2022 Andor Vel Sartha 8 episodes Series regular[19]
2023 Ten Pound Poms Annie Roberts 6 episodes
TBA Adolescence DS Misha Frank Post-production

Stage

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Year Title Role Company
2008 Hansel and Gretel Woodfolk Northern Stage
2009 Peter Pan Tinker Bell/Tiger Lily Northern Stage
2009 Five Kinds of Silence Susan Live Across Newcastle
2010 The Journey (UK Regional Tour) Owen Taproot Theatre Company
2011 The Cherry Orchard Dunyasha BOVTS
2011 Canopy of Stars Cheryl BOVTS
2011 All's Well That Ends Well Diana BOVTS
2011 Hard Times Sissy Jupe BOVTS
2012 Macbeth First Wyrd Sister/Fleance BOVTS
2012 Disco Pigs Runt BOVTS
2012 The Good Soul of Szechuan Shen Te BOVTS
2017 Road Louise/Clare Royal Court
2019 Europe Adele Donmar Warehouse

Radio

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Year Title Role Notes Station
2015 The Price of Oil Izzie Episode: "No Two Days" BBC Radio 4 Drama
2019 Hello Stranger Beth Short Story BBC Radio 4 Short Works
2021 Tess of the D'Urbervilles Tess 3 Episodes BBC Radio 4 Drama
2022 In Diamond Square Julieta Audio Drama BBC Radio 4 Drama

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2015 Need for Speed Amy Voice and live-action cutscenes

Awards and nominations

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Year Organization Award Result
2012 Spotlight Spotlight Prize Won
2015 Screen International Stars of Tomorrow Achievement
2016 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (For Game of Thrones) Nominated
2018 Lady Filmmakers Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Feature (You, Me and Him) Won

References

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  1. ^ a b "Curtis Brown". Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  2. ^ "In Profile: Faye Marsay – Wonderland Magazine". wonderlandmagazine.com. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Fresh Meat season 3: Faye Marsay introduces new fresher Candice". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Pride: Exclusive Interview With Faye Marsay And Ben Schnetzer". www.msn.com. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  5. ^ "Faye Marsay interview: Glue, Pride and Doctor Who". denofgeek.com. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  6. ^ "'Game of Thrones': Faye Marsay Faces the Waif's Fate". hollywoodreporter.com. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Game of Thrones Season 6 Production Update". International Business Times. 10 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Faye Marsay, Stars of Tomorrow".
  9. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Drama, The Price of Oil, No Two Days".
  10. ^ "Why actress Faye Marsay is stealthily rising to the top". independent.co.uk. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Interview: Game of Thrones' Faye Marsay on her new BBC drama, Love, Nina". www.scotsman.com. 28 May 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  12. ^ "Joe Wright To Direct 'Black Mirror' Episode For Netflix; Bryce Dallas Howard & Alice Eve To Star". Deadline. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  13. ^ "Royal Court Theatre announces cast for Jim Cartwright's play Road". British Theatre. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Jame's Norton's joined by Game of Thrones' star". Digital Spy. 15 November 2016.
  15. ^ "Meet the cast of Deep Water". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  16. ^ ANDERTON, ETHAN (2 November 2022). "Andor's Faye Marsay Talks Preparing To Play Vel Sartha, The Real Rebellions That Inspired Her & More [Exclusive Interview]". /Film. Static Media. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Shamed (2017)". IMDb. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Further casting announced for epic new BBC One drama McMafia". BBC. 15 November 2016.
  19. ^ Saavedra, John (21 September 2022). "Andor Cast: Meet the New Star Wars Characters". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
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