Gemma Whelan

Gemma Whelan impresses me because of her range. She began as a stand-up comedian, sharpening her timing on stage, then brought a steely gravity to Yara Greyjoy on Game of Thrones that surprised anyone expecting only laughs. That ability to swing between comedy and drama is rare and hard-won. You see it again in Killing Eve and across her television work, where she always seems grounded and precise. Winning Funny Women in 2010 marked the foundation, and I suspect her comedic roots are exactly why her dramatic performances land with such control. Actors who come up through comedy simply understand rhythm better.

Name (English)

Gemma Whelan

Name (Japanese)

ジェンマ・ウィーラン

Reading

じぇんま・うぃーらん

Born

April 23, 1981 (age 45)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Taurus / Rooster

Origin

Leeds, United Kingdom

Height

168 cm

Occupation

comedian / stand-up comedian / actor

High school

The King's High School for Girls

Awards & achievements

• 2010 Funny Women

• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/gemwhelan/
• Xhttps://x.com/whelangemma
• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemma%20Whelan
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1501158

Tags

• comedian
• stand-up comedian
• actor

Last updated

2026-06-17

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.