Jenna Coleman's new series The Jetty has recently landed on the BBC and fans all over the world are chatting about the show. If you've been watching it, you may be wondering what you've seen the actress in before, so here's everything you need to know about the television star.
How old is Jenna Coleman?
Born on the 27th April 1986, Jenna Coleman is currently 38 years old.
Where is Jenna Coleman from?
She was born and raised by her parents Karen and Keith Coleman in the seaside town of Blackpool, along with her older brother Ben. Her father is a joiner and fitter of bar and restaurant interiors and her brother also works as a joiner.
Did Jenna Coleman change her name?
Her full name is Jenna-Louise Coleman and when she first started acting, she used this name, however, she soon lost the Louise and stuck with Jenna. In an interview with The Independent, she said, "The boring truth is that people have never really called me Jenna-Louise and I just found it very strange because I started to do more interviews and go places where people I didn't know kept calling me Jenna-Louise. It sounded odd to me.".
How tall is Jenna Coleman?
Actress Jenna Coleman is 1.57 m tall, or in other words, 5'1".
Is Jenna Coleman related to Olivia Colman?
Nope, Jenna Coleman is not related to fellow actress Olivia Colman! Although their surnames are pronounced the same, they are both spelt differently.
Jenna Coleman: movies and TV shows
Having been in the industry for 20 years, Jenna Coleman has worked on many films and television shows, including a popular soap and a long-running sci-fi programme...
Emmerdale (2005-2009)
Jenna Coleman joined Emmerdale in 2005, when she was just 19 years old - playing the part of Jasmine Thomas. She originally wanted to learn the craft at drama school, but when the opportunity to join the show came up, she took it.
Talking to Sunday Times, Jenna said: "It was a big decision but I put drama school on the back burner to join the show. I might go back at some point but for now I just thank my lucky stars I've started off in this industry with such a fantastic break."
Waterloo Road (2009)
Following her stint in Emmerdale, Jenna Coleman joined Waterloo Road in 2009, playing a seemingly over-protective sister, Lindsay James (a pupil from the private school that the school merged with). Lindsay was found guilty with the murder of her abusive father, before being released from prison.
Doctor Who (2012-2017)
One of Jenna Coleman's biggest roles was in Doctor Who, where she played companion Clara Oswald to both the Eleventh (Matt Smith) and Twelfth (Peter Capaldi) Doctor.
Me Before You (2016)
Based on the book Me Before You by romance author Jojo Moyes, this film follows the story of an upbeat woman who is hired to take care of a cynical man that has been paralysed for the past two years following a motorcycle accident.
Jenna played Katrina Clark, the main character, Louisa Clark's sister, which seems to be great casting as Jenna Coleman and Emilia Clarke do look similar!
Victoria (2016-2019)
Jenna Coleman was in Victoria, playing the lead role of influential monarch Queen Victoria from when she was first crowned, aged 18. Written by novelist Daisy Goodwin, the historical drama ran for three seasons.
Fans were gutted that the show came to an end, but in July 2021, ITV said; “There are no plans presently to film Victoria, but that's not to say we won't revisit the series with the production team at a later date.”
The Cry (2018)
In 2018, Jenna Coleman played a grieving mother in the BBC drama The Cry alongside Ewen Leslie. The plot centred around an engaged couple whose four-month-old baby had gone missing following a long-haul flight from England to Australia.
The Serpent (2021)
Based on the story of serial killer Charles Sobhraj (nicknamed “The Serpent” and “The Bikini Killer”), the television show saw Jenna Coleman play Marie-Andrée Leclerc, a girlfriend who helped her partner murder tourists and take their passports, so they could travel the world and sell stolen goods to make money.
Wilderness (2023)
In Wilderness, Jenna Coleman plays a newlywed who goes to extreme lengths when her husband (Oliver Jackson) has an affair. The thriller series has been adapted from the book of the same name by B. E. Jones and is available to watch with an Amazon Prime subscription.
Jenna Coleman's accent in Wilderness is Welsh. In an interview with BBC Wales, the author of the book said about the series: “I’m over the moon that Jenna’s character in the series remains Welsh – just how I wrote her, as is Clare Rushbrook, who plays her mam. Both their accents on the show are really great, which is always a big stumbling block.
“When a non-Welsh person plays someone from Wales getting the voice right can be really difficult, and a dodgy Welsh accent can really hamstring an entire production.
“For me, it’s impossible to ignore. In fact, I told Firebird Films that if they decided to cast someone who couldn’t pull it off I’d rather the onscreen character of Olivia wasn’t Welsh at all. So I’m really pleased with what they’ve done.”
The Jetty (2024)
Her latest project, new drama: The Jetty, promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, with a plot that weaves together three seemingly unrelated events: an arson, a missing persons cold case and an illicit love triangle between a man and two under-age girls.
Jenna plays rookie detective Ember Manning, who has a teenage daughter (played by Bridgerton's Ruby Stokes), but they have more of a friendship than a stereotypical mother-daughter relationship due to her having her at such a young age.
According to the BBC One's first episode synopsis: "Recently widowed DC Ember Manning suspects there’s a predator targeting underage girls. She finds herself reflecting on the age difference between herself and her late husband."
Is Jenna Coleman married?
Jenna Coleman has been with Jamie Childs (British director and filmmaker) since 2020 when they worked together on The Sandman, an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comic book.
Whilst Jenna Coleman was in Victoria, she met and dated her co-star Tom Hughes - who happened to play her on-screen husband Prince Albert - reportedly for four years.
From 2011 until 2015, Jenna Coleman dated Richard Madden, a Scottish actor who is best known for Bodyguard, Cinderella, Game of Thrones and Rocketman. The pair remain friends, with Jenna sharing a sweet snap from of them both on a trip to Spain.
Jenna Coleman pregnant
In June 2024, Jenna Coleman announced her pregnancy in a series of sweet press photos from an event she attended at Chatsworth House.
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV and film. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking and spending time with her pet dogs, tortoise and chickens.