Summary
Gabriella Leon (born 29 March 1996) is an English actress, known for her role as Jade Lovall in the BBC medical drama series Casualty. Leon is deaf and portrayed the first regular deaf character on Casualty. For her portrayal of Jade, she was nominated for a TRIC Award for Soap Actor of the Year.
Gabriella Leon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 March 1996 Warrington, Cheshire, England |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Television | Casualty |
Early life edit
Leon was born on 29 March 1996.[1] She was born "moderately deaf", and has learnt British Sign Language.[2] She attended Cardinal Newman High School and Priestley College, later training as an actress at East 15 Acting School.[3] After graduating in 2016 with a BA (Hons) from East 15,[4] Leon began working with theatre company We Are Kilter.[3]
Career edit
Leon made her professional debut as Julia in a show at the 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.[5] In 2015, she made her screen debut as Maria Alpert in the drama film Connections: The Marcello Story.[6] She then continued to make stage appearances in productions such as Little Revolution (2015), Tesla (2016), The Lesson (2017) and Close (2018). Her performance in The Others (2018), which she devised, was praised by critics, with Jeremy Mortimer of BBC Radio describing it as "brilliant and inventive".[7]
In May 2018, Leon auditioned for the role of Jade Lovall in the BBC medical drama series Casualty; she was informed in July of that year that she had got the role, and began filming later that month.[3] Her casting was announced on 4 October 2018,[8] and she made her debut appearance on 3 November 2018.[9] She described her character as a "bolshie, chaotic loveable rogue, with a lot of her own flaws. She's a little work-shy and plays by her own rules. She wants to get things right when wanting to impress her mentors but is clumsy. She's cheeky, a real party girl and great fun to be around – if you're on the right side of her! I think she's funny though and also very relatable."[10] Leon portrays the first regular deaf character on Casualty, and in an interview with Inside Soap, she said: "It is so lovely to play someone like me. I'm able to add such depth and understanding to Jade, having experienced most of what she has experienced regarding her disability. I feel proud to be the first disabled regular in the show's history."[11] In 2021, Leon received a nomination for Soap Actor of the Year for her portrayal of Jade.[12] In September 2021, Leon departed from the cast of Casualty.[13] Then in February 2022, she portrayed the role of Pollie Grisham in an episode of the BBC series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.[14] Later that year, Leon starred in the film Maryland, as well as portraying Audrey in a production of As You Like It at the @sohoplace theatre.[15]
Stage edit
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games opening ceremony | Julia | Glasgow Athletes Village |
| 2015 | Myth | Sarah | RSC Commissioned |
| 2016 | Little Revolution | Bling Girl | East 15 Acting School |
| 2016 | Tesla | JP Morgan | The Alchemist |
| 2016 | A Winter's Tale | Young Shepherd | Propellor |
| 2017 | Can Can | Ines | Told by an Idiot |
| 2017 | Mondegreen | Rudy | Ryft Styx |
| 2017 | The Unko Yuutsu Women's Cabaret | Love Poet | The Crazy Coqs |
| 2017 | The Lesson | The Pupil | Corbett Theatre |
| 2017 | Mindshare Huddle | Jezebell | Sky Media |
| 2018 | Signal House | Maddie | The Landor Space |
| 2018 | The Others | Josephine | Camden People's Theatre |
| 2022 | The Red Tree | Performer | Red Earth Theatre |
| 2022 | As You Like It | Audrey | @sohoplace |
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Connections: The Marcello Story | Maria Alpert | Film |
| 2018–2021 | Casualty | Jade Lovall | Series regular |
| 2022 | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators | Pollie Grisham | Episode: "Some Cupid Kills" |
| 2022 | Maryland | Fury | Film |
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | TRIC Awards | Soap Actor of the Year | Casualty | Nominated | [12] |
References edit
- ^ Leon, Rachelle [@tenaciousleon] (29 March 2018). "@GabriellaLeon_ hope you are having the best time in the balls!!! Happy 22nd Birthday angel" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Parfitt, Ellie. "All you need to know about 2018 #DeafTalent". Hearing Like Me. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Morgan, David (2 November 2018). "BBC's Casualty to feature former Cardinal Newman student in her first starring role". Warrington Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ "2020 Prospectus – East 15 Acting School" (PDF). East 15 Acting School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ "Gabriella Leon". Mandy.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Gabriella Leon". Holby.tv. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Award-Winning Theatre Company Bring Unconventional New Clown Show THE OTHERS To Sprint 2018". BroadwayWorld. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Casualty casts 'phenomenal new talent' to play student nurse". Female First. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ Haasler, Sue (3 November 2018). "Casualty spoilers: New star Gabriella Leon reveals all on her 'whirlwind' character Jade". Metro. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ Dainty, Sophie (3 November 2018). "Casualty star Gabriella Leon reveals all the gossip on new nurse Jade Lovell". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ Ellis, Sarah (19 May 2020). ""It's so lovely to play someone who's like me!" says Casualty's Gabriella Leon". Inside Soap. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ a b "ERT Poll - TRIC - TRIC Awards". TRIC. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ Dainty, Sophie (13 September 2021). "Casualty confirms exit for Jade Lovall as Gabriella Leon bows out". Digital Spy. (Hearst Magazines UK). Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (22 February 2022). "Shakespeare & Hathaway role for Casualty actress as new death is investigated". Digital Spy. (Hearst Communications). Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Dowden, Neil (19 December 2022). ""As You Like It" – @sohoplace, London". Plays International. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
External links edit
- Gabriella Leon at IMDb