Jemima Rooper - Biography

Jemima Rooper is an actress best known for roles in and . But when the London born-star first expressed a desire to act, aged eight, her mum was less than impressed. "She was devastated," remembers the actress. "She said, 'Please don't be an actress. Be a doctor or lawyer'."

All you need to know about The Famous Five star Jemima Rooper

    Who is Jemima Rooper?

    Jemima Rooper is an actress best known for roles in and . But when the London born-star first expressed a desire to act, aged eight, her mum was less than impressed. "She was devastated," remembers the actress. "She said, 'Please don't be an actress. Be a doctor or lawyer'." 

    Undeterred, the youngster followed her dream and, since scoring her first professional job aged 12 in indie flick , has worked steadily. Jemima's big break came when she was picked to portray strong-willed tomboy George in the 1996 TV adaptation of Enid Blyton classic . A variety of small screen roles followed, including a key part in US supernatural thriller , the Channel 4 drama and crime drama , as well as scoring a starring role in as Medusa. The actress has also made inroads on the big screen, starring alongside Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johansson in 2006's .

    Jemima Rooper's Upbringing

    Jemima was born on 24 October 1981 in Hammersmith, London. Her mother, Alison Rooper, is a broadcast journalist. Having both brains and beauty, Jemima aced her GCSEs, achieving 8 of them at A* and A, most impressively while taking terms off to film for . She also achieved three A Levels at an A grade. 

    She is an only child but is close with her family, and two of her cousins are promising film directors, one of them being the Serbian director Stevan Filipovic. Her breakthrough role was playing George in all episodes of , and resulted in Jemima being able to buy her first home at the age of 19. 

    Jemima Hooper's Career

    After her breakthrough success, her name and talent started to become more visible. The Sylvia Young-trained actress appeared on screens again as Nicki Sutton in popular hit Channel 4 series , which ran for three years. This put Jemima further cemented Jemima on the map and radars of casting agents and producers. 

    This led to her being cast in , playing the role of Thelma Bates, a lesbian ghost who audiences have took a liking to and learned to love. Not long after, she was sent to the land of dreams to film for , alongside Scarlett Johansson, Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank.

    More recently, however, Jemima has performed a range of characters, notable inclusions being her role in (as the serpent-headed Gorgon Medusa) from 2013-2015 for 13 episodes, and in TV shows  and .

    She also has 14 stage credits, transferring her talents from screen to stage effortlessly. Most notably she has appeared in (2008), (2014) and (2015), performing at the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Royal Court, Gielgud Theatre and also in a theatre in LA. 

    Jemima Rooper's Private Life

    Jemima's current partner is writer Ben Ockrant, who has produced work for , and . The thespian couple are happy together, however keep their private lives closely guarded.

    More Profiles

    ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qbHLpaammZeWx6q6xGeaqKVfpb%2BwssilnKxnYmV9en2PaW9xcGNkt6a5yKaYZqqfpL2mvo4%3D

     Share!