| Lauren Crace | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lauren Rose Crace 25 May 1986 Birmingham, West Midlands, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Lauren Rose Crace (born 25 May 1986) is an English actress known for playing Danielle Jones in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.
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The daughter of contemporary English writer Jim Crace, Lauren Rose Crace[1] was born in Birmingham, West Midlands. She has an older brother called Thomas Crace (born 1981).
Crace attended Swanshurst School in Billesley, and then Cadbury Sixth Form College, where she took both a GCSE and an A-Level in Drama.
She joined the Stage 2 Youth theatre aged eleven.[2] and later went on to train at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Crace began her acting career as an extra, having parts in TV shows and theatre productions including leading roles in Alice in Wonderland (directed by Ruth Harrell) and Sweeney Todd (directed by Tom Bailey).
In 2008, she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders playing Danielle Jones, a love interest for newcomer Callum Monks.
She first appeared onscreen in August. Crace said of joining the soap: "I'm thrilled to be joining the cast of EastEnders, it's a great first role and I can't wait to see what is in store for Danielle."[3]
Executive Producer Diederick Santer added: "Lauren is a real find - a lovely, talented, and hugely watchable actress. I'm delighted she's making her professional debut with us, at the start of what I'm sure will be a glittering and accomplished career."[3]
Shortly after joining the soap, her character Danielle was revealed to be Ronnie Mitchell's long-lost daughter, unbeknownst to Ronnie herself.
She made her last appearance as Danielle in an hour-long episode broadcast on 2 April 2009, in which her character died after being hit by Janine Butcher's speeding car.[4]
Prior to the episode's broadcast, Crace told GMTV that she wanted to return to her roots of theatre and move away from the character of Danielle. The viewing figures for her last episode peaked at 11.5 million, due to this there was a surge in the national power grid.[5]
Fans of the show and the character signed an online petition which so far totals over 15,000 that labeled the character's death a "huge mistake". There is also a Facebook group "Bring Back Danielle from EastEnders", which has attracted over 67,000 fans so far. But according to The Daily Mirror, soap bosses have ruled this out.[6]
Crace won the award for best newcomer for her role in Eastenders at the TV Quick and TV Choice awards on 7 September.[7]
In February 2010, Crace filmed a role in the BBC television series Sherlock, which broadcast later that year.[8]
From 29 April to 22 May 2010, Crace appeared at the Salisbury Playhouse as Cecile Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses.[9]
Resident in London, Crace attended Eastenders co-star Samantha Janus' wedding to actor Mark Womack, on the 17 May 2009.[10]
| Year | TV Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | EastEnders | Danielle Jones | 76 episodes |
| 2010 | Sherlock | Lucy | 1 episode; "The Great Game" |
| 2011 | Room at the Top | Joan | TV series |
| Silk | Minor role | Episode 5 | |
| Holby City | Rose Stanley | 2 episodes; "A Greater Good" |
| Year | Stage | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Cecile Volanges | Salisbury Playhouse |
| 2011 | And I And Silence | Young Dee | Finborough Theatre |