Gayle Rankin began her career on outstanding records. The first Scottish actress to land a spot at The Juilliard School in New York City, Rankin also made her acting debut on a popular television series. In just over a decade, she has joined the league of accomplished stars in Hollywood with notable roles across films and television shows. She has also performed in stage productions across different theaters in the States.
In her first year as a professional actress, Gayle Rankin debuted across the stage, film, and television TV shows. She appeared in one episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and made her film debut in Warfield. Rankin also performed in the Barrow Street Theatre’s premiere of Tribes in 2012. She is expected to join the cast of the HBO hit series House of the Dragon for its second season. From her humble beginnings as an actress to the already bright future in the industry, here are facts to learn about the Scottish entertainer.
Early Life and Education
Of Scottish origin, Gayle Rankin was born on August 1, 1989, in Paisley, Scotland, in the United Kingdom. She grew up near Glasgow, precisely in Eaglesham and Kilmaurs, alongside an older sister. So far, Rankin is the only member of her family in the spotlight. Her parents and sister have remained private, away from media attention.
Rankin’s interest in the entertainment industry was piqued at an early age. As such, an acting career was right up her alley and the schools she attended reflected this right from the beginning. From Mearns Castle High School, Rankin completed the sixth form at Knightswood Secondary School’s Dance School of Scotland. To further hone her skills in the performing arts, Rankin joined the Juilliard School in New York City. She was 17 when she won a scholarship to study at Juilliard where she set a record as the first Scot to be trained at the prestigious institution. Rankin also received an international fellowship to study in Sydney, Australia.
Gayle Rankin Launched Her Professional Acting Career in 2012
While Gayle Rankin is a Scottish actress, she has mostly appeared in American film and television projects. Her first television appearances were made on two American shows. First, she appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Holly Schneider in one episode of the American crime series and joined the cast of My America as Gayle. Rankin appeared as Molly Elbridge in the television pilot for The Missionary in 2013. She landed her best-known role so far as Sheila the She-Wolf in the TV series Glow, appearing across 27 episodes from 2017 to 2019. Rankin was Emily Dodson on the American period drama Perry Mason and will appear as Alys Rivers in House of the Dragon season 2.
Gayle Rankin has an extensive collection of film roles. She began her film career with roles in lesser-known projects like Warfield (2012), Frank the Bastard (2013), It Goes Quiet (2013), Buzzer (2015), and The Passing Season (2016). The year 2017 was a good one for Rankin who appeared in The Meyerowitz Stories as Pam and The Greatest Showman as Queen Victoria. The latter saw her share the screen with Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams. Rankin experienced the most prolific time of her career in 2018 with four roles in Irreplaceable You as Mira, In a Relationship as Rachel Flegelman, Her Smell as Ali, and Health to the King as Mary Anne.
In 2019, Gayle Rankin appeared in Blow the Man Down as Alexis and played the role of Marissa in The Climb that same year. Other notable film roles credited to the Scottish star include Worth (2020) as Maya, Men (2022) as Riley, and Bad Things (2023) as Ruthie. More projects are expected from Rankin who is still active in her acting career.
Beyond The Screen, Gayle Rankin Is An Accomplished Stage Actress
Gayle Rankin debuted on the stage in 2012, performing at Barrow Street Theatre’s Tribes as Ruth. She made her Broadway debut in 2014 as Fräulein Kost in Cabaret at Studio 54. In 2015, she performed at Lincoln Center Theater as Charlotte in The Mystery of Love and Sex. Other stage performances in her credit include The Taming of the Shrew as Bianca, and Hamlet as Ophelia/Second Gravedigger in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Rankin’s stage career is far from over as she has more performances in the works. She is set to play Sally Bowles in a 2024 rendition of Cabaret.
Follow Us
