Known for her intense performance on the stage and screen, Kate Dickie is a Scottish actress with a wealth of experience in different facets of the entertainment industry. In the budding stage of her career, Dickie performed in various theater productions, earning a nomination for best performance in a play for her role in the National Theatre of Scotland production of Aalst in 2007. More so, she was a member of renowned Scottish theater companies such as Suspect Culture, Theatre Cryptic, and Raindog.
Growing up, Kate Dickie suffered bouts of insecurity due to constant changes in residence and school. This affected her relationship with people in many ways. However, joining drama classes as a child helped her overcome her difficulty in fitting in. She professionally launched her acting career in 1994 and has appeared in notable motion picture projects such as Tinsel Town, Red Road, and Game of Thrones. Read on to learn more about the talented Scottish entertainer.
1. Kate Dickie Grew Up In Different Parts of Scotland
Kate Dickie was born on April 25, 1971, in East Kilbride, Scotland but she spent the most part of her early years moving to different cities. Wigtownshire, Dumfries, Galloway, Perthshire, and Ayrshire are some places she lived with her family due to her father’s job as a gardener and farmer. It also had an adverse effect on Dickie’s personality as she became very insecure. The fact that she had to change to a different school every now and then made it hard to keep friends.
In her frustration, Kate Dickie found solace in the performing arts. She joined drama classes in every school she attended which helped her overcome her insecurities. She didn’t just learn to adjust to new people and environments, she also discovered her acting talent. However, being the only person interested in the arts in her family was odd for her. For this reason, she initially felt embarrassed to call herself an actress.
2. She Played Queen of the Vale in Game of Thrones
Kate Dickie played Lysa Arryn, Catelyn Stark’s younger sister in the hit HBO television series Game of Thrones. Her character’s husband is the wife of Jon Arryn (John Standing), the Hand of the King. She played a recurring role in Game of Thrones season 1 and later made a guest appearance in season 4. Her character is portrayed as paranoid and unstable due to her unpleasant experiences in life. Arryn left the series upon her death, murdered by Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen), the man she was in love with.
3. She Got Her Skills Honed at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Kate Dickie developed an interest in the performing arts quite early and channeled her studies to hone her skills. She was part of drama classes in high school and later studied for a national certificate in drama at Adam Smith College, Kirkcaldy. Dickie further sharpened her skills at the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama after joining in 1990. Following her studies, Dickie decided to settle in Glasgow to build her career, starting in the theater. In the course of her stage career, she worked with Scottish theater companies, including Suspect Culture, Theatre Cryptic, and Raindog.
4 Ralph Ineson is Her Longtime Collaborator
Kate Dickie has appeared in three films with English actor and narrator Ralph Ineson. Their first collaboration was in The Witch (2015) where they played a married couple – William and Katherine. The folk horror was Robert Eggers‘ directorial debut and Anya Taylor-Joy‘s first film. Considered one of the best horror movies at the time, The Witch was a critical and financial success, grossing at least $40 million at the box office against a $4 million budget.
The Green Knight (2021) is the second film Kate Dickie and Ralph Ineson costarred in. While Ineson portrayed The Green Knight, Dickie played Queen Guinevere in the epic medieval fantasy film alongside Dev Patel as Gawain. In 2022, Ineson and Dickie were seen in The Northman as Captain Volodymyr and Halldora the Pict respectively. Also directed by Eggers, The Northman stars A-listers such as Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe. Ineson and Dickie were also set to appear in Star Wars: The Last Jedi where Dickie portrayed First Order Officer. However, Ineson’s scene as Colonel Ansiv Garmuth was deleted from the final cut.
5. Kate Dickie Got Her Breakthrough in the BBC Scotland Series Tinsel Town
While working with popular theater companies in Scotland, Kate Dickie began auditioning for roles in films and television series. One of her earliest roles came in the 2000 TV series Tinsel Town where she portrayed Lex. Though a short one, the appearance propelled her to the spotlight and gave her the breakthrough she needed to excel.
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