Charlie Muprhy's best-known roles for BBC1 and Channel 5
TV

Charlie Murphy from Happy Valley stars in Channel 5’s Deadline

Talented actress is currently chilling Channel 5 viewers as a femme fatale

Deadline viewers with a keen eye may have recognised lead actress Charlie Murphy from Happy Valley.

The talented thesp – who plays femme fatale Natalie in the new Channel 5 drama – starred as Ann Gallagher in the hit BBC One series.

But what else has she been in – and will she make a return to Happy Valley for season 3.

Natalie posing in a white suit in Deadline on Channel 5
Charlie Murphy’s Natalie Varga is a murder suspect in Deadline but did she do it? (Credit: Channel 5)

What else has Deadline actress Charlie Murphy starred in?

From the Beeb to Channel 5 and everywhere in between, this award-winning star has already put in some impressive graft.

Born in Ireland’s County Wexford in 1987, Charlie started acting at just 12 years old, scoring a cameo in Irish medical drama The Clinic.

She appeared in several very good TV shows after that, but most notably BBC One drama Ripper Street and Channel 4’s groundbreaking Misfits.

Read more: Deadline full cast details – including a ‘villainous’ Broadchurch star

But it wasn’t until she took a role in the Maxine Peake-starring The Village that things really started to happen.

That wasn’t just because she was great in it, however. In fact, she was also starring in an Irish drama at the same time.

While starring in Love/Hate, Charlie Murphy’s name was etched onto several shiny trophies, including Best TV Actress at the 2013 Irish Film and Television Awards.

But it’s her roles in two incredibly successful and adored British TV shows that catapulted her to mainstream success.

Happy Valley's Charlie Murphy and Sarah Lancashire looking up
Charlie Murphy as Ann Gallagher alongside Sarah Lancashire’s Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley (Credit: BBC)

Charlie Murphy as Ann Gallagher in Happy Valley

The actress scored the role of Ann Gallagher in runaway BBC One success Happy Valley.

And she immediately blew everyone away with her powerfully affecting performance.

After the character survived a horrific attack, Ann’s relationship with Sarah Lancashire’s officer-on-the-edge Catherine Cawood became stuff of TV legend.

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Happy Valley will be making a supremely welcome return sometime in the near future.

Season 3 began filming in early 2022, around the time that Charlie herself confirmed that a new series was in the works.

And that she will, in fact, be returning as Ann Gallagher! Shame it’s going to be the final series… but let’s not dwell on that right now.

Charlie in Peaky Blinders

After Happy Valley success, Deadline star Charlie then moved on to what might be the biggest role of her career so far.

Stepping onto the set of none other than Peaky Blinders, she put in an incredible turn as feisty feminist Jessie Eden.

And even though she ended up a Communist, that didn’t stop Jessie becoming a fan favourite.

And while we’ve still no idea what might happen in the mooted Peaky Blinders film, we do know that Charlie will be gracing BBC One again very soon.

In the meantime, you’re likely to find Charlie Murphy kicking butt in Paramount’s Halo, based on the super-successful computer game of the same name.

And of course, as the possible murderess, in Channel 5’s excellent Deadline.

Deadline continues at 9pm from Wednesday to Friday this week, and on My5 after broadcast.

Will you be watching Happy Valley season 3? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.