Kerry Ellis

Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music.

Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at Laine Theatre Arts from the age of 16.

Kerry Jane Ellis was born on 6 May 1979 in Haughley, near Stowmarket, in Suffolk, the daughter of Sandra Ann Reed and Terry John Ellis.

Describing herself as a hyperactive young girl, she attended dance classes at the Ann Holland School of Theatre Dance and performed in local shows and pantomimes whilst also enjoying swimming and horse-riding.

Her first stage role was in The Wizard of Oz at the Wolsey Theatre in nearby Ipswich where she played a Munchkin at the age of 9.

After a successful audition, she also spent the summer of 1990 with the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT).

When her parents took her to see the West End production of Les Misérables for her thirteenth birthday, "that's when I knew I wanted to be on the stage."

Although she had not discovered her vocal ability until she was at college and had started working, Ellis cites her early influences as Liza Minnelli, Elaine Paige and Barbra Streisand; their music she would sing in her bedroom much to the disturbance of her older brother Andrew, now a keen fisherman.

She has explained that fellow musical theatre actress Ruthie Henshall inspired her growing up: "[Henshall] was a success story from Suffolk … I think I identified with her because it was an actual story that I saw happen and was achievable. She was only a couple of years ahead of me and I could relate to her."

Whilst attending Stowmarket High School, she completed work experience with Starmakers, a company of holiday entertainers, at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea.

She also spent the summers of 1995 and 1997 with the company to earn money by singing many of their cabaret shows.

Having left school at 16, Ellis turned to Laine Theatre Arts, an independent performing arts college, where she spent three years to gain a national diploma in musical theatre.

"It was an incredible three years where I learnt a great deal about myself, the industry and came away feeling part of something special," she remembers.

Ellis was also in the same year as fellow musical theatre actress Louise Dearman.

Ellis made her first professional stage appearance in 1998 and went on to make her West End debut in the 2001 revival of My Fair Lady as an understudy for the role of Eliza Doolittle.

By the time she graduated in 1998, Ellis had appeared in a number of professional pantomimes for E&B productions including Dick Whittington (1995) and Aladdin (1996) across theatres in the UK as well as performing the title role in Cinderella (1997) at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea.

Following her graduation, Ellis became first understudy to Marti Webb in a UK concert tour of The Magic of the Musicals in 1998, required on several occasions in Webb's absence, yet took a hiatus in 1999 to board cruise ship MS Voyager of the Seas, employed as lead vocalist in the ship's entertainment staff.

After nine months traveling across the Caribbean, she left the ship in Los Angeles, spent three months travelling across the US until her visa ran out, and then returned to understudy in the UK concert tour.

By November 1999, she had made her first television appearance on Children in Need for their special Pudsey the Musical and was featured in a jingle for Capital FM.

Following this, she appeared as the title role in a Gary Griffin-directed workshop production titled Helen of Troy and played the role of Mary in Merrily We Roll Along at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

By late 2000, she had settled in her first property, a two-bedroom Brockley maisonette, and joined the original cast of Cameron Mackintosh's London revival of My Fair Lady, appointed swing and second of two understudies to Martine McCutcheon in the role of Eliza Doolittle after being scouted by agent Jonathan Greatorex.

The musical initially played at the Lyttelton Theatre at the Royal National Theatre from 6 March 2001 to 20 June 2001 but later transferred to Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with shows beginning 21 July 2001.

Due to the illnesses of both McCutcheon and first understudy Alexandra Jay during the production's run at both theatres, Ellis starred as Eliza Doolittle opposite Jonathan Pryce and Dennis Waterman; her West End debut saw her taking on the lead role with only three hours preparation.

"Kerry [had] been in rehearsals throughout the run but she didn't find out until late afternoon that she was going on. She was scared and excited but enjoyed it," said agent Greatorex with first understudy Jay adding, "She was fantastic. She probably showed me up" while Ellis concluded, "I was nervous but once I was on stage the nerves disappeared and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience."

In 2002, she landed the role of Meat in the original London cast of We Will Rock You and has subsequently played lead roles in musicals Les Misérables, Wicked (in the West End and on Broadway), Oliver! and Cats as well as appearing in national tours and concert productions of musicals like Miss Saigon, Chess, The War of the Worlds, RENT, and Anything Goes.

Ellis, who has received several awards and nominations for her performances, has become recognised as the First Lady of West End musicals.

She has also worked sporadically in film and television.

After meeting Queen guitarist Brian May in 2002, Ellis expanded her repertoire as a solo artist.

She played Eliza Doolittle on a total of five occasions and departed from the company in July 2002.

"I have particularly fond memories of this, my first West End show, and the experience I gained from the cast and creatives was fantastic," she reflected.

She also stated, "It was a great step up for me. It was important not just in the type of show it was but also in getting my face known."

During her run in My Fair Lady, Queen guitarist Brian May and music director Mike Dixon came to see the production.

The first time, they saw Ellis perform in the ensemble; they returned for a second time at a performance where she was understudying the role of Eliza Doolittle and anonymously encouraged her to audition for the debut of their jukebox musical We Will Rock You.

Ellis admitted at the time she had no idea it was May who was watching her; she found out at a later date.

After seven auditions, she landed the role of Meat and got to sing the solo song "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)".

She has released four studio albums Anthems (2010), which reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart, the self-titled Kerry Ellis (2014), Golden Days (2017) and Feels Like Home (2020) as well as an extended play Wicked in Rock (2008) and a live album Acoustic by Candlelight (2013).

Ellis also appears as a featured artist on several other albums.

Ellis has performed in concerts across the world in addition to headlining solo concert tours like Anthems: The Tour and The Born Free Tour.

In addition to her musical work, Ellis involves herself in charity work for the Born Free Foundation with May and is the patron of several arts organisations.

In 2019, Ellis received an honorary fellowship from the University of Suffolk.