Kelly
Portrayed by: Emily Beecham
First appearance: Rise of the Footsoldier (2007)
Kelly appears in Rise of the Footsoldier (2007), the gritty British crime film directed by Julian Gilbey that chronicles the rise of Carlton Leach from football hooligan to one of the most feared figures in the Essex underworld. The film is rooted in real events and draws heavily on the world surrounding the 1995 Rettendon murders, one of the most notorious gangland killings in British criminal history.
Emily Beecham takes on the role of Kelly in the original film, bringing her to the brutal and uncompromising world the production depicts. The role came early in Beecham’s career, before she rose to widespread critical and industry recognition.
**Emily Beecham went on to become one of the most acclaimed British actresses of her generation. She is perhaps best known internationally for her lead role in the AMC and Sky Atlantic series Into the Badlands, as well as her performance in Little Joe (2019), for which she was awarded the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival**. That achievement made her performance in Rise of the Footsoldier a notable early credit, demonstrating her presence in British film before her later international breakthrough.
Rise of the Footsoldier itself became a significant entry in British crime cinema, spawning a long-running franchise. Subsequent entries in the series include Rise of the Footsoldier: The Pat Tate Story (2017), Rise of the Footsoldier 3 (2017), and further instalments that expanded on the stories of key figures from the Essex gangland scene. Kelly’s story, however, is tied to the original 2007 film that launched the franchise and established its unflinching tone.