Blythe Duff | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1962-11-25)25 November 1962 (age 62) East Kilbride, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse | |
Blythe Duff (born 25 November 1962) is a Scottish actress best known for her role asJackie Reid in theITVtelevision series drama,Taggart.
Duff was born and raised inEast Kilbride.[1] Her love of acting started with youth theatre. On leavingHunter High School she joined The Company, a youth opportunities theatre company, based at the Glasgow Arts Centre in Washington Street and spent her summers with theScottish Youth Theatre. She entered the profession in 1983 with her first job at the Young Playwrights Festival (Scottish Youth Theatre/The Traverse).
Duff's career began in the theatre,[2] starting with the Scottish Youth and Community Theatre in Glasgow.[citation needed]
She worked in theatre for seven years, appearing with Scottish Opera inStreet Scene as Shirley Kaplan in 1989, and at theColiseum Theatre in London with theEnglish National Opera.[3] She also performed on the soundtrack album which was released on Decca Records in 1989.[4] She was working forScottish Opera when she landed the role of Jackie Reid in the sixth series ofTaggart in 1990.[5] Her first appearance was a communitypolice officer in the second episode of the sixth series, "Death Comes Softly", on 3 December 1990, in which she is credited as playing WPC Reid.[6] In the third episode, which first aired on 31 December 1990, she was credited as playing Jackie Reid and her character was seconded toCID as DC Reid. By series eight in 1993 her character was promoted toDetective Sergeant.[7] She became the longest-serving member of theTaggart cast afterJames Macpherson left the show in 2002. The last Taggart was shown in 2011, seeing Jackie Reid finally reach Detective Inspector.
On 28 November 2003, she was a guest on the daytime talk showToday with Des and Mel.[8] On 23 June 2004 she was a contestant on the celebrity comedy game showWin, Lose or Draw Late.[9] She has also appeared twice as a guest on the daytime talk showLoose Women on 24 September 2004 and 15 September 2005.[8]
On 26 April 2006, Duff appeared in the documentaryThere's Been a Murder: A Celebration of Taggart.[10]
In October 2008 she attended theMipcom television festival inCannes, France, along with the other three main cast members,John Michie,Alex Norton andColin McCredie to highlight the 25th anniversary ofTaggart.[11]
Away from filmingTaggart, Duff enjoys live performance[2] and has said that she prefers to work in theatre: "I love working on Taggart. I like my character and I like all the people I work with. I have been in Taggart since 1990 so I can't imagine my life without it, but I really like working on stage. That is where I feel very comfortable and I like the response of an audience good or bad."[12]
In 1995 she played Rhona Clay inSwing Hammer Swing at theCitizens Theatre in Glasgow.[13]
She starred in the European premiere ofMum's the Word in Spring 2002, which toured around Scotland and included a four-week run at the King's Theatre in Glasgow. She later reprised her role for Volcanic Productions for a tour of New Zealand.[14]
At the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, Duff has appeared in "Good With people",Intolerance,King of the Fields,Sharp Shorts, "Tally's Blood", "Sheila", and "The Young Playwright's Festival".
In February 2006 she appeared with theNational Theatre of Scotland in their first production "Home, Glasgow"Cranhill, Glasgow.[15] In January 2009 she appeared in aNational Theatre of Scotland/Donmar Warehouse tour of Scotland and England of the playBe Near Me adapted byIan McDiarmid from the novel of the same name byAndrew O'Hagan.[16]
She has won Best Female Performance twice at theCritics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland:in 2013 for her portrayal of Fay Black inRona Munro's prison drama 'Iron'; andin 2014 for the titular role in David Harrower's 'Ciara'.
Duff has also appeared on radio, including theBBC Radio 4 comedy panel game,Just a Minute.
On the concert platform she has narrated with numerous orchestras; the RSNO, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Opera Orchestra. She has recorded Hansel and Gretel by Savourna Stevenson with the Scottish Opera Orchestra, and recorded an audio book of "44 Scotland Street" by Alexander McCall Smith.
In 2011, she made her New York debut, playing Carlotta Burns in "Beautiful Burnout" (Frantic Assembly/NTS) atSt Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn, and reprised the role for the Sydney, Perth and Wellington Festivals in 2012.
In 2010, Blythe formed Datum Point Productions to capitalise on the wealth of talent in the theatre, film and TV industry in Scotland. The company filmedSarajevo, a 20-minute monologue set in an empty classroom which follows Rachael Lewis as she prepares a farewell speech for the retiring head teacher. In Feb 2011Just Checking successfully played at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow to full houses. The company brought the critically acclaimed production of David Harrower'sGood With People to the Traverse Theatre for the 2012 Edinburgh Festival.
In May 2019, Duff joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the London West End production appearing as ProfessorMinerva McGonagall and the Trolley Witch in the multi award-winning show
Duff is married to former police officer Tom Forrest and became stepmother to his two daughters Sarah and Katie. She met Forrest, a widower, when she bought her sister's house in Burnside inRutherglen in 1997 and became his neighbour. They were engaged in October and married on 22 March 1998 atCulzean Castle, Maybole.[17][18] He left the police force and set up the property company, Blue Door Property.[citation needed]
In Dec 2000, Duff was made a patron of Scottish Youth Theatre, continuing her link with the company having been a student in the '80s, and on the board in the '90s. Scottish Youth Theatre had also provided Blythe with her first professional job in 'The Young Playwright's Festival' a joint production with The Traverse Theatre.
Duff was one of a number of Scottish women who, at an event to publicly recognise the outstanding work of women from across Scotland, received a personal "thank you" from the thenSecretary of State for Scotland,Helen Liddell atEdinburgh Castle on 6 March 2003.[19]
In November 2005 she helped launch ScotsCare, a charity aimed at helping Scottish people living in London who have money or health problems.[20]
She was asked to be an Ambassador ofThe Prince's Trust, having benefited from the charity in the 1980s. In May 2007, she presented an evening inHolyrood Palace in the presence ofHRH Prince Charles, The Duke of Rothesay, to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the trust.
Blythe was Chieftain of Bute Highland Games in 2009 and Chieftain of the Cowal Games in 2011.
She was given an Honorary Doctorate in June 2011 fromGlasgow Caledonian University for her outstanding contribution to the performing arts.[21] and in 2012 was made a Cultural Fellow.
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