Kelly Macdonald: who is Scottish Line of Duty actress, what has she been in and could she be next Doctor Who?

Macdonald from Glasgow is known for her roles in Trainspotting, Harry Potter and Nanny McPhee
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The former Trainspotting actress, 45, who played a key role in the latest series of Line Of Duty, is just 12/1 in the betting to replace Jodie Whittaker in the iconic role.

So who is Kelly Macdonald and is she in the running to be the next Doctor Who?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Macdonald has appeared in Line of Duty as the sixth season’s guest lead (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)Macdonald has appeared in Line of Duty as the sixth season’s guest lead (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Macdonald has appeared in Line of Duty as the sixth season’s guest lead (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Who is Kelly Macdonald?

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The Glaswegian actress, 45, has plenty of major roles under her belt.

She has starred in well-known movies and TV shows for 25 years - from Trainspotting and Harry Potter to Brave and No Country For Old Men.

Macdonald’s acting career kicked off when she was working as a barmaid in Glasgow

She spotted a leaflet advertising an open casting session for Danny Boyle’s cult classic Trainspotting and decided to audition.

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After winning the part of schoolgirl Diane Coulston in the 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel, Macdonald shot to fame.

Her first role following Trainspotting was in Stella Does Tricks, in which she played a young prostitute who flees Glasgow for London.

She then featured in Strictly Sinatra, a film directed by former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi.

In 2005, Macdonald landed a role in popular family comedy movie Nanny McPhee, alongside Colin Firth and Emma Thompson.

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Her next major character came in the form of Texan Carla Jean Moss in the Coen brothers’ epic western No Country for Old Men.

Macdonald is also recognisable from playing Margaret Thompson in HBO’s gangster series Boardwalk Empire.

While she starred in the drama, she appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 as the Grey Lady - the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw.

And if some fans find her voice familiar, that could be because Macdonald landed the main role as Princess Merida in Disney’s Scottish fantasy film Brave.

Who does Macdonald play in Line of Duty?

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More recently Macdonald has appeared in Line of Duty as the sixth season’s guest lead.

She plays DCI Joanne Davidson who is the lead detective on a high-profile unsolved murder.

However, her unconventional approach to her investigation attracts the attention of the AC-12 team.

Speaking about her enigmatic character, Macdonald said: “She doesn't give much away and you don't know what to make of her.

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"She's this unknown entity, sometimes she seems like a friendly face and other times not so much.

“At the start of the series, she’s quite a lonely figure. She’s struggling and we don’t quite know why that is.”

Why is Macdonald one of the favourites to be the next Doctor?

Macdonald was revealed to be one of the new favourites to take over as Doctor Who.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "The race to replace Jodie Whittaker is more wide-open than it's ever been and Line Of Duty fans will be pleased to see Kelly Macdonald's odds have tumbled substantially over the past few weeks."

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No exact reason has been given by Ladbrokes for why Macdonald’s odds have been slashed.

Kris Marshall and Michaela Coel continue to head up the betting at 6/1 apiece.

Richard Ayoade and Michael Sheen are also in the running and 7/1 and 12/1.

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