Zaraah Clover Abrahams (born 7 January 1987) is an English actress and voiceover artist. She is known for her roles as Magda in Girls in Love from 2003 to 2005, Michaela White in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road from 2008 to 2010, Joanne Jackson in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2005 to 2007 and Chelsea Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2020 onwards. She then competed in the third series of the ITV talent show Dancing on Ice, and later returned as a contestant for the All Star series in 2014.
Zaraah Abrahams | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zaraah Clover Abrahams 7 January 1987 |
| Alma mater | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Television | Girls in Love (2003–2005) Coronation Street (2005–2007) Waterloo Road (2008–2010) Dancing on Ice (2008, 2014) EastEnders (2020–present) |
Early life
editAbrahams was born in a hospital in Lambeth, London of Iraqi and Barbadian descent on her mother's side and of Jamaican descent on her father's side. She grew up in Brixton, South London and is the eldest of 3 siblings.[1] She attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts for her secondary education, landing the role of Magda in the TV Adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's Girls in Love while still a pupil there.[1] At the age of 17, she left London to pursue a career in acting in Manchester after landing the role of Joanne Jackson in Coronation Street.[1]
Career
editAbrahams previously starred as Magda in the CITV show Girls in Love and as Joanne Jackson in the ITV soap Coronation Street.[2] In 2008, she joined the cast of Waterloo Road in a recurring role as student Michaela White.[3] The character became part of the core cast for the fourth series in 2009 and remained with the show until her exit at the end of the fifth series in 2010.[1] She starred in the 2013 short film Black Girl in Paris on HBO which was nominated for short film of the year, and where she was seen by Spike Lee.[1] In 2014, Lee cast her as the female lead, Ganja Hightower in the Ganja & Hess homage Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, her first Hollywood film.[4][1] In 2015 Abrams moved to New York City to film American television drama The Knick.[1]
In 2008, Abrahams participated in ITV's celebrity skating series Dancing on Ice, as a replacement for the injured Michael Underwood. Her partner was skater Fred Palascak. The pair finished in third place.[5] In 2015, she joined the cast of the Cinemax series The Knick, a medical drama directed by Steven Soderbergh, set around a New York hospital in the early 20th century. She portrayed the role of Opal.[6] In October 2020, it was announced that Abrahams would be taking over the role of Chelsea Fox in the BBC soap EastEnders. Her first episode as Chelsea was broadcast on 25 December 2020.[7]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2005 | Girls in Love | Magda | Main cast |
| 2005–2007 | Coronation Street | Joanne Jackson | Regular role; 214 episodes |
| 2008–2010 | Waterloo Road | Michaela White | Recurring (Series 3), Main cast (Series 4–5) |
| 2008, 2014 | Dancing on Ice | Herself | Contestant; 3rd place |
| 2009 | Hole in the Wall | Herself | Contestant |
| 2011 | Waterloo Road Reunited | Michaela White | Main cast (web series) |
| 2012 | Payback Season | Clarissa | Film |
| 2012 | Scott & Bailey | Daysha Kaye | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Bedlam | Laura | Episode: "The Long Drop" |
| 2013 | Black Girl in Paris | Luce | Short film |
| 2013–2015 | Secret Dealers | Narrator | Game show (Series 4–5) |
| 2014 | Da Sweet Blood of Jesus | Ganja Hightower | Film |
| 2014 | Holby City | Alisa Cole | Episode: "Captive" |
| 2015 | The Knick | Opal Edwards | Main cast (Season 2) |
| 2020–present | EastEnders | Chelsea Fox | Regular role |
| 2021 | The Bay | DS Emma Ryan | 2 episodes |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Newcomer | Nominated | [8] |
| 2022 | 2022 British Soap Awards | Best Leading Performer | Nominated | [9] |
| 2022 | 27th National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | Nominated | [10] |
| 2022 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [11] |
| 2022 | Digital Spy Reader Awards | Best Soap Actor (Female) | Second | [12] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Hudson, Rykesha (16 May 2015). "Zaraah Abrahams: Spike Lee said I could be next Halle Berry". The Voice. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "EastEnders casts former Coronation Street star Zaraah Abrahams as Chelsea Fox". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "EastEnders announces Chelsea Fox recast – Who is Zaraah Abrahams?". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "Zaraah Abrahams Talks Da Sweet Blood of Jesus – Dread Central". dreadcentral.com. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "EastEnders – Who are Lucas Johnson and Chelsea Fox and why are they back?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "'Coronation Street' Star Zaraah Abrahams Becomes The Latest Soap Star To Land A Hollywood Role". HuffPost. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "EastEnders viewers enraged as Chelsea betrays Denise by reuniting with Lucas". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ Alexander, Susannah (28 September 2021). "Inside Soap Awards announces 2021 longlist as voting opens – here's who's up for prizes". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ Houghton, Rianne (21 April 2022). "British Soap Awards 2022 reveals longlist for viewer categories". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ Morris, Lauren (24 May 2022). "NTA 2022 longlist revealed as David Tennant and Sex Education nominated". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ Harp, Justin (18 July 2022). "Inside Soap Awards announces nominations and new category for 2022 event". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ Rowan, Iona (27 December 2022). "EastEnders wins big at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2022". Digital Spy.
