# Kelly Adams
**Kelly Adams** (born 1979) is an English actress from Lincoln, Lincolnshire, best known for playing nurse Mickie Hendrie in the BBC medical drama *Holby City*, Emma Kennedy in *[Hustle](https://www.edgepedia.org/hustle-tv-series)*, and Mary in the [BBC Three](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-three) comedy-drama *Bluestone 42*, and for the film *[Bronson](https://www.edgepedia.org/bronson-film)* (2008).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kelly_adams) • [2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/) • [3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kelly_adams) |
| Breakthrough role | Nurse Mickie Hendrie in *Holby City*, two and a half years, leaving in September 2006[2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/) |
| Highest-rated film | *Bronson* (2008), as Irene; Rotten Tomatoes critics score 75%[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kelly_adams) |
| Comedy roles | Emma Kennedy in *Hustle* (BBC One) and Mary in *Bluestone 42* (BBC Three)[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) |
| Period drama | Nancy Webb in ITV's *Mr Selfridge*, opposite Jeremy Piven[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) |
| Recent credits | *London Kills* (Michelle Charr, 2019) and *Agatha Raisin* series 3 (Melissa Sheppard, 2020)[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/38479/kelly-adams) |
| Agent | United Agents[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) |
## Early television career
Adams's first screen role of note came through an unusually public route: viewers saw her audition process in the documentary *Making it at Holby* before she and Jaye Jacobs were both cast in *Holby City*.[2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/) She played nurse Mickie Hendrie for two and a half years in the show's maternity unit, and her storylines included her character coming to terms with her sexuality, the death of Will, and a departure storyline in which Mickie quit the hospital, with a new girlfriend in tow, to train as a doctor.[2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/) She left the series in September 2006 when her contract neared its end.[2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/)
Her last day on set produced an unplanned moment: she began crying during a scene just before a take, and the producers kept the reaction in the broadcast episode.[2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/) She has said that what she missed most about the job was the steady paycheck, since leaving returned her to freelancing.[2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/)
## Television work after Holby City
After leaving *Holby City*, Adams took a guest role in the BBC's *[Robin Hood](https://www.edgepedia.org/robin-hood-2006-tv-series)*, filming in Budapest for three weeks, and joined the cast of the [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) drama series *Hustle* as [Emma Kennedy](https://www.edgepedia.org/emma-kennedy).[2](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/) • [3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) Other credits include *Casualty* (as Mickie Hendrie), *Doctors* (Amanda Prior), *The Persuasionists* (Victoria Smeet), *Death in Paradise* (Liz Curtis), *Endeavour* (Cynthia Riley), *Doc Martin*, and *The Delivery Man*.[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/person/kelly-adams/)
**Bluestone 42** was her most substantial comedy role. She played Padre Mary Greenstock, the team chaplain, in 15 episodes spanning series 1 (2013), the Christmas special, and series 2 (2014).[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/38479/kelly-adams) In 2013 she also appeared as Nancy Webb in ITV's period drama *Mr Selfridge*, appearing opposite [Jeremy Piven](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeremy-piven).[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) In *Agatha Raisin* series 3 she played Melissa Sheppard in the two-part story "The Love from Hell", with both episodes airing on 17 February 2020.[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/38479/kelly-adams)
## Film
Adams played Irene in *Bronson*, the 2008 film about the prisoner [Charles Bronson](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-bronson) starring [Tom Hardy](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hardy); it is her highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at a critics score of 75%.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kelly_adams) • [6](https://www.moviemeter.com/celebrities/125718/kelly-adams) Her lowest-rated film there is *My Last Five Girlfriends* (2009), in which she played Wendy, at 28%.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kelly_adams) She also appeared in *The Boxer* (2009, as Natalie) and *Beacon77* (2009, as Sarah).[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kelly_adams) • [6](https://www.moviemeter.com/celebrities/125718/kelly-adams)
## Theatre and writing
Adams's first stage role was Belinda Cratchett in *A Christmas Carol* at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.[7](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview2/) Around 2007 she appeared in a stage production of *Our Man in Havana*, adapted by Clive Francis, playing eight different roles; the production was due to perform in Bromley, Guildford, and Windsor from August.[7](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview2/)
Beyond acting, she has co-developed comedy scripts for production companies including Red Planet Productions and CPL Productions.[3](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b)
## People with the same name
Several unrelated public figures share the name Kelly Adams:
- **Kelly Adams (composer)**, formerly Kelly Rudisill, is a composer, vocalist, and pianist who with her sister Kamille Rudisill forms the band Karmina; as a vocalist she is known for featured performances on *Pan*, *The Hive*, and *Dr. Seuss' The Lorax*, and Karmina's compositions have appeared on shows including *Reign*, *Pretty Little Liars*, and *Shameless*.[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3124753/)
- **Kelly Elizabeth Adams** is a New York attorney, admitted in 2023 under bar number 6015671, affiliated with Legal Action Worldwide in Brooklyn.[9](https://checkmyattorney.com/attorney/ny/kelly-adams-6015671)
- **Kelly Adams** is Chief Legal Officer at Boulder Community Health in [Boulder, Colorado](https://www.edgepedia.org/boulder-colorado), after serving as Region General Counsel at Intermountain Health.[10](https://www.signalhire.com/profiles/kelly-adams%27s-email/8798545)
- **Kelly Adams** is Vice President of People Operations at [The Heritage Foundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-heritage-foundation), where she joined in 2014.[11](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/kelly-adams-the-heritage-foundation/63995441)
- **Kelly Adams** is a Legal Advisor at the Global Justice Center, focusing on sexual and gender-based violence in crimes against humanity; she holds a J.D. from Washington University School of Law and an M.P.S. in [Intelligence](https://www.edgepedia.org/intelligence) from Georgetown University.[12](https://watjcentre.org/kelly-adams/)
- **Kelly Adams** is Chairman of Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems Corp, a former Operations Manager at Southern Pacific Resource Corp, and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.[13](https://in.marketscreener.com/insider/KELLY-ADAMS-A0FWUS/)
## References
1. [Kelly Adams, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kelly_adams)
2. [Kelly Adams Interview, holby.tv](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview/)
3. [Kelly Adams Acting CV, United Agents](https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/client/kelly-adams/cv/acting/?token=9ea2a546663b)
4. [Kelly Adams, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/38479/kelly-adams)
5. [Kelly Adams, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/kelly-adams/)
6. [Kelly Adams, MovieMeter](https://www.moviemeter.com/celebrities/125718/kelly-adams)
7. [Kelly Adams Interview (theatre), holby.tv](https://www.holby.tv/kelly-adams-interview2/)
8. [Kelly Adams (XIV), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3124753/)
9. [Kelly Elizabeth Adams, New York attorney record, CheckMyAttorney](https://checkmyattorney.com/attorney/ny/kelly-adams-6015671)
10. [Kelly Adams, Chief Legal Officer at Boulder Community Health, SignalHire](https://www.signalhire.com/profiles/kelly-adams%27s-email/8798545)
11. [Kelly Adams, The Heritage Foundation, Equilar ExecAtlas](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/kelly-adams-the-heritage-foundation/63995441)
12. [Kelly Adams, Legal Advisor, Global Justice Center](https://watjcentre.org/kelly-adams/)
13. [Kelly Adams, MarketScreener](https://in.marketscreener.com/insider/KELLY-ADAMS-A0FWUS/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames A to Ba*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license