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Charlene McKenna

Charlene McKenna

Actor · Born March 26, 1984 (42) · Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland

Charlene Lee McKenna (Irish: Searlaoin Nic Chionaoith; born March 26, 1984) is an Irish actress. She became a household name in Ireland after starring as Jennifer Jackson in the miniseries Pure Mule (2005). She appeared on Irish television in Single-Handed 2 (2008), Whistleblower (2008), and Raw (2008–2013). For Raw, she won Best Actress (Television) at the Irish Film & Television Awards, and for Whistleblower, she won Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 26, 1984 (42)
From
Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland
Works as
Actor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 42% in 30 days

What are Charlene McKenna's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
29%
Morality
20%
Bonds
19%
Survival
12%
Society
12%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Melancholic
8
Warm
4
Bittersweet
2
Dread
3
Other
5

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Charlene McKenna's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Charlene McKenna's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • A Greyhound of a Girl(2023)

    as Tansey (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Clean Sweep(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · as Shelly Mohan

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Holding(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · as as Evelyn Ross

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all shows

  • Bloodlands(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · as DS Niamh McGovern

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Vienna Blood(2019)

    Show 11 episodes · as Leah Liebermann

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Death and Nightingales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mercy Boyle

  • Lucky Man(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Clare Cartmell

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Boogaloo and Graham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Mutter

  • Ghosts(2014)

    as Regina Engstrand

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Peaky Blinders(2013)

    Show 3 episodes · as Captain Swing · as Laura McKee

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Skins: Pure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Maddie

  • Ripper Street(2012)

    Show 36 episodes · as Rose Erskine

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Jump (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Marie

  • Inn Mates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Maisie

  • Misfits(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Shannon

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • A Boy Called Dad(2009)

    as Nia

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Being Human(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Josie

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Merlin(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Lamia

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Raw(2008)

    Show 30 episodes · as Jojo Harte

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Whistleblower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 2 episodes · as Karen

  • Dorothy Mills(2008)

    as Mary McMahon

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Old Curiosity Shop(2007)

    as The Marchioness

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Kitchen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Kirsty Dunne

  • Middletown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Adele

  • Kitchen(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · as Kirsty Dunne

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Skins(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · as Maddie

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Small Engine Repair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Melanie

  • Breakfast on Pluto(2005)

    as Caroline Braden

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Pure Mule (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 8 episodes · as Jennifer Jackson

  • West the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 89th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 30 titles, 29 of them dated from 2005 to 2023; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

Dorothy Mills (2008)

$2.7M worldwide

Highest rated

Ripper Street (2012)

Midcredits 90th

Film career

20052023

Peak 2013 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting30 of 30: 30 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score65th

By decade

2000s15 · acting2010s10 · acting2020s4 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Charlene McKenna's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Ghosts (2014)

65th percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Peaky Blinders (2013)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Charlene McKenna work with?

People who share at least 2 of Charlene McKenna's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Conleth Hill shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers