Keeley Hawes: Your Geeky Woman of the Month for May

Aw, how sweet, it’s a veritable smorgasbord of Ashes to Ashes attractive facial action in this month’s poll! You voted, and you wanted Keeley as your Woman of the Month – good taste!

Keeley’s profile has been sky high of recent, mostly due in part for her role in Ashes to Ashes as DI Alex Drake or “Bolly Knickers” as Gene affectionately calls her. In the BBC sci-fi drama, Alex gets shot and she finds herself transported back to the 80s, facing Gene Hunt and his motley crew.

DI Alex Drake is a ballsy character; she’s feisty, intelligent and carries a strong sense of justice but has a habit of applying this as much to the practices of CID as to the criminal underclass – much to the utter consternation of Gene and the team.

More importantly, Alex was a psychologist to Sam Tyler (Life on Mars) and is hungry to unravel the mystery of his disappearance as well as getting back to the present time to her daughter, Molly.

Awful perms, cheesy pop, massive yuppie mobile phones and shoulder pads so humongous Pat Butcher would be proud – we hit the 80’s with a vengeance. And just like the different era, so came a different sparring partner for the ever bullish, Gene Hunt. Unfortunately, some commentators, hugely critical from the outset, got the knives out for Keeley’s performance of Alex Drake and the actress herself.

‘I don’t think I’d ever had a bad word said before, so it was very unpleasant,’ says Hawes in an interview with The Telegraph. ‘At one point somebody had written, “It’s clear that the other cast members do not like this actress.” But their characters are supposed to not like Alex Drake when she arrives. We’re acting! The cast were all coming over to my house for lunch and I had to say, “I have got a bit upset by all of this – you do like me, don’t you?”’

Thankfully, most people (us and you included) really rather enjoyed Keeley’s turn as Alex Drake - especially her chemistry with Gene Hunt and spazzed out hallucinary episodes - and we were happy to see a fitting end to her character’s journey (as well as the dream finale – just a dream we tell you).

Keeley’s next project is called Identity, a new 6 part thriller in which she plays DSI Martha Lawrence. The show is about identity theft, and will air in July on ITV. The Geeky Girls wish you well Miss Hawes!

5 Keeley Facts

• Did you know Keeley was the voice of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: Legends?!
• Keeley is married to her old Spooks co-star, Matthew MacFadyen.
• Her dad and brothers are all London cabbies. Bet she gets free lifts everywhere.
• Keeley was first spotted on Oxford Street, but says she hated modelling.
• Keeley attended the Silva Young School for Performing Arts alongside Emma Bunton (Spice Girls, remember them?) and they are still good friends.

moreless

Vote For Your Favourite Man And Woman Of The Month

The month's just whizz by don't they? Well, another month, another Geeky Girl poll. Feast your eyes over our male and female treats and cast some votes people.

moreless

Scarlett Johansson; Your Woman Of The Month

Just piping poor Karen Gillan to the post, Scarlett Johansson has nabbed April’s title of Woman of the Month.

With more curves than the Monte Carlo circuit (so we hear), a set of bee stung lips Angie herself laments and sickeningly gorgeous blond or brunette, Scarlett is more than deserving of your prized votes.

Scarlett first rose to prominence in the critically acclaimed film, The Horse Whisper (1998), in the role of Grace MacLean and won The Hollywood Reporter Young Star Award for her efforts. The success from The Horse Whisper rocketed Scarlett’s profile sky high and the movie scripts started to pour in.

As she entered her mid-teens, Scarlett searched for more mature roles and won rave reviews for her portrayal of Rebecca in the frigging excellent Ghost World, alongside Thora Birch. Scarlett continued to pick her roles well and in 2003 she was nominated for two Golden Globes, one for The girl with a pearl earring and the other for Lost In Translation.

Since then, Scarlett has gone from strength to strength, with parts in The Prestige, The Black Dahlia and Match Point, making her one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood.

Currently Miss Johansson can be seen strutting her stuff as Natalia Romanova aka Black Widow in the new Iron Man 2 film. Deadly, super fast and with thighs that could crush an opponent’s wind pipe, Scarlett more than kicks ass.

You clearly thought so too!

Did you know?

Shortly after Lost in Translation (2003) was released, Scarlett said she had a connection to older men and couldn't see herself dating anyone under 30. True to her word, she had a relationship with actor Benicio Del Toro, who is 17 years her senior!

Director Sofia Coppola directed both Scarlett and her ex boyfriend Josh Hartnett, but not in the same movie. Scarlett was in Coppola's Lost in Translation (2003) and Hartnett starred in The Virgin Suicides (1999)

She's a massive Woody Allen fan.

Scarlett was originally offered the role of Evey in V for Vendetta and the role of Lois Lane in Superman Returns (she would have been better than that wet lettuce, Bosworth).

She's a democrat and avidly supports Barack Obama.

She's a married woman! She married fiancé Ryan Reynolds in a quiet ceremony in Canada on September 27th, 2008.

Scarlett recorded an album comprised entirely of Tom Waits covers, titled "Anywhere I Lay My Head". The album was released on May 2008 but it made very little impact.

Her only vice is cheese. We hear you!

moreless

Lenora Crichlow; Geeky Girls Woman Of The Month

It’s a first on the Geeky Girl site, but you guys clearly loved our new Woman of the Month feature with Lenora receiving 30% more votes than your chosen Man of the Month! Double congratulations to Miss Crichlow!

And you guys have good reason to have afforded Lenora your cherished votes; she’s bloody marvelous, a fantastic actress with the ability to glide effortlessly from dismayed angst one moment to a razor sharp comic timing the next. In short, Lenora is immensely talented and hugely likeable.

Lenora first came to our attention when she burst on to our screens as the provocative, often selfishly motivated but strangely vulnerable and likeable Maria “Sugar” Sweet, in the Channel 4 teen drama Sugar Rush (adapted from Julie Burchill’s novel).

The show was a success and even won the 2006 International Emmy Award in the 'Children And Young People' category. But, fact fans, did you know that Lenora’s first foray into the acting world came when she won a part in a small budget UK horror film, Wilderness?

In fact, trivia darlings, Lenora has always kept close to the sci-fi fold. In 2007 she appeared alongside David Tenant in the Doctor Who episode “Gridlock”, playing expectant mother, Cheen. The episode was so-so (which is still pretty good when measured against a lot of the other Saturday night guff) but Lenora, as ever stood out.

It wasn’t long later that the BBC announced they had cast Lenora in its new sci-fi drama, Being Human. A thoroughly brilliant and suspiciously addictive programme, it is the cult show of the moment.

Being Human is centred around the lives of 3 supernatural beings who share a house in Bristol. Lenora plays a character called Annie Sawyer, a ghost who hasn't "moved on". If you've not yet caught Being Human, we seriously urge you to do so. Get hip. Get down with the kids and all that. But seriously, Lenora acts her socks off, she is fantastic. Proof that once again, you GG Bods really do have astute taste.

Random Lenora Facts:

• Lenora was born in Westminster, London
• Her star sign is Capricorn
• She honed her craft with the YoungBlood Theatre Company
• Lenora will be returning to Doctor Who! She will play a new character called Rachel in the Audio release of Doctor Who: The Architects of History
• Lenora’s father ran the Mangrove restaurant in Notting Hill which was visited by stars such as Jimi Hendrix and Diana Ross!

moreless