Kelly Macdonald (born 23 February 1976 in Glasgow) is a Scottish actress who broke into film without any formal training - Danny Boyle cast her in Trainspotting (1996) after she spotted an open-audition flyer while working as a barmaid. Over three decades she has appeared in Oscar-winning films including the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men, voiced Princess Merida in Pixar's Brave, and collected an Emmy, a BAFTA and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Macdonald plays sheriff Kerry Kane in the series Lanterns (HBO, from August 16, 2026), which became one of the biggest HBO Max premieres ever.
Filming of the second season of the series Dept. Q for Netflix has begun; Macdonald returns alongside Matthew Good.
Netflix renewed the series Dept. Q for a second season after the first season from May 2025 received critical and audience acclaim.
The series Dept. Q (Netflix) premiered on May 29, 2025 and received 88% on Rotten Tomatoes; Macdonald plays doctor Rachel Irving in it.
Macdonald was confirmed as a member of the main cast of the series Lanterns (HBO/DC Studios) alongside Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre.
