Georgina Cates, Actress on BBC's '2point4 Children,' Dies at 51
Tributes are being shared for the actress, best known for her role as Jenny Porter in the popular BBC sitcom.
Actress Georgina Cates, known for her role as Jenny Porter in the BBC sitcom "2point4 Children," has died at the age of 51. The news of her passing was made public on Saturday by Andrew Marshall, the creator of "2point4 Children."
Marshall announced on X, formerly Twitter, that he had learned of Cates' death, which occurred on May 6. "I'm very sad to report, I have just discovered, that lovely and talented Claire Woodgate aka Georgina Cates, our 1st Jenny in 2p4 died last May," he wrote. "I have no other details than on IMDb. Sympathies to her family and children. If anyone has further details to share, please do."
It remains unclear why her death was only publicly disclosed several months later. Cates, born Claire Elaine Woodgate, grew up in Essex. She adopted the persona of Georgina Cates for her acting career, dyeing her hair red and adopting a Liverpudlian accent to secure the role on "2point4 Children" when she was 16.
Following her success in the sitcom, Cates gained wider recognition for her film debut in "An Awfully Big Adventure" in 1995, starring alongside Alan Rickman. Her filmography also includes "Frankie Starlight" (1995) and "Illuminata" (1998). She received critical acclaim for her performance in the 1998 film "Clay Pigeons," where she shared the screen with Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix.
After a seven-year hiatus from the acting industry, Cates returned in 2007 with the independent film "Sinner," for which she won the Best Actress award at the Brooklyn Arts Council International Film & Video Festival. Her last known on-screen appearance was in the 2016 short film "Save Me From The Sound Of The Siren," playing the character Madeleine.
Fans have shared their tributes online, with one expressing sadness at the news and noting that Cates had been living locally. The cause of her death has not been publicly disclosed.