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Ruth Connell
Ruth Connell by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Connell in 2016
Born (1979-04-20) 20 April 1979 (age 45)
Falkirk, Scotland
Alma mater Rose Bruford College
Occupation Actress, producer
Years active 1998–present
Partner(s) Rob Benedict
Children 1

Ruth Connell (born 20 April 1979) is a Scottish actress, and producer. She is also a former professional dancer and choreographer. Connell is known for her recurring role as Rowena in the CW series Supernatural (2014-2020). She was nominated as "Best Leading Actress" in the 2013 Broadway World Los Angeles Awards for her portrayal of Mrs Darling and Captain Hook at the Blank Theatre, Los Angeles in their award-winning production of Peter Pan: The Boy Who Hated Mothers.

Early life

Born in Falkirk and raised outside Bonnybridge, she was the only child of football manager and coach David Connell and teacher Fiona Murray. Connell was sent to dancing lessons at an early age to keep her cousin company; she showed promise and was accepted onto the Scottish Ballets Vocational Dance Education Scheme. She performed many child roles with Scottish Ballet including the lead role of Clara in their Nutcracker. She won the titles of Scottish Junior Ballet Champion and Scottish Senior Ballet champion at Stage Festivals in Scotland as a teenager.

Career

After working as a professional dancer with companies The Curve Foundation, Jazz Art UK, and with Leah Stein at Dancebase Edinburgh, Connell attended the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in London where she gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Acting. She was picked as the "Critics Choice" by the adjudicator from The Stage newspaper for her graduation showcase. After leaving drama college, she performed the lead role of Grusha in Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, which toured for The Palace Theatre, Watford in 2004.

Connell toured the UK in 2005 with the Oxford Stage Company's revival of Men Should Weep in the role of Isa. In 2006, she played the lead female roles of Gretchen and Helen of Troy in Faust at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. The production was CATS-nominated Critics Awards for theatre in Scotland. In 2007, Connell played ballroom dancer Lily at the Citizens Theater's sell out production of Alex Norton's No Mean City and in 2008, Connell played the dual roles of Mrs. Beaver/Mrs. Mcready to glowing reviews The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh.

Connell was cast as a series regular in the ITV sitcom pilot Above Their Stations in 2009, which also starred Denis Lawson, Ashley Madekwe, Andrew Brooke and Simon Dudley shown on BBC Three. Connell is also credited with producing A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hansel and Gretel at the Avenue Theatre Company based in Greenwich during this time period as well as the short film Sapphire Strange and web series John and Jane.

Since moving to the United States in 2011, Connell has had lead roles in the award-winning independent film Folklore as well as in the feature films The Cursed Man, based on the cult novel by Keith Rommel, and Hara Kiri, a punk infused love story of two street skaters, directed by Aitch Alberto. She voiced Merida in the video game Disney Infinity 3.0. She reprised the role in the Sofia the First episode "The Secret Library". From 2014 to 2020 Connell played Rowena, a powerful witch and also the mother of the King of Hell, Crowley (Mark A. Sheppard), on the popular TV series Supernatural starting in season 10 up until its fifteenth and final season and has been one of the longest running female characters on the show.

Personal life

Connell is in a relationship with her Supernatural co-star, Rob Benedict. They have a daughter, who was born in January 2024.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Soldier's Leap London Girl Short film
2010 Love's Debt Deborah Perry Short film
2012 A Perfect Ending Mourner
Folklore MaryLane Heth
Sh*t British People Say in the USA Ruth YouTube
2013 ... Head Louise
Sapphire Strange Belecka Corath Short film
2015 Sienna Burning Suzanne / Sienna Short film
2016 Hara Kiri Candy
The Cursed Man Bonnie
2018 For the Love of George Stacy
2021 The Loud House Movie Chip Shoppe Owner, Car Driver, Additional voices Voice role
2023 Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose Mrs. Irving

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Meades Eats Medical Staff Episode: "Fast Food"
2010 Above Their Station Olga TV movie
2014–2020 Supernatural Rowena MacLeod Recurring role
2015 Sofia the First Merida Episode: "The Secret Library", voice role
2017 Open House Linda Episode: "Like A Clam"
2021 Doom Patrol Night Nurse Episode: "Dead Patrol"
2023 The Winchesters Rowena MacLeod Episode: "The Tears of a Clown"
2024 Dead Boy Detectives Night Nurse Main cast

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes Merida Voice
2015 Disney Infinity 3.0 Merida Voice
2018 Lego The Incredibles Merida Voice
2023 Truth Gameshow Contestant Full-motion video
2023 Starfield Polly Mac Coinnich Voice
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