Harley Bird
{{short description|British actress}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Harley Bird
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Harley Fiona Riley
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|12|13}}
| other_names = Harley Riley
| birth_place = Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England
| occupation = Actress
| alma_mater = Manchester School of Theatre
| years_active = 2007–present
}}
Harley Fiona Riley (born 13 December 2001),{{cite web|title=12 today! I love my pressies....!x|url=https://twitter.com/Harley_Bird_09/status/411437348639870976|website=Twitter|access-date=20 May 2017|language=en|date=13 December 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/family/kidsday/actress-harley-bird-interview-1.15674908|title=Harley Bird, voice of Peppa Pig, talks with Long Island kids|work=Newsday|last1=Iuzzolino|first1=Sarah|last2=Lewis|first2=Hannah|last3=Matthews|first3=Donovan|last4=Vieni|first4=Izzy|date=29 December 2017|access-date=3 May 2018}} better known by her stage name of Harley Bird, is an English actress.{{cite web|url=http://www.alphabetkidz.co.uk/press.php|title=Alphabet Kidz talent agency|access-date=8 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905210309/http://www.alphabetkidz.co.uk/press.php|archive-date=5 September 2012}} She was the third as well as the longest running voice of Peppa Pig, taking on the role in 2007 and leaving in 2020. The role was taken over by Amelie Bea Smith.
Early life and education
Harley Fiona Riley{{cite news|url=http://www.ukboardingschools.com/news/pipers-corner-school-pupil-wins-children-s-bafta/#.WO0Jj5DTVDs|title=Pipers Corner School Pupil wins Children's BAFTA|work=UK Boarding Schools|date=16 February 2012|access-date=11 April 2017}} was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester in Northern England to Gill and Craig Riley, the second eldest of four children, with two sisters and a brother.{{cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/13-year-old-girl-rochdale-behind-tvs-8536543|title=Meet TV's Peppa Pig... the 13-year-old girl from Rochdale|work=Manchester Evening News|last=Thompson|first=Melissa|date=25 January 2015|access-date=11 April 2017}} Bird attended Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire on their Tring Park Associates programme before enrolling into the main school.{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/552374/Peppa-Pig-voice-Harley-Bird-interview|title='I'm Peppa Pig' Meet Harley Bird, 13, the voice behind the world's most famous cartoon hog|work=Express|last=Barns|first=Sarah|date=16 January 2015|access-date=11 April 2017}} She went on to graduate from the Manchester School of Theatre in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatre.mmu.ac.uk/profile/harley-bird/|title=Harley Bird|website=Manchester School of Theatre|accessdate=8 August 2024}}
Career
At age five, she was signed to Alphabet Kidz Talent Agency. A month later she gained the voice role of Peppa in the children's animated series Peppa Pig. She replaced the previous actors, Lily Snowden-Fine and Cecily Bloom. She first voiced Peppa on the 2007 "Peppa's Christmas" special and continued to voice the character for seasons 3, 4, 5 and the first half of the 6th. She voiced Peppa Pig on "The Official BBC Children in Need Medley" and various other pieces of show merchandise.{{Citation|title=Peppa Pig star Harley Bird on 10 years oinking|work=BBC News|date=21 March 2017|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39332539|language=en-GB|access-date=21 March 2017}}
Bird's TV appearances and radio broadcasts include a behind-the-scenes feature on CBBC's Newsround{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/16956023|title=Harley Bird: The Voice Behind Peppa Pig|access-date=8 August 2012}} BBC Newsround, 9 February 2012 and an interview in character as Peppa on BBC Radio One's Chris Moyles Show.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/chrismoyles/6586/673|title=Chris Moyles Guests 2011|access-date=8 August 2012}} She became the youngest British Academy Film Award winner when she won the Performer award at the 2011 BAFTA for her voice-artist work as Peppa Pig.{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/2011-childrens-awards-nominations-winners,2169,BA.html|title=BAFTA Children's Awards Winners 2011|access-date=8 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911101315/http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/2011-childrens-awards-nominations-winners,2169,BA.html|archive-date=11 September 2012}}{{cite news|last=Woods|first=Judith|title=Why middle-class England is potty about Peppa Pig|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/8972519/Why-middle-class-England-is-potty-about-Peppa-Pig.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223134730/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/8972519/Why-middle-class-England-is-potty-about-Peppa-Pig.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 December 2011|access-date=29 July 2012|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=22 December 2011}}
Bird announced that she was leaving the role of Peppa Pig on 31 January 2020, after 13 years and 185 episodes in the role.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jan/31/peppa-pig-voice-actor-harley-bird-quits-after-13-years|title=Peppa Pig voice actor Harley Bird quits after 13 years|date=31 January 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=29 October 2020}} She was succeeded in the role by Amelie Bea Smith.
Bird starred as Daisy in Blueberry, a 2009 short film which won the Audience Award at the Cinequest Film Festival,{{cite web|url=http://www.matthewsanger.co.uk/Matthew-Sanger-Films/Blueberry|title=Blueberry|access-date=8 August 2012|archive-date=29 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729034606/http://www.matthewsanger.co.uk/Matthew-Sanger-Films/Blueberry|url-status=dead}} She also starred as Piper alongside Saoirse Ronan{{cite web|url=http://www.studiomagonline.com/blog/saoirse-ronan-to-star-in-how-i-live-now|title=Saoirse Ronan to star in How I Live Now|access-date=8 August 2012|work=Studio Magazine|date=27 July 2012}} in Kevin Macdonald's How I Live Now, released in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.megrosoff.co.uk/2012/06/25/press-release-for-how-i-live-now-film|title=Press release for "How I Live Now" film|access-date=8 August 2012|date=25 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529203043/http://www.megrosoff.co.uk/2012/06/25/press-release-for-how-i-live-now-film/|archive-date=29 May 2016|url-status=dead}}Meg Rosoff blog She also starred in Goodbye, a radio drama by Morwenna Banks, her Peppa Pig co-star, that aired on BBC Radio 4 alongside Olivia Colman, Natascha McElhone, Darren Boyd, Alison Steadman, and John Simm.{{cite web|url=https://blog.johnsimmsociety.com/2013/10/26/john-simm-joins-olivia-coleman-natascha-mcelhone-olivia-poulet-for-goodbye/|title=John Simm joins Olivia Coleman, Natascha McElhone & Olivia Poulet for 'Goodbye'|date=27 October 2013}} In 2017, Bird played the lead role of Sammy in Disney Channel's webisode series, So Sammy.{{cite news|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-02-14/miranda-hart-makes-foray-into-childrens-tv-with-new-disney-web-series-so-sammy|title=Miranda Hart makes foray into children's TV with new Disney web series So Sammy|work=Radio Times|last=Taylor|first=Frances|date=14 February 2017|access-date=11 April 2017}} In 2024, Bird starred in the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black as Winehouse's best friend Juliette Ashby.
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 2007–2020
| Peppa Pig and Baby Alexander | Voice |
| 2009
| Blueberry | Daisy | Short film |
| 2010–2014
| Hailey and Friends | Mika | Dubbed Voice |
| 2013
| Piper | Film |
| 2013
| Goodbye | Maddy | BBC Radio 4 drama |
| 2013–2020
| Peppa Pig | Voice |
| 2014
| Ruby | Episode: "In the Forest of the Night" |
| 2017
| So Sammy | Sammy | Disney mini series |
| 2024
|Juliette Ashby | |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|3897655}}
- [https://www.spotlight.com/0458-0199-7628 Harley Bird] at Spotlight
- {{cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/shooting-starts-on-kevin-macdonalds-how-i-live-now/5043685.article/|title=Screen Daily - Shooting Starts on Kevin MacDonald's "How I Live Now"|access-date=8 August 2012}}
- {{cite web|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/1471526_the-10-year-old-girl-from-rochdale-who-is-a-global-tv-star---as-the-voice-of-peppa-pig/|title=Manchester Evening News - The 10 Year Old Girl from Rochdale who is a global TV star as the voice of Peppa Pig|access-date=8 August 2012|date=21 January 2012}}
- {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15933947/|title=BBC News - Voice of Peppa Pig, Harley Bird, wins a BAFTA|work=BBC News|access-date=8 August 2012}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bird, Harley}}
Category:Alumni of the Manchester School of Theatre
Category:English child actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:English voice actresses
Category:Actors educated at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts
Category:Actresses from Rochdale