Background
Whittaker was born in Skelmanthorpe where she initially attended Shelley College, West Yorkshire.
Whittaker was born in Skelmanthorpe where she initially attended Shelley College, West Yorkshire.
Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
She first came to prominence for her work in the film Venus (2006) and has since starred in films such as Street Trinian"s (2007), Good (2008), Street Trinian"s 2 (2009), and Attack the Block (2011). She has also starred in the television series Tess of the Doctorate"Urbervilles (2008), Wired (2008), Return to Cranford (2009), Marchlands (2011), Broadchurch (2013), and The Assets (2014). She then trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2005 with the gold medal for acting.
Whittaker made her professional debut in The Storm at Shakespeare"s Globe in 2005.
She has since worked in film, television, radio and theatre. In 2007 she stood in at short notice for an unwell Carey Mulligan in the Royal Court"s production of The Seagull, and appeared in a fundraising play at the Almeida Theatre.
In Whittaker"s first major role, she co-starred as Jessie / Venus in the film Venus. Her radio credits include a 2008 adaptation of Blinded by the Sun by Stephen Poliakoff and Lydia Bennett in Unseen Austen, an original drama by Judith French.
In 2010, Whittaker appeared in the film The Kid and co-starred in BBC1"s Accused.
She appeared in the 2009 Irish comedy crime film Perrier"s Bounty. In 2011, she appeared as Viv in the British Broadcasting Corporation adaptation of Sarah Waters"s novel The Night Watch and the cult film Attack the Block. In 2012, she starred in the musical comedy-drama Good Vibrations.
In March–April 2013, Whittaker starred in the high-profile Independent Television detective drama Broadchurch.
In January 2014, she starred in the reality-based spy drama miniseries The Assets on American Broadcasting Company.