Actor, writer and director Diane Morgan is set to receive the Variety Outstanding Achievement Award, distributed in association with the Edinburgh TV Festival.
The honor, which is awarded as part of the Festival’s prestigious TV awards, is being awarded to the BAFTA-nominated star in recognition of her extensive body of work, which ranges from Ricky Gervais’ “After Life” to “Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe” and includes fan-favorite “Motherland.”
Morgan’s award will be paired with a wide-ranging conversation with Variety, taking place on Thursday, Aug. 25 at the festival. She will discuss her two-decades long career including highlights and challenges.
Born in Bolton, England, Morgan got her start in Peter Kay’s “Phoenix Nights” before going on to win critical acclaim for her comedy, which includes roles in “Death to 2020” and “Death to 2021,” the BBC Studios comedy drama “Inside No 9” and her own BBC comedy series “Mandy,” which Morgan wrote, directed and starred in.
In “After Life” Morgan plays the straight-talking Kath while her turn as professional dim-wit Philomena Cunk in “Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe” has also won her legions of fans. Cunk has gone on to star in her own shows, including “Cunk on Shakespeare” (for which Morgan scored a BAFTA nomination), “Cunk on Christmas” and “Cunk on Britain.” Soon to come is the eagerly anticipated “Cunk on Earth.”
“What a lovely surprise!” Morgan says of the honor. “This almost makes up for all those Edinburghs where no one turned up to my show.”
The Edinburgh TV Festival Awards, hosted by Sophie Duker, take place on Aug. 25. The Edinburgh TV Festival runs from Aug. 24-26.