Fun Facts – when Nicola met Barnaby

first published on 13 November 2014
 
 

Barnaby Kay | Nicola Walker

We believe that Nicola’s private life is just that, private, and we won’t normally discuss any aspect of her private life here, unless Nicola herself or someone close to her has made comments in this respect to members of the media, or has given us permission to do so.

Ever since the UK’s Radio Times published its Q and A with Nicola (which you can read HERE) on 18 October 2011 in which Nicola referred to her husband, actor Barnaby Kay, a number of times, there has been an increase in the number of visitors who landed on this fansite by googling “Barnaby Kay and Nicola Walker”. So, as a public service to all Nicola fans, here’s what we know :

Barnaby Kay is a British actor who spent a number of years, in the beginning of his career, with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In an interview he gave some years ago where he talked about appearing in productions of two of Shakespeare’s comedies, Twelfth Night and As You Like It, at the same time, he admitted that he has a soft spot for Shakespearean comedies, in particular characters that are falling in love with women who are dressed up as boys, which his character did in both of the plays. The interview contained this interesting comment :

“At this point he adds, with a grin creeping across his face, “I fell in love with my girlfriend when she was playing a boy. I don’t know what that is saying!”

The girlfriend in question was Nicola, whom Barnaby subsequently married.

In late September 2011, we checked this with Nicola. She laughed and told us, “yes, its true. The play was The Libertine where I played a boy called Billy Downs. Its something that we still joke about in this marriage every now and then.”

So from this tidbit, we can deduce that the couple met sometime in 1994. From an entry in Emma Kennedy’s Blog, we know that Nicola and Barnaby became engaged sometime in 2003 because they gave a Christmas party that year which also doubled as an engagement party. Their first child arrived in 2006 and is named Harry. And yes, he is named after the character “Harry Pearce” in Spooks. Nicola herself talks about the naming of her son in the 2010 Ian Wylie interview, as well as the TV Guide article which was published prior to the premiere of Series 8 of Spooks. You can see a scan of this article HERE.

In the November 2012 edition of the programme for the musical, Matilda, published by the Cambridge Theatre, Barnaby gave a rare interview in which he talked about his marriage to Nicola. We have a scan of that article which you can read on this Page.

Barnaby has worked on a number of projects with Nicola in the past. He guested in episode 305 of Spooks when he played John Fortescue, the would-be love interest for Ruth Evershed, the character played by Nicola. Although both Barnaby and Nicola were credited in The Blue Summer, that was mainly a voice over project. Both Barnaby and Nicola have also appeared in Fire Horse [Film].

For more information on Barnaby Kay, visit his IMDb page.

For exclusive pics of Nicola with Barnaby on the red carpet at the 2013 Olivier Awards, head over to this Page.

20140929 Nicola and Barnaby w Julie Graham

20140929 Nicola and Barnaby w Julie Graham

7.1.2017 From the Guardian’s Q&A with Nicola

What was your most embarrassing moment?
At the Royal Court in 1994, doing The Libertine, the show where I met my husband. We were talking in the wings when he suddenly shouted, “You’re on!” and I ran on holding a chair. I looked back and he was in the wings utterly shocked: he didn’t think for a moment I’d believe him. I was in the wrong scene in the wrong costume, with a chair.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Parking my worries with my husband at 2am and leaving him blinking into the darkness while I sleep.

You can read the complete Q&A HERE.
 


Back to Fun Facts – Table of Contents