Georgina Cates was an English actor known for her work in British television and films on both sides of the Atlantic. Born Clare Elaine Woodgate, she first gained attention as Jenny Porter in the BBC sitcom 2point4 Children. She later played Stella in An Awfully Big Adventure and appeared in films including Clay Pigeons and Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.
Cates died in May 2026 at age 51. News of her death became public months later, after her daughter and the creator of 2point4 Children shared tributes. Her family has not publicly announced a cause of death. This biography focuses on documented details of her life and screen career.
Who was Georgina Cates?
Georgina Cates was an English film and television actor whose career began in the early 1990s. She played Jenny Porter in the first two series of 2point4 Children, then moved into film roles. Her best-known screen credits include An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), Clay Pigeons (1998), and Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013).
Her career included both British productions and American films. She also returned to independent film after a break from acting and later worked in photography. Though she did not maintain a constant public profile, her performances continued to attract interest from audiences discovering her earlier work.
Early life and name
Cates was born Clare Elaine Woodgate in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1975. Some online databases list different exact birth dates, so this article uses the year rather than repeating an unverified day and month. She began acting as a teenager and was cast in 2point4 Children while still young.
She later adopted the professional name Georgina Cates. The name became closely associated with her role in An Awfully Big Adventure, a film that helped introduce her to a wider audience. Reports of how she secured that role describe her returning to audition under a new identity and look after her initial attempt was unsuccessful.
Breakthrough in 2point4 Children
Cates’s first major television role was Jenny Porter in the BBC sitcom 2point4 Children. She appeared in the programme’s first two series, in 1991 and 1992. The show followed the Porter family through everyday problems and comic misadventures, and Cates played the original version of the teenage daughter, Jenny.
The role gave Cates early experience in a continuing television series. It also established her professionally before she moved into film. The sitcom’s creator, Andrew Marshall, later remembered her as talented and shared news of her death with condolences to her family.
An Awfully Big Adventure
In 1995, Cates played Stella in Mike Newell’s An Awfully Big Adventure, a drama set in postwar Liverpool. The film also featured Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman. Stella is a young woman who joins a theater company, and the role gave Cates a prominent place in an ensemble cast.
The casting story has become one of the most frequently repeated details about Cates’s career. Reports say she had initially been unsuccessful when auditioning under her birth name, then returned as Georgina Cates with a different appearance and accent. The role became a major early screen credit and helped establish her film career.
The American Film Institute’s catalog confirms her role as Stella and records the film’s 1995 release. The story remains a distinctive example of how Cates’s professional identity developed alongside her early work.
Film career and later roles
After An Awfully Big Adventure, Cates appeared in several films during the 1990s. Her credits included Frankie Starlight, Big City Blues, Illuminata, A Soldier’s Sweetheart, Stiff Upper Lips, and The Treat.
One of her notable later roles from that period was Amanda in Clay Pigeons (1998), a dark comedy crime film starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vince Vaughn. The film gave Cates a part in an American production and showed her in a different kind of story from the period drama that had brought her broader attention.
After a break from the screen, Cates returned to acting in the 2000s. She appeared in the independent film Sinner and had a television guest role in The Closer. Her later credits included Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) and Everlasting (2016), her final screen credit listed in major film databases.
Work beyond acting
Cates also worked as a photographer. This creative work came alongside her acting career and reflected an interest in visual storytelling beyond performance. Public information about her photography career is more limited than the record of her screen roles, so specific projects and dates should be included only when supported by reliable sources.
Her screen career was not especially long by industry standards, but it covered several genres and production settings. She moved from a British family sitcom to period drama, independent film, dark comedy, and a mainstream comedy franchise. The range of credits is a central part of her professional story.
Personal life
Cates was married to American actor Skeet Ulrich from 1997 until their divorce in 2005. They had twins, Naiia and Jakob, born in 2001. Both children have pursued creative work. Cates’s family has largely maintained privacy, and public sources provide limited detail about her life outside her work and family relationships.
In June 2026, her daughter shared a tribute remembering Cates as creative and free-spirited. When the news of Cates’s death became more widely reported in October, the creator of 2point4 Children also posted a remembrance. No cause of death has been publicly confirmed by her family.
Death and legacy
Georgina Cates died in May 2026 at age 51. The news was not widely reported until October, when tributes from her daughter and former colleagues brought renewed attention to her life and work. Reports said no cause of death had been made public.
Her legacy is tied especially to her early role in 2point4 Children and her performance in An Awfully Big Adventure. She also left a varied filmography that includes independent projects and popular studio releases. Viewers continue to find her work through these films and television appearances.
Georgina Cates biography at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Professional name | Georgina Cates |
| Birth name | Clare Elaine Woodgate |
| Birth year | 1975 |
| Birthplace | Colchester, Essex, England |
| Died | May 2026 |
| Age at death | 51 |
| Nationality | English |
| Profession | Actor; also worked in photography |
| Early television role | Jenny Porter in the first two series of 2point4 Children |
| Notable film role | Stella in An Awfully Big Adventure (1995) |
| Other notable films | Clay Pigeons, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, and Everlasting |
| Former spouse | Actor Skeet Ulrich |
| Children | Twins Naiia and Jakob |
| Cause of death | Not publicly announced by her family |
Frequently asked questions
Who was Georgina Cates?
Georgina Cates was an English actor known for 2point4 Children, An Awfully Big Adventure, and Clay Pigeons. Her birth name was Clare Elaine Woodgate.
What was Georgina Cates’s real name?
She was born Clare Elaine Woodgate and later worked under the professional name Georgina Cates.
Where was Georgina Cates born?
She was born in Colchester, Essex, England.
How old was Georgina Cates when she died?
She was 51. News reports said she died in May 2026.
What happened to Georgina Cates?
Her death in May 2026 became widely known in October, after tributes from her daughter and the creator of 2point4 Children. Her family has not publicly announced a cause of death.
What was Georgina Cates known for?
She was known for playing Jenny Porter in 2point4 Children and Stella in An Awfully Big Adventure. She also appeared in Clay Pigeons and Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.
Was Georgina Cates married to Skeet Ulrich?
Yes. Cates and actor Skeet Ulrich married in 1997 and divorced in 2005. They had twins, Naiia and Jakob.
What was Georgina Cates’s last movie?
Her final screen credit listed in major film databases is Everlasting (2016).
Final Word
Georgina Cates built a varied acting career that began with British television and extended into films in the United Kingdom and the United States. Her roles in 2point4 Children, An Awfully Big Adventure, and Clay Pigeons remain the most widely recognized parts of her screen work.
Her death at 51 prompted renewed interest in her life and career. While much of her personal life remained private, her performances left a lasting record across television and film.