Karen Bryson

Karen Bryson is a British actress and film director best known for her role as Avril Powell in the comedy drama series Shameless. Since her television debut in 1996, she has appeared in several BAFTA-award winning series, including Buried (2003), Canterbury Tales (2003), The Bill and Holby City. She has also appeared in Black Narcissus (2020) and The Split (2022). She had an uncredited role as Elinore Stone in the 2021 American superhero film Zack Snyder's Justice League. Bryson made her directorial debut in 2022 with the short film Monochromatic. As a theatre actress, she has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in productions including The Winter's Tale and The Comedy of Errors. She has voiced various characters in several video games, including Baldur's Gate 3 and 007 First Light. She was honoured with an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2017 for her contributions in the field of drama, which was awarded to her by Prince Charles. She is an ambassador for the charity Solace Women's Aid.