Elizabeth Anne Carr (born 21 April 1972) is an English actress, comedian, broadcaster and international disability rights activist. She is known for portraying the role of Clarissa Mullery in the BBC crime drama Silent Witness (2013–2020), and also for being a campaigner for disabled rights, and fronting the BBC documentary Better Off Dead? (2024).
She has been part of a number of comedy groups, including Abnormally Funny People with Tanyalee Davis, Steve Day, Steve Best, Simon Minty and Chris McCausland.
Carr was in her thirties when she took on her first professional acting role, playing Mother Courage, before heading to the Young Vic with another Bertolt Brecht play, The Exception and the Rule.[7] In 2013, she joined the long-running BBC crime thriller series Silent Witness as regular character Clarissa Mullery.[8][9] On 5 February 2020 it was announced that she had departed the series after eight years.
In 2019, Carr starred in The OA as Dr Marlow Rhodes.[10] In 2020, she appeared as a university lecturer in the miniseries Devs.[11]
Carr was disabled from age seven, owing to arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, and has used a wheelchair since the age of 14.[16]
She is frank about her life as a disabled person and the inherent comedy it brings: "I've had some tuts, which is fantastic... I look quite frail to some people, so it's like, 'She's talking about sex, she's swearing.' Every stereotype you didn't expect. People generally look terrified. 'Oh my God, is she going to be funny? Can we laugh at this?'"[17]
Carr became involved in politics, disabled rights, and activism while studying at the University of Nottingham. Following her graduation she left law to work as a disability equality trainer.[18] She has been a disability rights campaigner in the UK and has spoken at many rallies. In May 2008 she joined with ADAPT, a prominent disability rights group in the United States, to raise money for it and to protest presidential candidate John McCain's position on a bill permitting Americans qualifying for Medicaid coverage of nursing home costs to instead spend it on home-based, or community care, making it easier for disabled people to remain in their own homes.[19]
In 2024, Carr presented a documentary, Better Off Dead?, advocating against assisted suicide.[22]
Personal life
In 2010, Carr entered into a civil partnership with longtime partner Jo Church in what Carr called "A Wheelie Special Wedding". Her father gave a speech in which he joked he was prohibited from using words like "brave". Carr and her partner pre-recorded their first dance. In the video, they danced to the Dirty Dancing theme and the local fire brigade held Carr, and her chair, aloft.[23]
On 10 August 2017, Carr and her personal assistant were the victims of an attack by a man armed with scissors. The assailant was subsequently arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act 2007.[24]
