Gemma Elizabeth Whelan (born 23 April 1981) is an English actress and comedian, known for playing Yara Greyjoy in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones. In addition to being an actor and comedian, Whelan is also a professional dancer specialising in the tap and jazz dance styles. She is a member of the dance troupe the Beaux Belles, based in London. She is also trained in musical theatre and has a mezzo-soprano singing voice. Whelan can speak conversational Spanish. She lives in London. In July 2017, she was expecting her first child with husband Gerry. She often performs stand-up in character as Chastity Butterworth and in 2014 she recorded a pilot chat show for BBC Radio 4 called The Chastity Butterworth Show.