Michael Socha in The Gallows Pole© Dean Rogers

The Gallows Pole star Michael Socha has a very famous sister - details

Michael's sister is a BAFTA-winning actress

TV and film writer
June 14, 2023

Michael Socha is captivating BBC viewers with his portrayal of David Hartley, the leader of the Cragg Vale Coiners, in the new drama, The Gallows Pole

But did you know that Michael isn't the only famous face in his family? His sister is a BAFTA-winning actress. Find out all about her here...

WATCH: Michael Socha stars in The Gallows Pole

Who is Michael Socha?

Michael Socha is a 35-year-old actor from Derby. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the This Is England television series, the BBC supernatural drama, Being Human, and the fantasy series, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

Michael shares his son, Elis, with his former girlfriend, who welcomed their child in 2012. 

© Dean Rogers

Michael Socha as David Hartley in The Gallows Pole

Speaking about his upbringing in a new interview with The Guardian, Michael revealed that he and his friends would get into trouble while hanging around town in Derby. When asked if he fell in with the wrong crowd, he said: "No, I was the wrong people. Me and my lot, it was very violent. A lot of fighting, drink and drugs around, it weren't a very nice place. None of us were from conventional families, we'd all been in the [expletive]. 

© Dean Rogers

The Gallows Pole concludes on Wednesday night

"Our childhoods were just general violence, a place where you couldn't back down from a fight, you had to fight. It was constant, all the [expletive] time: battles here, or that bloke's after you, or called you whatever, and you'd have to sort that out. Derby was a battleground."

Who is Michael Socha's famous sister?

Michael Socha's sister is actress Lauren Socha.

The Derby native won her first BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the tender age of 19 after appearing in Samantha Morton's directorial debut, The Unloved.

© Dave M. Benett

Lauren won a BAFTA for her role in The Misfits

MORE: The Gallows Pole: fans saying same thing about new BBC drama​​

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In the same year, she rose to fame after playing Kelly Bailey in the E4 comedy-drama series Misfits, for which she won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Lauren, 33, has a number of comedy credits to her name, having appeared in the hit series, Catastrophe, as babysitter Anna, as well as the sitcom, The Other One, in which she played Cat. 

© Joseph Scanlon

Lauren plays Cat in The Other One

While she is mostly known for her various TV roles, she may also be recognised for starring in Arctic Monkeys' music video for their 2006 single 'When the Sun Goes Down', which she appeared in at the age of 15.

Lauren likes to keep her personal life out of the spotlight, so not much is known about her current relationship status or family life. Although, we do know that Lauren and her boyfriend welcomed their first child together in 2016, a baby girl named Reenie-Rae Rainsford.

What is The Gallows Pole about?

© Dean Rogers

Did you enjoy the new series?

Based on the books by Benjamin Myers, the story follows the rise of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners in the 18th century.

Set in the moorland hills of Yorkshire, the three-part series follows David Hartley as he assembles a gang of weavers and land-workers to embark upon a revolutionary criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy.

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