Blood and Bone China
Leonora
Played by Ellie Astley
First appearance: Chapter Four - The Devil in the Potteries
Leonora is the only daughter of Linus Hemlock, the world famous and extremely wealthy ceramic factory owner. She was born in 1884 and her mother sadly passed away during her birth. She was raised by her father, who loved her dearly, and she never wanted for anything.
One fateful summer's day in 1897, Leonora ventured out into the bluebell woods that surrounded Hemlock Manor and disappeared. Two weeks later, she returned home to her father, weak, pale and starving... but only the taste of blood could satisfy her now. Her father let her feed on those that would not be missed; the homeless, the sick and the whores. He disposed of the bodies through his ceramic factory, burning away any flesh in the kilns and grinding up the remaining bones for use in his bone china clay. When Hemlock discovered the human bones made his china the most beautiful and fine, he began to control Leonora, forcing her to create more vampires and take more people from the streets. He distanced himself from her, but Leonora still loved her father and did anything he asked, desperately trying to gain his approval.
Leonora resides in Hemlock Manor, hidden away from any prying eyes. Her father says that she is dead, and to him, she is.
Ellie Astley, age 13, is a pupil at the Discovery Academy, formerly known as Edensor Technology College. Ellie started attending Amanda Andrews Drama Studio at the age of eleven, and since then has passed her entry grade exam in solo acting for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, with distinction. Within a short time of starting her acting career, Ellie featured in a DVD about domestic violence for the Charity Arch and has narrated the eight minute documentary 'Miniature Stoke-On-Trent'. 'Blood and Bone China' is Ellie's first major acting role, which she is enjoying immensely and, hopefully, this is just the first of many acting roles to come!
