Gwen Cooper - Reception

Reception

Eve Myles has enjoyed an increased profile since being cast as Gwen Cooper in Torchwood and is now considered one of Wales' greatest drama exports. On casting her, Russell T Davies described Myles as "Wales best kept secret," and the actress has been described as a "Welsh icon" since appearing in Torchwood, with the Western Mail listing Myles' turn as "Torchwood's feisty female lead" as a contributing factor in making her one of Wales' sexiest women, as well as a national institution. In an analysis of Welsh representation in television, Geraint Telfan Davies cited Myles' role in Torchwood, coupled with the popularity of sitcom Gavin and Stacey, as combating prejudice against the Welsh accent. Backing up this claim, Samantha Bennet of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette describes Myles' "silvery, flowing" accent as "exotic" and Myles herself as a bona fide star. Shortly after Torchwood's premiere, Conservative MP Michael Gove described Gwen Cooper as a "Celtic Rosselini" and an example of Welsh sensuality, while in 2006, Wales on Sunday named Myles as its "Bachelorette of the Year". In July 2011, The Scotsman's Aidan Smith described Gwen Cooper as "the sexiest woman in Wales".

The Guardian's "Organ Grinder" reviewer was full of praise for Myles' performance in "Everything Changes", expressing the opinion that, through her portrayal of Gwen Cooper, she managed to outshine Captain Jack. The character was described by The Stage as "the solid, down to earth character needed to anchor Torchwood to the real world" whilst functioning well as a foil to Captain Jack. Some reviews mocked the prosaic characterisation. Verity Stob, a technology columnist for online newspaper The Register, wrote a parody of Torchwood called Under Torch Wood (in the style of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood). The piece mocks Gwen's role as "the viewer proxy" describing her as "plumply pop-eyed" and her boyfriend Rhys as 'Barry Backstory'. Jan Ravens played a parody version of Gwen in the impressionist television series Dead Ringers, in which she displays a badge labelling her with what Jon Culshaw's Captain Jack describes as her sole characteristic: Welsh. In November 2006 Jim Shelley from The Mirror stated Gwen to be "neither as interesting nor as sexy as she should be."

The more assertive Gwen in Torchwood's third series attracted praise from reviewers: Paul Collins of Total Sci-Fi expressed the opinion that Children of Earth finally shows Gwen's heroic characteristics in a way that had been missing in the first two series, while Daniel Martin from the Guardian stated that "it's great to see Gwen being so completely badass". David Cornelius wrote that Gwen succeeds as a strongly written female character that does not pander to stereotypes because writers avoid defining her by any aspect of her adventures. Reviewers commented on Myles' standing as a leading lady: Comic Book Resources' Remy Minnick describes Gwen as "the true heart of Torchwood", while Scott Lewinski from Wired magazine described Myles' portrayal as the conscience of the Torchwood team, and the show itself. Total Sci-Fi's Jonathan Wilkins felt that the five part serial marked the emergence of Eve Myles as a star in her own right and opined that she could potentially carry the show without co-star Barrowman. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune stated her belief that the third series' climax showed that Eve Myles has "grown into the role" of Gwen, describing her performance as "outstanding". Ryan later gave an "Honourable Mention" to Gwen when discussing Sci-Fi TV's Most Memorable Female Characters, making her the only Doctor Who franchise character to receive a mention. Critical response to the character remained positive in the fourth series. Gavin Fuller of The Daily Telegraph felt Myles "took the acting honours with a bravura performance", whilst Charlie Jane Anders stated Gwen to have the strongest moments in the finale which led to "a new appreciation for her character".

Eve Myles won the 2007 Bafta Cymru Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Gwen Cooper, winning over the parent series' actress Billie Piper. She was nominated again for the award in 2008, and again in 2010. In 2010 Myles won the 'Best Actress" award in the SFX Reader's Awards poll, and was crowned best actress in the 11th annual Airlock Alpha Portal Awards. For her role as Gwen Cooper in Torchwood: Miracle Day Myles was nominated for a Satellite Award in the Best Television Actress category, and reached the shortlist for the 2012 UK National Television Awards. She has also received a nomination for Best Actress In Television at the 38th Saturn Awards, held in June 2012. Action figures of Gwen have been created in her likeness, which Myles' describes as "bizarre and wonderful" and at the same time "really kind of strange". In a reader's awards poll in the sixth issue of Torchwood Magazine, Gwen was voted second favourite Torchwood character behind Captain Jack, a ranking she received in a 2011 poll published by the Liverpool Daily Post as part of a live interview with writer John Fay. Myles, describing her experiences at various science-fiction conventions, has praised the fan response as "incredible" and "just extraordinary". Some fans have taken to blacking out their teeth at conventions to mimic her gap toothed appearance, which Myles finds particularly flattering.