| Molly Dawes | |
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| Our Girl character | |
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| First appearance |
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| Last appearance |
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| Created by | Tony Grounds |
| Portrayed by | Lacey Turner |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation |
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| Affiliation | British Army |
| Spouse | Captain James (husband) |
| Parents |
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Molly Dawes is a fictional character from the BBC military drama Our Girl, played by Lacey Turner. Molly first appeared in the pilot episode of the show, first broadcast on 24 March 2013, and serves as the protagonist of the first series. Molly was initially introduced as a young beautician from a dysfunctional home life who becomes inspired to join the British Army as a combat medic. Molly's storylines in the series have included breaking away from her troubled home, her success and struggles in the army, and being involved in a love triangle with Dylan 'Smurf' Smith (Iwan Rheon) and her eventual husband Captain James (Ben Aldridge).
Molly has been described as tough, feisty, determined, and courageous. To play the character, Turner had to undergo rigorous training, which she appreciated the challenges of, despite describing the filming experience as difficult. During the preparation, she also spoke with several female recruits and noticed that many of them came from similarly troubled backgrounds to Molly. After the first series finished filming, Turner left the show to return to her role as Stacey Slater on EastEnders. Molly's character was written out as a result, with a new character, Georgie Lane (Michelle Keegan), filling the role of the protagonist for the remainder of the series. Series writer Tony Grounds was vocal about his hopes of Turner returning to the role. Turner's portrayal and Molly's character garnered generally positive critical reception.