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Bríd Brennan
Born 1955 (age 69–70)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1980–present

Bríd Brennan (born in 1955) is a talented Irish actress. She is well-known for her work in movies, TV shows, and plays. One of her most famous roles was playing Agnes in the play Dancing at Lughnasa. For this role, she won a very important award called the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 1992. She has also been nominated three times for another major award, the Olivier Award, for her performances in Rutherford and Son, The Little Foxes, and The Ferryman.

Bríd Brennan has also appeared in several films, including Maeve (1982), Anne Devlin (1984), and Mike Leigh's Four Days in July (1985). She played Agnes again in the 1998 movie version of Dancing at Lughnasa, acting alongside the famous actress Meryl Streep. On TV, you might have seen her in shows like Cracker (1995), South Riding (2011), and The Escape Artist (2013).

Becoming an Actress

Starting Out in Theatre

Bríd Brennan began her acting journey in Dublin, Ireland. She performed in many big theatres there, such as the Gate Theatre, the Abbey Theatre, and the Gaiety Theatre. She also toured with a group called Moving Theatre, performing in different community centers.

Famous Theatre Roles

One of Bríd Brennan's most important roles was creating the character of Agnes Mundy in Brian Friel's play Dancing at Lughnasa in 1990. She performed this role in Dublin, then in London's West End, and finally on Broadway in New York City. Her performance earned her the 1992 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, which is a huge honor in theatre.

In 1994, Bríd played Janet in Rutherford and Son at the Royal National Theatre. This role led to her first nomination for an Olivier Award, another very prestigious theatre award, the next year. She also took on the challenging lead role of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company's national tour in 1996–1997.

Later, in 2002, Bríd was nominated for an Olivier Award again for her work in The Little Foxes. In 2006, she starred as Sister Aloysius in the play Doubt at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. In 2014, she played Kate Keller in Arthur Miller's famous play All My Sons at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park. More recently, in 2017, she appeared in The Ferryman, which moved from the Royal Court Theatre to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End.

On Screen and Radio

Early TV and Film Work

Bríd Brennan acted in a series of BBC plays called the Billy Plays from 1982 to 1984. She worked alongside other actors from Belfast, like Kenneth Branagh. In 1984, she played Collette in the TV film Four Days in July, which was about a difficult time in Northern Ireland.

The Ghostwatch Incident

On Halloween night in 1992, Bríd Brennan starred in a BBC One drama called Ghostwatch. This show was made to look like a live TV broadcast from a haunted house. Bríd played Pamela Early, the mother of the family experiencing strange events. The show caused a big stir in the UK because many viewers thought it was a real live broadcast, not a fictional drama. About 11 million people watched Ghostwatch, making Bríd Brennan very well known.

More Film and TV Roles

Bríd reprised her role as Agnes in the 1998 film version of Dancing at Lughnasa, which also starred Meryl Streep. For this performance, Bríd won an Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actress.

In 2010, she appeared in two popular TV shows, Doctor Who and The Escape Artist, both alongside actor David Tennant. Bríd also gave an award-winning performance in the 2012 film Shadow Dancer, winning an IFTA for her role as Ma. The director, James Marsh, said that her experience growing up in Belfast during the Troubles helped her understand the role.

In 2021, she appeared in the Irish-language crime thriller Doineann. From 2021 to 2024, she played a main role as Concepta O’Hare in the TV series Hope Street.

Awards and Nominations

Bríd Brennan has received many awards and nominations for her acting:

  • 1992 – Won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Dancing at Lughnasa.
  • 1992 – Won the Drama Desk Award for Ensemble Performance for Dancing at Lughnasa.
  • 1992 – Won the Theatre World Special Award for Ensemble Performance for Dancing at Lughnasa.
  • 1995 – Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Rutherford and Son.
  • 1999 – Won an Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actress for Dancing at Lughnasa.
  • 2002 – Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Little Foxes.
  • 2012 – Won the Edinburgh International Film Festival for Best Performance in a British Feature Film for Shadow Dancer (shared with Andrea Riseborough).
  • 2013 – Won an Irish Film & Television Award for Best Supporting Actress Film for Shadow Dancer.
  • 2018 – Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Ferryman.
  • 2024 – Won Best Actress Award at the Indie Shorts Awards Cannes for Room Taken, an Irish short film.
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