Fionnula Flanagan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fionnula Flanagan
Flanagan in 2012
Born	Fionnghuala Manon Flanagan (1941-12-10) 10 December 1941 (age 83) Dublin, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Education	Abbey Theatre School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1965–present
Spouse(s)	Garrett O'Connor ​ ​ (m. 1972; his death 2015)​

Fionnghuala Manon "Fionnula" Flanagan (born December 10, 1941) is a famous actress from Ireland. She has appeared in many movies and TV shows for over 50 years.

You might know her as Grandma'am in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes or as the voice of Granny and Macha in the animated movie Song of the Sea. She also played the mysterious Eloise Hawking in the TV series Lost.

Flanagan is a very respected actress. She has won many awards, including an Emmy Award and a Saturn Award. In 2012, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the IFTA for her amazing career in movies and television.

Early Life and School

Fionnula Flanagan was born and grew up in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. Her father was an officer in the Irish Army. He also fought in the Spanish Civil War as part of a group called the International Brigades.

Her parents wanted Fionnula and her four siblings to learn the Irish language, also known as Gaelic. Even though her parents didn't speak it, Fionnula learned it and can speak both English and Irish fluently. She went to school at the famous Abbey Theatre School to study acting.

Acting Career

Flanagan's career began in 1964 on the stage in an Irish-language play. She quickly became well-known in Ireland after appearing in the TV version of the play.

Stage and Movies

She became famous for acting in plays and movies based on the works of the Irish writer James Joyce. She even wrote and starred in her own one-woman show called James Joyce's Women, where she played six different female characters. For her work on stage, she was nominated for two Tony Awards, which are major awards for theater.

Flanagan in NYC, April 2018

Flanagan has been in many popular movies. She played the housekeeper Mrs. Mills in the spooky horror film The Others with Nicole Kidman. She was also in comedies like Waking Ned Devine and Yes Man with Jim Carrey. Other famous movies include Four Brothers and The Guard.

Television Roles

Flanagan has had a long and successful career in American television. In 1976, she won an Emmy Award for her role in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man.

She is also known to fans of science fiction for her roles in the Star Trek universe. She appeared in:

• Star Trek: The Next Generation as the "mother" of the android character Data.
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a character named Enina Tandro.
• Star Trek: Enterprise as a Vulcan Ambassador named V'Lar.

From 2007 to 2010, she played the recurring role of Eloise Hawking in the hit TV show Lost. She also appeared in shows like Brotherhood, Murder, She Wrote, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Political Views

Flanagan is passionate about Irish politics. She starred in the movie Some Mother's Son, which is about a difficult time in Northern Ireland's history known as the Troubles. The movie tells the story of mothers whose sons were involved in protests.

She has supported the Irish political party Sinn Féin and has spoken in favor of a united Ireland, where Northern Ireland would join the Republic of Ireland to form one country. She and her late husband were known for hosting events for the Irish community in Hollywood.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Fionnula Flanagan's most well-known movies and TV shows.

Film

Television

Awards and Honors

• She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 9th Irish Film & Television Awards.
• The National University of Ireland, Galway gave her an honorary doctorate degree for her work in theater and film.

See also

In Spanish: Fionnula Flanagan para niños