Marie Mullen facts for kids

Marie Mullen, born in 1953, is a famous Irish actress. She helped start the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Ireland. Marie is also well-known for her amazing acting in the play The Beauty Queen of Leenane in 1998. For this role, she won a special award called the Tony Award.

Her Acting Journey

Marie Mullen grew up in Drumfin, a place in south Sligo, Ireland. She knew she wanted to be an actress since she was in high school. When she was 17, she met Garry Hynes at NUI Galway, where Marie was studying archaeology. Together with Mick Lally, they decided to create their own theatre group. This group became the famous Druid Theatre Company.

As one of the people who started the Druid Theatre Company, Marie has acted in many of their plays. Some of these include Conversations on a Homecoming in 1985. She also played the character "Mary" in Tom Murphy's play Bailegangaire.

Marie also created the role of Maureen in Martin McDonagh's play The Beauty Queen of Leenane in 1996. She performed this play on Broadway in 1998. Her performance was so good that she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. This is a very important award for actors in the United States.

Other plays she performed with Druid Theatre include Brigit and The Cripple of Inishmaan. In 2008, she acted in The Cripple of Inishmaan in New York City. She played "Mary" again in Bailegangaire in 2014, and also the character "Mommo" in the same play. Critics praised her acting, saying she showed great emotion and humor.

In 2006, Marie was part of a huge project called DruidSynge. This was a special theatre event where all the plays by John Millington Synge were performed on the same day. Marie acted in five out of the six plays. A reviewer from New York Times called her "the great and glorious Marie Mullen."

In 2007, she acted with James Cromwell in the Druid production of Long Day's Journey into Night. In 2015, she was part of DruidShakespeare at the Lincoln Center Festival. In this show, she played several different male characters.

Marie Mullen is also set to appear on Broadway again. She will play Mrs. Paroo in a new version of the musical The Music Man, which is planned for 2022.

Movies She's Been In

Marie Mullen has also acted in a few movies. She was in the 1994 film Circle of Friends as "Mrs. Foley." She also appeared in the movie Hear My Song in 1991, playing "Mickey's Mom."

Awards and Special Honors

Marie Mullen won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Actress in a play for her role in The Beauty Queen of Leenane.

In 2012, she received an Alumni Award from NUI Galway. This award recognized her achievements in arts and social sciences.

She also received a Special Tribute Award in 2013 at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards. This award celebrated her huge impact on Irish theatre.

In 2016, NUI Galway, her old university, gave her an honorary Doctorate of Arts. This is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things.

In 2018, the Druid Theatre launched the Marie Mullen Bursary. This is a special award named after her. It helps support female writers, directors, and designers in theatre.

Her Family Life

Marie Mullen married Irish actor Seán McGinley in 1990. They first met in 1977. They have two daughters. Her husband has also worked with the Druid Theatre Company many times.