Susan Fitzgerald facts for kids

Susan Mary Theresa FitzGerald (born May 28, 1949 – died September 9, 2013) was a talented Irish actress. She was well-known for her work on television and in plays on stage in Ireland. Many people called her "one of Ireland's best known stage actresses" and "the most important stage actress of her time." She was loved by theatre audiences.

About Susan FitzGerald

Susan FitzGerald was born in Leicester, England. She was the oldest of six children. Her father, William FitzGerald, was a doctor, and her mother was Emily Irwin. Her parents had moved to Leicester from Dublin during the Second World War.

Susan went to Evington Hall convent school in Leicester. In 1966, her family moved back to Kinsale, which is in County Cork, Ireland.

College Life and Family

In 1968, Susan started studying at Trinity College, Dublin. There, she studied English, philosophy, and history. Soon after starting college, she met Michael Colgan. He later became a well-known director.

Susan and Michael were both active in a drama group called the Trinity Players. They got married and later had three children: Sarah, Sophie, and Richard. Susan and Michael separated in 2010, but they remained good friends.

Susan's Acting Career

Susan FitzGerald began her acting career in the 1970s. She played main roles in many plays at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. These plays were written by both Irish and European writers.

Theatre Work

Susan was especially known for playing the character May in a play called Footfalls. She performed this play at the Gate's Beckett Festival in New York and London. She also filmed Footfalls for a special project called Beckett on Film.

She also worked at the Abbey Theatre, another famous theatre in Ireland. Some of the plays she acted in there include Six Characters in Search of an Author, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Hedda Gabler.

More recently, Susan appeared in many other plays at the Gate Theatre. She played Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest. She was also Mrs. Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, a role she played again at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. She also acted in Jane Eyre, The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, and The Misanthrope. Other plays included Pygmalion and The Constant Wife. She also performed in various plays at the Olympia Theatre.

Television and Film Roles

Susan FitzGerald also had many roles on television. She appeared in shows like Fair City, Rebel Heart, Bachelor's Walk, Proof, and The Big Bow Wow. She also acted in movies such as Satellites and Meteorites and Happy Ever Afters.

Later Life and Death

Susan FitzGerald passed away at the age of 64. She died from cancer.

Selected Filmography

Film Roles

• Happy Ever Afters - Mrs. Maguire
• Satellites & Meteorites - Angela Gore
• Footfalls (short film) - May
• Angela's Ashes - Sister Rita
• The Serpent's Kiss - Mistress Clevely
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1977) - Emma

Television Roles

• The Big Bow Wow - Patricia
• Proof - Beatrice Cosgrove
• The Irish R.M. - Miss Longmuir