Tara Lynne O'Neill | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lynne James 16 November 1975 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Other names | Tara O'Neill |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
Tara Lynne O'Neill (born 18 September 1975) is an Irish actress from Northern Ireland, who has appeared in film, theatre and television.
Early life[edit]
During her childhood she aspired to become a dentist, but abandoned this after failing her General Certificate of Secondary Education in Chemistry.[1] At sixth-form college she opted for a career in acting.[2]
Career[edit]
Film and television[edit]
O'Neill started work as a television presenter on Saturday Disney from 1993 to 1996. She was also a main presenter on The Over the Wall Gang, a young people's television show from BBC Northern Ireland. She later played Joanne Ryan in EastEnders between 20 September 2002 and 21 August 2003.
O'Neill also appeared in film roles such as the town's seductress in The Most Fertile Man in Ireland (1999), and as Claire McKee in Wild About Harry (2000). Between 2013 and 2016 she appeared in The Fall.[3] In 2018, she joined the main cast of Derry Girls as Mary Quinn.[4][5] The third series of Derry Girls premiered on 12 April 2022.[6]
In April 2024, O'Neill was cast as Inspector Eve Dunlop in BBC's Hope Street for the show's fourth series.[7]
Her other roles include The Informant (1997), Disco Pigs (2001), Full Circle and Omagh (2004).
Stage[edit]
In addition to television and film, at the age of 19 she appeared on stage at the Grand Opera House in Belfast as Sandy in a production of the musical Grease.
In 2006 O'Neill appeared as Rita in a theatre production of Educating Rita staged at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.[8]
In 2021 she wrote and starred in Rough Girls, a play about women's football in Belfast in 1917–21; it was aired on BBC Four in 2022.[9][10][11][12]
References[edit]
- ^ "Tara Lynne O'Neill on her favourite things". Belfast Telegraph. 6 April 2015. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Arts Q&A: Tara Lynne O'Neill on Eddi Reader, La La Land and women's football". The Irish News. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Episode 2, Series 3, The Fall – Credits". BBC. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Tara Lynne O'Neill on joys of playing fierce mum in hit sitcom Derry Girls". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ^ Doran, Sarah (11 January 2017). "Derry Girls review: Channel 4's new comedy is the best antidote for the January blues". Radio Times. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
- ^ "Derry Girls Season 3".
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/hope-street-series-four-filming-starts
- ^ "Left: Ivan Little and Tara Lynne O'Neill in rehearsals for Educating Rita, which opens at the Lyric Theatre tomorrow". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Ballsy new play 'Rough Girls' shoots and scores". LoveBelfast. 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Derry Girls star's hopes for series future after flashback episode". 11 May 2022.
- ^ Moore, Paul (25 July 2021). "Rough Girls is the remarkable story about Irish football that nobody knows about". Irish Mirror.
- ^ "Interview with Tara Lynne O'Neill (Mary Quinn) | Channel 4". www.channel4.com.