Helen Behan | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | This Is England '88 and The Virtues |
| Spouse | Caimin[2] |
| Children | 4[2] |
Helen Behan is an Irish actress. Her most notable roles include This Is England '88 and The Virtues. Behan was named as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow 2020.
Early life and career[edit]
Behan is from Laytown, County Meath, Ireland.[1] During her student days in college, Behan attended part-time acting courses at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin.[2]
Career[edit]
After a chance meeting in a pub, Shane Meadows invited Behan to audition for a part in the film This Is England '88, where she landed the role of Evelyn, nurse and later friend to Lol Jenkins (Vicky McClure). In 2019, Behan played the role of Anna, sister of Joseph (Stephen Graham)[3][4] in The Virtues for which she received a nomination as Best supporting actress at the 2020 BAFTA TV awards.[5]
Behan was named as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow 2020, which showcases talent within the TV & film industry of Great Britain and Ireland.[6][7]
In 2020, Behan starred in the Cathy Brady directed Irish drama thriller film Wildfire alongside Danika McGuigan and Nora-Jane Noone.[8] In 2021, she took on a main role of police psychologist Tory Snow, in the Swedish supernatural psychological thriller series The Box, co-starring Anna Friel and Peter Stormare.[9]
in 2022, Behan played the role of Abigail Ross in the ITV miniseries Holding, a four part adaptation of Graham Norton's bestselling novel.[10] In 2023, Behan portrayed Monica Nolan in the Dublin sleuth film Barber alongside the protagonist played by Aidan Gillen.[11]
Personal life[edit]
Behan is married with four children; Her husband supported her move away from nursing into acting. During the COVID-19 outbreak she returned to her previous vocation.[9][12]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Wildfire | Joanne | [8] |
| 2021 | Wolf | Jacob's mother | |
| 2023 | Barber | Monica Nolan | |
| 2024 | Small Things like These | Mrs. Kehoe |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | This Is England '88 | Helen | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Love/Hate | Marie | 1 episode (4.1) |
| 2015 | This Is England '90 | Helen | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Taken Down | Tia | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | The Virtues | Anna | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Elizabeth Is Missing | Helen | TV film |
| 2021 | Soulmates | Darcy | Episode: "The (Power) Ballad of Caitlin Jones" |
| 2021 | Intruder | Angela | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | The Box | Tory Snow | 7 episodes |
| 2021 | Holding | Abigail Ross | 4 episodes[10] |
| 2023 | Malpractice | Dr. Norma Callahan | 5 episodes |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IFTA Film & Drama Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role - TV Drama | The Virtues | Won | [12][13] |
| British Academy Film Awards | BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress – TV | Nominated | [5][13] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Helen Behan: I had impostor syndrome at the start, now I'm like a giddy child". irishtimes.com. 11 May 2019.
- ^ a b c "Who Is Helen Behan? 'The Virtues' Actor Began Her Career With A Chance Encounter In An Irish Pub". bustle.com. 15 May 2019.
- ^ "Helen Behan, the nurse who became the star of Shane Meadows' The Virtues: 'It was my carpe diem moment'". inews.co.uk. 6 September 2019.
- ^ "The Virtues: Interview with Helen Behan (Anna)". channel4.com. 17 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Bafta TV Awards 2020: Nominees in full". bbc.co.uk. 4 June 2020.
- ^ "Stars of Tomorrow 2020: Helen Behan (actor)". screendaily.com. 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Screen unveils the 2020 Stars of Tomorrow". screendaily.com. 28 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Wildfire". watershed.co.uk. 15 September 2021.
- ^ a b "How 40-year-old nurse and mum Helen Behan became a TV star". Evoke.ie . 1 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Brenda Fricker, Siobhán McSweeney, Charlene McKenna, Helen Behan and Pauline McLynn cast alongside Conleth Hill in ITV drama Holding". itv.com. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021.
- ^ "New Irish film Barber Starring Aidan Gillen Wraps Shoot in Dublin". screenireland.ie. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Irish BAFTA nominee Helen Behan returns to nursing during Covid-19". RTÉ. 4 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Helen Behan Awards". imdb.com (Index source only). Retrieved 11 February 2022.
External links[edit]
- Helen Behan at IMDb
- Helen Behan interview at Culture Club feature, Today FM