Orla Brady
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Orla Brady (born 28 March 1961) is an Irish theatre, television, and film actress born in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
. She has been nominated for several awards from the
Irish Film & Television Academy The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) is an all-Ireland organisation focused on film and television. It has about 1000 members, and is based in Dublin, with branches in London and Los Angeles. The IFTA now holds separate ceremonies for the ...
for her work in televised programs, as well as starring in the RTÉ/
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
co-production ''A Love Divided'' where she portrayed Sheila Cloney, for which she won the 1999
Golden Nymph The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony inaugurates each new edition, introdu ...
Best Actress Award. She began her career with the Balloonatics Theatre Company as a touring performer, later gaining her first minor role in television as a bank clerk in the series ''Minder'' in 1993. Her first role in film was as Vanessa in'' Words Upon the Window Pane'' in 1994. Brady starred in recurring roles in a number of US and UK series, and in a '' Doctor Who'' special. In 2020, she was listed as number 43 on ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' list of Ireland's greatest film actors.


Early life

Brady was born in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
, the second of four children of Patrick and his wife Catherine (Kitty). She lived in Bray, County Wicklow,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, from birth until the age of seven. She was educated at a Loreto Convent in
Wicklow Wicklow ( ; ga, Cill Mhantáin , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; non, Víkingaló) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, it has a ...
and an Ursuline Convent in Dublin. At 25, she moved to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, where she studied at '' L'École Philippe Gaulier'', securing a place at
Marcel Marceau Marcel Marceau (; born Marcel Mangel; 22 March 1923 – 22 September 2007) was a French actor and mime artist most famous for his stage persona, "Bip the Clown". He referred to mime as the "art of silence", and he performed professionally worldw ...
's ''École Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris''.


Career

Brady began her career with Balloonatics Theatre Company, touring productions of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' and ''
Finnegans Wake ''Finnegans Wake'' is a novel by Irish writer James Joyce. It is well known for its experimental style and reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the Western canon. It has been called "a work of fiction which combines a bod ...
''. She then returned to Dublin to perform at the
Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochlai ...
where she played Adele in '' House of Bernarda Alba'' and Natasha in '' Three Sisters''. After moving to London, she played Kate in
Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...
's ''
Philadelphia, Here I Come! ''Philadelphia, Here I Come!'' is a 1964 play by Irish dramatist Brian Friel. Set in the fictional town of Ballybeg, County Donegal, the play launched Friel onto the international stage. Plot ''Philadelphia, Here I Come!'' centres around Gareth ...
'', which later transferred from the King's Head Theatre to the West End. Brady's first professional work in England was in ''Blinded by the Sun'' by Stephen Poliakoff at the Royal National Theatre and she has since developed a career based on both Irish and British located theatre, television and film. These have included the RTÉ/
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
co-production ''A Love Divided'' where she portrayed Sheila Cloney, for which she won the 1999
Golden Nymph The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony inaugurates each new edition, introdu ...
Best Actress Award at the
Monte-Carlo Television Festival The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony inaugurates each new edition, intro ...
. She also played one of four main characters in the BBC's drama series ''
Mistresses Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a d ...
'', Siobhan Dillon, a lawyer who struggled to maintain her relationship with husband Hari while also having an affair with her colleague, Dominic, with whom she later went on to have a child. Also, she has appeared in RTÉ's '' Proof'', and had roles in films such as '' Words Upon the Window Pane'' (1994), '' The Luzhin Defence'' (2000), '' How About You'' (2007), and ''
32A ''32A'' is a 2007 drama film directed and written by Marian Quinn. It was shot principally in Dublin, with additional footage in Roscommon and Sligo. The script won the inaugural Tiernan McBride Award for screenwriting, as well as Best First Featu ...
'' (2007). Since moving to California in 2001, Brady has also appeared in ''
Family Law Family law (also called matrimonial law or the law of domestic relations) is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations. Overview Subjects that commonly fall under a nation's body of family law include: * Marriage ...
'', where she played Naoise O'Niell. The series ran for 3 years on CBS. She has also starred in ''
Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...
'', a US drama about plastic surgeons in which she played Dr. Jordan. She later starred in ''
Shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
'' as Claire Stark, the ex-wife of
James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off- Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in ''The Trial of the ...
' character. In 2008, she appeared in ''Firewall'', the second episode of the BBC series '' Wallander''. She also appeared as Meredith Gates, a fleecing art collector who herself is conned in the first series of the British series '' Hustle''. Commencing in 2009, Brady portrayed Elizabeth Bishop, the wife of Walter Bishop and the mother of Peter Bishop in the Fox television series ''
Fringe Fringe may refer to: Arts * Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, known as "the Fringe" * Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival * Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre * The Fringe, the ...
''. In 2010, she appeared in the TV series '' The Deep'' alongside
James Nesbitt William James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is an actor from Northern Ireland. From 1987, Nesbitt spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical '' Up on the Roof'' (1987, 1989) to the political drama ''Paddywack'' (1994) ...
, wherein she played Catherine. She also starred in the TV series '' Strike Back'' as Katie Dartmouth. In 2012, she appeared in the ITV series ''
Eternal Law Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known ...
'' as Mrs Sheringham, an angel who fell in love with a human and became mortal. She also played Taryn in the Sky One series '' Sinbad''. In late 2013, she appeared as the Countess Vera Rossakoff in the television adaptation of ''
The Labours of Hercules ''The Labours of Hercules'' is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1947 and in the UK by Collins Crime Club in September of the same year.Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier and ...
'', part of the final series of ''
Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Poirot'' (also known as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'') is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet starred as the eponymous detective, Agatha Christie's fictional Her ...
'' alongside David Suchet. On 25 December 2013, Brady starred in the Christmas special episode '' The Time of the Doctor'' of the BBC science-fiction series '' Doctor Who'' as the character Tasha Lem. In 2014, she filmed '' Banished'', playing Anne Meredith. From 2017 to 2019, she had a main role in the
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...
martial arts drama series '' Into the Badlands'' as Lydia. In 2019, Brady portrayed Dr. Hopple in '' American Horror Story: 1984'', the ninth season of the FX horror anthology television series ''
American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the '' American Story'' media franchise, each season is conceived as a ...
.'' In 2020, she had a recurring role as Laris, Jean-Luc Picard's
Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series '' Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The ...
housekeeper, in the first season of the sci-fi series '' Star Trek: Picard''. In the show's second season, she joins the main cast as Tallinn, a "Supervisor" (à la
Gary Seven Gary Seven is the major character in the last episode of the second season of the original ''Star Trek'' television series, " Assignment: Earth". He is portrayed by Robert Lansing. "Assignment: Earth" The episode " Assignment: Earth" was origi ...
, in ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'') in the year 2024 storyline, while also briefly appearing as Laris in the 25th century storyline.


Photographic model

In the late 1980s, Brady posed for a series of photographic figure studies that were published in ''The Illustrator's Figure Reference Manual'' (1987). An image of Brady posing in her own dress was used by the artist Jack Vettriano as the focal subject of ''
The Singing Butler ''The Singing Butler'' is an oil-on-canvas painting made by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano in 1992. It sold at auction in 2004 for £744,500 which was the record at the time for any Scottish painting, and for any painting ever sold in Scotland ...
''.


Personal life

In 2001, Brady moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, where she met English photographer
Nick Brandt Nick Brandt (born 1964) is an English photographer. Brandt's work generally focuses on the rapidly disappearing natural world, as a result of environmental destruction, climate change and humans' actions. Background and early career Born in 19 ...
, whom she married in December 2002 in the Chyulu Hills of
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...
. She also has a Georgian flat in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
. She admitted in an interview that she originally left Ireland as she found it a repressive place with little opportunity. The 2015 marriage equality and 2018 abortion referendums, as well as the expanding Irish industry, changed her mind, making her realise "Oh, this is a different Ireland and it accepts me now." Brady is an atheist.


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brady, Orla 1961 births Living people 20th-century Irish actresses 21st-century Irish actresses Irish atheists Irish expatriates in the United States Irish film actresses Irish stage actresses Irish television actresses Actresses from County Wicklow Actresses from Dublin (city)