Brenda Meaney is an Irish-American actress, best known for her work on stage. In 2023 she appeared opposite her father

Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor. Known for his performances across screen and stage, he has received seven nominations from the Irish Film & Television Academy, winning twice for 2001's '' How Harry Became a Tree'', and ...

Landmark Productions Landmark Productions is a theatre company, theatre production company in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 2003 by Anne Clarke (theatre producer), Anne Clarke. The company has forged partnerships with writers and other companies, and has toured its show ...

revival of ''Bedbound'' by

Enda Walsh Enda Walsh (born 1967) is an Irish playwright. Biography Enda Walsh was born in Kilbarrack, North Dublin on 7 February 1967. His father ran a furniture shop and his mother had been an actress. He is the second youngest of six children. Walsh ...

.Hayes, Katy. "Bedbound Review: Colm Meaney and Daughter Brenda Are Inspired Casting in Tale of Celtic Tiger Hubris." ''Irish Independent'', July 19, 2023.https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/theatre-arts/bedbound-review-colm-meaney-and-daughter-brenda-are-inspired-casting-in-tale-of-celtic-tiger-hubris/a805730622.html Meaney frequently appears in the plays of

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (; born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

Early life and education

Meaney was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to Irish actors Bairbre Dowling and

. She spent the majority of her childhood and adolescence in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, and

Dublin, Ireland Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. She graduated from The Archer School for Girls in 2003. Meaney later attended

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

, where a childhood fascination with

Egyptology Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Ancient Greek, Greek , ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian History of Egypt, history, Egyptian language, language, Ancient Egypt ...

inspired her to pursue a

Joint honours degree A joint honours degree (also known as dual honours, double majors, or two-subject moderatorship) is a specific type of degree offered generally at the Honours Bachelor's degree level by certain universities in Ireland, the UK, Canada, Malta, an ...

in the

History of Art The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative, and even functional and other purposes, but with a primary emphasis on its aesthetics ...

and Architecture &

Ancient History Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian language, ...

and Archaeology. Meaney graduated in 2007 with plans to become a

paleontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...

, but later decided to pursue acting. She then matriculated to the

David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in ...

, graduating in 2013 with an MFA in Acting.

Career

Meaney made her professional stage debut as Melanie Coleman in

Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion and cultural trends. He hosted the Comedy Central series ''Lewis Black's ...

's ''One Slight Hitch'' at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, directed by

Joe Grifasi Joseph G. Grifasi (born June 14, 1944) is an American character actor of film, stage and television. Early life and education Grifasi was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Patricia (née Gaglione) and Joseph J. Grifasi, a skilled laborer. Gri ...

and appearing opposite

Mark Linn-Baker Mark Linn-Baker (born Mark Linn Baker; June 17, 1954) is an American actor and Television director, director who played Benjy Stone in the film ''My Favorite Year'' and Larry Appleton in the television situation comedy, sitcom ''Perfect Strangers ...

and Lizbeth MacKay.Phelps, Rob. "One Slight Hitch is One Extremely Funny Play at W.H.A.T." ''The Columbus Dispatch'', August 1, 2013. https://www.dispatch.com/story/archive/2013/08/01/one-slight-hitch-is/39506899007/. The same year she appeared in

Caryl Churchill Caryl Lesley Churchill (born 3 September 1938) is a British playwright known for dramatising the abuses of power, for her use of non- naturalistic techniques, and for her exploration of sexual politics and feminist themes.

's ''

Owners Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as ''title'', which may be separated and held by diffe ...

'' at the

Yale Repertory Theatre Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented stud ...

.Gold, Sylviane. "The Implications of Ownership." ''The New York Times'', November 9, 2013. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/nyregion/a-review-of-owners-at-yale-repertory-theater.html. The following year, Meaney starred in the West Coast premiere of David Ives'

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winning play '' Venus in Fur'' at the

American Conservatory Theater The American Conservatory Theater (ACT) is a nonprofit theater company in San Francisco, California, United States, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. It also has an attached acting school. History The American ...

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

.Examiner Staff. "Battle of Sexes Fuels 'Venus in Fur' at ACT." ''San Francisco Examiner'', March 31, 2014. https://www.sfexaminer.com/culture/battle-of-sexes-fuels-venus-in-fur-at-act/article_bbe478c4-2e99-526a-a3c3-34636d64c59d.html. Later that same year, she made her New York stage debut as Nell in the American premiere of

’s ''

Indian Ink India ink (British English: Indian ink; also Chinese ink) is a simple black or coloured ink once widely used for writing and printing and now more commonly used for drawing and outlining, especially when inking comic books and comic strips. In ...

'' at

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization, non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fr ...

, directed by

Carey Perloff Carey Elizabeth Perloff (born February 9, 1959) is an American theater director, playwright, author, and educator. She was the artistic director of American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco from 1992 to June 2018. Biography Per ...

. In a review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' chief theatre critic

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher, and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 t ...

deemed the production as one of the year's best plays.Brantley, Ben. "The Tony Award Nominations Should Be ..." ''The New York Times'', May 9, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/theater/theaterspecial/the-tony-award-nominations-should-be.html. ''Indian Ink'' was subsequently restaged at the

in 2015, with Meaney taking over the lead role of Flora Crewe. In a review for the '' SFGate'', theatre critic Robert Hurwitt observed "Brenda Meaney, who played a smaller role in New York, is a magnetic Flora, as sensually alive as she is smart."Hurwitt, Robert. "Theater Review: ACT’s 'Indian Ink' Shimmers, Then Fades." ''SFGATE'', January 22, 2015. https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Theater-review-ACT-s-Indian-Ink-6030740.php. Later that same year Meaney worked in three successive stage productions, appearing as Natella Abashvili in

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

's ''

The Caucasian Chalk Circle ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' () is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a better mother than the baby's wealthy b ...

'' at the

;DeWitt, David. "Choosing to Do Good, Once Upon a Time." ''The New York Times'', April 4, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/nyregion/choosing-to-do-good-once-upon-a-time.html. Helen Stott in C. P. Taylor's ''And a Nightingale Sang...'' at the

Westport Country Playhouse Westport Country Playhouse is a not-for-profit regional theater in Westport, Connecticut, Westport, Connecticut. It was founded in 1931 by Lawrence Langner, a New York theater producer. Langner remodeled an 1830s tannery with a Broadway-quality ...

;DeWitt, David. "A Review of ‘And a Nightingale Sang’ at the Westport Country Playhouse." ''The New York Times'', June 20, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/nyregion/a-review-of-and-a-nightingale-sang-at-the-westport-country-playhouse.html. and Betty Jones in Harold Chapin's ''The New Morality'' at the

Mint Theater Company Mint Theater Company was founded in 1992 in New York City. Their mission is to find, produce, and advocate for "worthwhile plays from the past that have been lost or forgotten". They have been instrumental in restoring the theatrical legacy of sev ...

.Soloski, Alexis. "Review: 'The New Morality,' a Vintage Play, at the Mint." ''The New York Times'', September 24, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/theater/review-the-new-morality-a-vintage-play-at-the-mint.html. In 2016 Meaney reunited with director

, appearing as Hillary in

’s '' The Hard Problem'' at the

.Janiak, Lily. "Tom Stoppard Couldn't Not Write 'The Hard Problem.'" ''SFGATE'', October 18, 2016. https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Tom-Stoppard-couldn-t-not-write-The-Hard-9976267.php. In 2018 Meaney starred opposite

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winner

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promisi ...

in the American premiere of Isobel Mahon's '' Party Face'' at

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

.Vine, Hannah. "Hayley Mills and the Cast of Off-Broadway’s 'Party Face' Meet the Press." ''Playbill'', December 18, 2017. https://playbill.com/article/hayley-mills-and-the-cast-of-off-broadways-party-face-meet-the-press. Later that year, Meaney would once again reunite with Perloff to appear as Renia in the regional premiere of

Martyna Majok Martyna Majok ( ) is a Polish-born American playwright who received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play ''Cost of Living''. She emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in New Jersey. Majok studied playwriting at the Yale ...

's ''Queens'' at the

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

. In 2019 Meaney appeared as Jerri in the world premiere of

Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, ''In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance Film Fest ...

's ''Great Negro Works of Art'' at the Davenport Theatre, programmed as part of the annual LaBute New Theater Festival.Vincentelli, Elisabeth. "Review: Neil LaBute's New Theater Festival Offers Familiar Themes." ''The New York Times'', January 17, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/theater/review-labute-new-theater-festival-neil-labute.html. Later that year she starred as Bairbre in

Micheál Mac Liammóir Micheál Mac Liammóir (born Alfred Lee Willmore; 25 October 1899 – 6 March 1978) was an actor, designer, dramatist, writer, and impresario in 20th-century Ireland. Though born in London to an English family with no Irish connections, he emig ...

's ''The Mountains Look Different'' at the

. The production was named a ''

'' Critics' Pick.Collins-Hughs, Laura. "Review: 'In the Mountains Look Different' Explores Sin, Shame, and Self-Determination." ''The New York Times'', June 20, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/theater/review-in-the-mountains-look-different-sin-shame-and-self-determination.html. Shortly thereafter Meaney starred opposite

nominee

Marsha Mason Marsha Mason (born April 3, 1942) is an American actress and theatre director. She has been nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in '' Cinderella Liberty'' (1973), '' The Goodbye Girl'' (1977), '' Chap ...

in Elaine Murphy's ''

Little Gem ''Little Gem'' is a play written by Dublin playwright Elaine Murphy and was first produced by Guna Nua at Dublin’s 2008 Fringe Festival, September 9–13 in Project Cube, before transferring to The Loose End Studio at the Civic Theatre, Tallag ...

'' at the

Irish Repertory Theatre The Irish Repertory Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre company founded in 1988. History The Irish Repertory Theatre was founded by Ciarán O'Reilly and Charlotte Moore and opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's '' The Plough ...

.Vincentelli, Elisabeth. "Review: 'Little Gem' Offers Three Generations of Family Drama." The New York Times, July 31, 2019. Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/theater/little-gem-review.html. In 2023 Meaney appeared in workshop productions of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

'' and '' Henry IV'', in repertory at

Theatre for a New Audience The Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) is a non-profit theater in New York City focused on producing William Shakespeare, Shakespeare and other classic dramas. Its off-Broadway productions have toured in the U.S. and internationally. History Thea ...

.Putnam, Leah. "Broadway Alums to Star in Repertory Workshop of Richard II and Henry IV at TFANA." Playbill, January 25, 2023. https://playbill.com/article/broadway-alums-to-star-in-repertory-workshop-of-richard-ii-and-henry-iv-at-tfana. Later that year she returned to

to appear as Pascuala in a new adaptation of

Lope de Vega Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio (; 25 November 156227 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist who was a key figure in the Spanish Golden Age (1492–1659) of Spanish Baroque literature, Baroque literature. In the literature of ...

's play ''

Fuenteovejuna ''Fuenteovejuna'' () is a play by the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega. First published in Madrid in 1619, as part of ''Docena Parte de las Comedias de Lope de Vega Carpio'' (''Volume 12 of the Collected plays of Lope de Vega Carpio''),Edwards, ...

'', written by

Adrian Mitchell Adrian Mitchell FRSL (24 October 1932 – 20 December 2008) was an English poet, novelist, and playwright. A former journalist, he became a noted figure on the British left. For almost half a century he was the foremost poet of the country's C ...

.Putnam, Leah. "TFANA's Fuente Ovejuna Opens Off-Broadway May 23." ''Playbill'', May 23, 2023. https://playbill.com/article/tfanas-fuente-ovejuna-opens-off-broadway-may-23. Shortly thereafter she made her Irish stage debut, starring opposite her father

's ''Bedbound'' at the

Galway International Arts Festival The Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF), founded in 1978, is a cultural organisation that produces an annual arts festival in Galway, Ireland. It also produces new work that tours nationally and internationally, in addition to presenting ...

. The production later transferred to

Olympia Theatre, Dublin The Olympia Theatre, branded since 2021 for sponsorship purposes as the 3Olympia Theatre, is a concert hall and theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located on Dame Street. In addition to Irish acts, the venue has played host to many well-known in ...

, where it received critical acclaim. Both ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...

'' and '' The Arts Review'' awarded the production 4 stars, while ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'' praised the pairs chemistry, and RTÉ Arena described Meaney's performance as "magnetic, electric, and extraordinary." Meaney made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

debut the following year, in a new adaptation of

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

's ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...

'' at

Lincoln Center Theatre The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), the Beaumont is ...

, understudying the roles of Sonya and Elena for

Alison Pill Alison Pill (born November 27, 1985) is a Canadian actress. A former child actress, Pill began her career at age 12, appearing in numerous projects before transitioning to adult roles with a breakthrough role in the television series '' The Bo ...

and

Anika Noni Rose Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Tiana (The Princess and the Frog), Tiana in ''The Princess and the Frog'' (2009). She was named a Disney Legends, Disney Legend in 2011. Rose starred ...

, respectively.Tran, Diep. "On the Red Carpet: There Are No Small Roles in Uncle Vanya." ''Playbill''. April 26, 2024.https://playbill.com/article/on-the-red-carpet-there-are-no-small-roles-in-uncle-vanya. Later that year she starred as Gretl in back-to-back productions of

winning play ''

Leopoldstadt Leopoldstadt (; ; "Leopold-Town") is the 2nd municipal district of Vienna () in Austria. there are 103,233 inhabitants over . It is situated in the heart of the city and, together with Brigittenau (20th district), forms a large island surrou ...

'' at

Huntington Theatre Company The Huntington Theatre Company is a professional theatre located in Boston, Massachusetts and the recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award, under the direction of Managing Director Michael Maso. It is notable for its longstanding artist ...

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, and

Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a Regional theater in the United States, regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the William Shakespeare, Shakespeare canon, but its seasons inc ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Huntington Theatre Company. "Brenda Meaney." Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/bio/brenda-meaney/. Meaney made her screen debut in the 2021 family drama ''There's Always Hope'', appearing opposite her father,

. She later had supporting roles as Bridget in

's 2023 action thriller '' Fear the Night'', and Helen in Lorcan Finnegan's 2024 psychological thriller '' The Surfer'', which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Her television credits include guest roles on '' Love/Hate'', '' Hell on Wheels'', '' For Life'', and '' FBI: Most Wanted''. From 2021-2024 Meaney starred as Debra in the podcast series ''Fear, A Love Story'' on

Acast Acast is a Sweden, Swedish-founded startup company, company that provides hosting, monetization and growth support for podcasts, and podcast advertising solutions for brands and media agencies. Launching in 2014, it developed a dynamic insertion ...

Personal life

Meaney is married to American actor Henry Clarke. The pair performed opposite one another in David Ives' '' Venus in Fur'' at the American Conservatory Theatre in 2014.BroadwayWorld. "Photo Flash: First Look at Brenda Meaney and Henry Clarke in ACT's 'Venus in Fur.'" BroadwayWorld, March 21, 2014. https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-francisco/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Brenda-Meaney-and-Henry-Clarke-in-ACTs-VENUS-IN-FUR-20140321.

Credits

Film

Television

Stage

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meaney, Brenda Living people 1984 births 1980s births Irish film actresses Irish stage actresses Irish television actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Alumni of Trinity College Dublin David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni