Sinéad Keenan Explained

Sinéad Keenan
Birth Date:1977 12, df=y
Birth Place:Dublin, Ireland
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1999–present
Alma Mater:University College Dublin
Children:2

Sinéad Keenan (born 27 December 1977[1]) is an Irish actress with a wide range of television, film and stage credits. Keenan is best known for playing Farrah Phelan in Fair City and for playing the role of werewolf Nina Pickering on BBC Three's supernatural drama Being Human. She has since played DCI Jessica James in ITV1 drama Unforgotten since 2023.

Biography

Keenan was born and raised in Dublin, and is the eldest of three children. Her younger brother and sister, Rory and Gráinne, are also actors.

She attended University College Dublin, graduating with a degree in Sociology and History. As a child, Keenan says she wanted to be a lawyer because she loved the US legal drama Matlock, but as she got older she realised that she actually just wanted to play the part of the lawyer, not be one.

Career

Keenan's first role was in 1999, when she was cast as the teenage girlfriend of Cillian Murphy in the film, Sunburn. After this, she played the character Farrah Phelan in Irish soap opera Fair City for a year. Keenan has stated she would return to Fair City, as another character.

Keenan left Fair City amid fears of becoming type-cast, and moved on to film the movie On the Nose with Cracker actor Robbie Coltrane. Her next television role was as Lisa Cassidy in short-lived Irish sitcom The Cassidys.

Keenan then went on to have guest roles in Murder City, Taggart and Doctors, along with starring in movies Conspiracy of Silence and Trouble with Sex, before landing the role of Kelly Hawkins in ITV's Moving Wallpaper, which ran for two series.

Following this, Keenan played Nina Pickering in Toby Whithouse's Being Human. The actress, and her chemistry with on-screen boyfriend Russell Tovey, was so well liked by Whithouse that he edited the storyline to keep Keenan's character in the show. The character of Nina was retained for the second and third series; in the latter Keenan was upgraded to a main cast member.

Following her success in Being Human, Keenan has had guest roles in Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Silent Witness and David Tennant's final episodes of Doctor Who.

Throughout her career, Keenan has had strong roots in theatre becoming a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), playing parts such as Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Evie in the original play, The American Pilot. She also starred in The Comedy of Errors.

In March 2018, Keenan won the Royal Television Society Programme Award for Actor (Female) for her role as Melanie Jones in Little Boy Blue.[2] In April 2018, it was announced that she had been nominated for a Leading Actress BAFTA TV Award for the same role.[3]

Keenan had a starring role in the Jimmy McGovern and Gillian Juckes drama Care, shown on BBC One on 9 December 2018.[4]

In April 2021, it was announced that Keenan would be starring in the two-part BBC One drama Three Families, which will focus on abortion in Northern Ireland. It was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2020.[5]

In March 2022, it was announced that Keenan would be appearing in series 5 of ITV's crime drama Unforgotten as DCI Jessica James.[6]

Personal life

In 2012, she married film and television director Chris McGill, founder at Dusthouse Productions, with whom she has two sons.[7] [8]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 Fair CityFarrah Phelan
2001 The CassidysLisa Cassidy
2004 Murder CityYoung motherSeries 1, Episode 5
2007 TaggartAlic Martin Series 23, Episode 3 - Tenement
2008 DoctorsElena Series 10, Episode 22 - Larp
2008 Moving WallpaperKelly Hawkins
2009 Comedy ShowcaseWendy Series 2, Episode 4 - The Amazing Dermot
2009–2011 Being Human Series One, Episodes 2–6, Series Two, Episodes 1–4, 7, 8. Series Three, Episodes 1–8
2009 Agatha Christie's Poirot Nora Brent Series 12, Episode 1 - "The Clocks"
2009–2010 Doctor WhoAddams"The End of Time"
2009 Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas Delia Smith's secretary
2010 Victoria Wood's Little Cracker Mrs Whitefield Short for Sky1
2011 Silent Witness Naomi Silverlake Series 14, Episode 1–2 - A Guilty Mind
2012 Lip Service Nora Series 2
2013 London Irish Bronagh Channel 4
2013 The Five(ish) Doctors RebootDoctor Who fan BBC Red Button
2015 Uncle Maggie Series 2, Episode 5 - A Guilty Mind
2017 Little Boy Blue Melanie Jones
2018 Care Claire 90-minute drama by Jimmy McGovern and Gillian Juckes
2019PortersDr. BartholomewSeries 2, 5 episodes
2019Deep WaterRozITV
2020My Left NutPatricia CampbellBBC
2021Three FamiliesTheresa RyanTwo-part drama for BBC One
2021ShowtrialDetective Inspector Paula CassidyFive-part drama for BBC One
2022Derry GirlsAideenSeries 3, episode 3
2023–presentUnforgottenDetective Chief Inspector Jessica JamesSeries 5. Six-part crime drama for ITV

Personal appearances

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 Doctor Who Confidential Herself Lords and Masters, Allons-y!
2011 Herself Series 5, Episode 7

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 Sunburn Margaret Keenan's first role
2001 On The Nose Sinead Delaney
2003 Conspiracy of Silence Majella
2004 Mind Of the Crime Carrie TV movie
2006 Trouble With Sex Kathy

Radio and CD audio drama

YearTitleRoleRadio station / production company
2011 Crimes Of Mancunia DCI Lise Lazard BBC Radio 4
2014 Doctor Who: Iterations of I Aoife Big Finish Productions

Theatre

YearTitleRoleTheatre / notes
2003 Loyal Women Adele Royal Court Theatre
2005 The American Pilot Evie The Other Place
2005 Comedy of Errors Luciana Royal Shakespeare Theatre
2006 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Novello Theatre

Awards and nominations

YearOrganisationAwardWorkResult
2018 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Actor (Female) Little Boy Blue[9]
BAFTA TV AwardsBest ActressLittle Boy Blue

Notes and References

  1. News: BBC Three, Being Human character profile and actress biography. 15 April 2018. BBC.
  2. News: RTS Programme Awards 2018. 13 April 2018. Royal Television Society.
  3. News: Bafta TV Awards 2018: All the nominees. 13 April 2018. BBC News.
  4. News: Care. BBC Media Centre Programme Information . 5 December 2018.
  5. News: Cast confirmed for BBC One drama Three Families, from the producers of Three Girls. BBC Media Centre. 7 April 2021 . 7 April 2021.
  6. News: Sinéad Keenan joins Sanjeev Bhaskar for Unforgotten series 5. BBC Studios News via BBC Media Centre. 14 March 2022 . 15 March 2022.
  7. News: Shillcock . Francesca . All there is to know about Unforgotten star Sinéad Keenan's family including famous siblings . 11 September 2023 . . March 20, 2023.
  8. News: Fear . Helen . As Sinéad Keenan joins Unforgotten as DCI Jess James, we reveal her seriously famous family! . 11 September 2023 . Entertainment Daily . March 13, 2023.
  9. News: RTS Programme Awards 2018 In Partnership With Audio Network. Royal Television Society. May 18, 2018.