Fionnula Flanagan
Posted by Irish Rose Gifts on 21st Oct 2024
Fionnula Flanagan
Fionnula Flanagan was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. From an early age she grew up speaking both English and Irish on a daily basis. Her parents weren't native Irish speakers but wanted Fionnula and her four siblings to learn the language. Her mother used to say, "A nation without a language is a nation without a soul".
biography
Educated in Switzerland and England, Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan studied for her trade at Dublin's Abbey Theatre. With her portrayal of Gerty McDowell in the 1967 film version of Ulysses, Flanagan established herself as one of the foremost interpreters of James Joyce. She made her 1968 Broadway bow in Brian Friel's Lovers then appeared in such Joycean theatrical projects as Ulysses in Nighttown and James Joyce's Women (1977). The last-named project earned her "Critic's Circle" awards in Los Angeles and San Francisco; it was subsequently committed to film in 1988, with Flanagan repeating her portrayal of Harriet Shaw Weaver. A familiar presence in American television, Flanagan has appeared in several made-for-TV movies, among them The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), Mary White (1977), The Ewok Adventure (1984) and A Winner Never Quits (1986). She won an Emmy for her work as Clothilde in the 1976 network miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. Fionnula Flanagan's weekly-series stints have included Aunt Molly Culhane in How the West Was Won (1977), which earned her a second Emmy nomination; Lt. Guyla Cook in Hard Copy (1987) and Kathleen Meacham, wife of police chief John Mahoney (another transplant from the British Isles) in Help (1990).
We love that Fionnula was also in The Bionic Woman & a bunch of Star Trek episodes.
1967 | Ulysses | Gerty MacDowell | |
1969 | Sinful Davey | Penelope | |
1973 | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Felicia | |
1975 | The Legend of Lizzie Borden | Bridget Sullivan | |
1976 | Rich Man, Poor Man | Clothilde | |
1976 | In the Region of Ice | The Sister | |
1977 | Mary White | Sallie White | |
1980 | Mr. Patman | Abadaba | |
1983 | Through Naked Eyes | Dr. Frances Muller | |
1984 | Reflections | Mrs. Charlotte Lawless | |
1984 | Scorned and Swindled | Margaret | |
1984 | The Ewok Adventure | Catarine Towani | |
1985 | James Joyce's Women | Harriet Shaw Weaver | |
1986 | Youngblood | Miss McGill | |
1986 | A Winner Never Quits | Mrs. Wyshner | |
1986 | A State of Emergency | Diane Carmody | |
1987 | P.K. and the Kid | Flo | |
1991 | Death Dreams | Margaret Neuberger | |
1991 | Final Verdict | Pearl Morton | |
1992 | Mad at the Moon | Mrs. Hill | |
1993 | Money for Nothing | Mrs. Coyle | |
1994 | White Mile | Gena Karas | |
1996 | Some Mother's Son | Annie Higgins | |
1998 | Waking Ned | Annie O'Shea | Nominated– Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
1999 | With or Without You | Irene | |
1999 | A Secret Affair | Drucilla Fitzgerald | |
1999 | Deceit | uncredited | |
2000 | For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story | Sally | |
2001 | The Others | Mrs. Bertha Mills |
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated– Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture |
2002 | Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood | "Teensy" Whitman | |
2003 | Tears of the Sun | Sister Grace | |
2004 | Blessed | J. Lloyd Samuel | |
2004 | Man About Dog | Olivia | |
2005 | Transamerica | Elizabeth Schupak | Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress - Film |
2005 | Sexual Life | Grandmother | |
2005 | Four Brothers | Evelyn Mercer | |
2007 | Slipstream | Bette Lustig | |
2008 | Yes Man | Tillie | |
2009 | The Invention of Lying | Martha | |
2009 | A Christmas Carol | Mrs. Dilber | |
2010 | Kill the Irishman | Grace O'Keefe | |
2010 | The Guard | Eileen Boyle | Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress - Film |
2011 | Coming & Going | Irma | |
2013 | Angels Sing | Ma | |
2013 | Life's a Breeze | ||
2014 | Song of the Sea | Voice |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Gunsmoke | Sarah Morgan | Episode: "The Drummer" |
1976 | Rich Man, Poor Man | Clothilde |
Episode: "Part II: Chapters 3 and 4"
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series |
1976 | The Streets of San Francisco | Emma Simms | Episode: "Requiem for Murder" |
1978-1979 | How the West Was Won | Molly Cullhane |
12 episodes
Nominated– Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series |
1983 | Voyagers! | Molly Brown | Episode: "Voyagers of the Titanic" - Episode#15 |
1987 | Murder, She Wrote | Freida Schmidt | Episode: "Steal Me a Story" |
1989 | Columbo | Louise | Episode: " Murder: A Self Portrait" |
1990 | Beauty and the Beast | Jessica Webb | 2 episodes |
1993 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Enina Tandro | Episode: "Dax" |
1993 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Juliana O'Donnell | Episode: "Inheritance" |
1993 | Murder, She Wrote | Fiona Griffith | " A Killing in Cork" |
1993 | Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman | Heart | Episode: "The Circus - The Queen of Hearts" |
1995 | Murder, She Wrote | Eileen O'Brannon | 2 episodes |
1998-1999 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Older Woman | 3 episodes |
2002 | Star Trek: Enterprise | V'Lar | Episode: "Fallen Hero" |
2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Sheila Baxter | Episode: "Escape" |
2003 | Murder, She Wrote | Margaret Byrne | "The Celtic Riddle", TV movie |
2004 | Nip/Tuck | Sr. Rita Claire | Episode: "Agatha Ripp" |
2005 | Revelations | Mother Francine | 5 episodes |
2007 | Paddywhackery | Peig Sayers |
6 episodes
Nominated– Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Television |
2006-2008 | Brotherhood | Rose Caffee |
25 episodes
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated– Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role - Television Nominated– Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
2007-2010 | Lost | Eloise Hawking | 7 episodes |
2013 | Defiance | Nicolette "Nicky" Riordan | 5 episodes |