Marie Mullen (born 1953) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

actress. She is known for co-founding the

Druid Theatre Company The Druid Theatre Company, referred to as Druid, is an Irish theatre company, based in Galway, Ireland. As well as touring extensively across Ireland, the company's productions have played internationally to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the ...

, located in

Galway, Ireland Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on t ...

. She is also known for her performance in the 1998 production of ''

The Beauty Queen of Leenane ''The Beauty Queen of Leenane'' is a 1996 dramatic play by Martin McDonagh which was premiered by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Ireland. It also enjoyed successful runs at London's West End, Broadway and Off-Broadway. It was nominated ...

'', for which she received a

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The award is given to actresses for quality leadi ...

Career

Mullen is from Drumfin, south

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

."On the long hard road of acting for forty years"
''Sligo Champion'', (independent.ie), 13 June 2015 She said that she wanted "to try to be an actor from when I was in secondary school."

Garry Hynes Garry Hynes (born 10 June 1953) is an Irish theatre director. She was the first woman to win the prestigious Tony Award for direction of a play. Biography Hynes was born in Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon, and educated at St. Louis Convent at ...

recalls meeting Mullen at Dramsoc at UCG in 1971, when they were both 17, and casting her in ''The Loves of Cass Maguire.'' She attended

NUI Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

studying archaeology. She met Hynes and

Mick Lally Mick is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in England as a derogatory term for an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. In Australia the meaning broad ...

, and they formed the Druid Theatre Company. As a founding member of Druid Theatre Company, she has appeared in many of their productions, including ''

Conversations on a Homecoming ''Conversations on a Homecoming'' is a 1985 play by Irish playwright Tom Murphy. Premiered by the Druid Theatre Company, Galway, Ireland in a production directed by Garry Hynes. As one of the great Irish plays set in a pub, its influence can be ...

'' (1985), and played the role of "Mary" in Tom Murphy's play ''Bailegangaire.'' She also originated the role of Maureen in Martin McDonagh's ''The Beauty Queen of Leenane'' (1996). She appeared on

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 Stree ...

again in ''The Beauty Queen of Leenane'' in 1998, and won the

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

for Best Actress in a Play. Other productions with Druid include ''Brigit'' and ''The Cripple of Inishmaan''. She appeared

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

in ''The Cripple of Inishmaan'' in December 2008, in a co-production of the Druid Theatre Company and the Atlantic Theatre Company. She also played the role of "Mary", and 30 years later in 2014, the role of "Mommo", in Tom Murphy's play ''Bailegangaire'', presented by the Druid Theatre Company at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway. Critic Peter Crawley for ''The Irish Times'' wrote that with Mullen's "astonishing performance comes an amplification of her earlier character’s pain and humour..." and called her performance "transcendental." She also appeared in Tom Murphy's ''Brigit,'' presented by the Druid Theatre Company in 2014, as "Mommo", the same character who is depicted in ''Bailegangaire''. Mullen acted in

DruidSynge DruidSynge is a theatre production of the complete plays of John Millington Synge by the Irish based Druid Theatre Company. It was the vision of Garry Hynes, the first woman to win a Tony Award for best director, to create the day-long cycle of a ...

(2006), a theatre production of the complete plays of

John Millington Synge Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909) was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, collector of folklore, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. His best known play ''The Playboy of the Western World'' was poorly r ...

, performed in the same day, by the Druid Theatre Company in which she played parts in five of the six plays. ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' reviewer Charles Isherwood wrote: "I should start by mentioning the indispensable contributions of Marie Mullen — the great and glorious Marie Mullen I can’t resist calling her — whom New York theatergoers will remember for her Tony-winning portrayal of the frustrated heroine of 'Beauty Queen.'" In 2007, she performed alongside

James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor and activist. Some of his best-known films include ''Babe'' (1995), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), ''L.A. Confidential'' (1997), '' The Green Mile'' (1999), ''The Queen'' ...

in the Druid production of '' Long Day's Journey into Night''. She appeared in ''DruidShakespeare'' at the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

Festival in 2015, directed by Garry Hynes. Mullen played a "sharply etched assortment of men of state." Mullen is set to star as Mrs. Paroo in the upcoming Broadway revival of

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and ...

set to open in 2022.

Film

She appeared in the 1994 film '' Circle of Friends'' as "Mrs. Foley". She appeared in the film ''

Hear My Song ''Hear My Song'' is a 1991 British comedy-drama film directed by Peter Chelsom, who co-wrote the screenplay with Adrian Dunbar, based on the story of Irish tenor Josef Locke. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 46th British Ac ...

'' (1991) as "Mickey's Mom".

Awards and nominations

Mullen won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Actress in a play for ''

''. Mullen received the 2012 Alumni Award for arts, social sciences and Celtic studies from NUI Galway. She received the Special Tribute Award at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards in February 2013, recognizing her "immense contribution to Irish theatre." Mullen received an honorary Doctorate of Arts from her ''alma mater'',

, in June 2016. In 2018 Druid Theatre launched the Marie Mullen Bursary named in her honour. It is open to female dramaturgs, directors and designers.Connacht Tribune, 9 March 2018
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Personal life

Mullen married Irish actor

Seán McGinley Seán McGinley (born c. 1956) is an Irish actor. He has appeared in about 80 films and television series. Early life McGinley was born in Pettigo, County Donegal, in Ulster, Ireland, where his father was a customs officer, and raised in near ...

in 1990, having first met in 1977; they have two children.O'Rourke, Francis
"First encounters: Marie Mullen and Garry Hynes"
''Irish Times'', 4 May 2013 Her husband has been associated with the Druid Theatre Company many times in the past.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mullen, Marie 1953 births Living people Druid Theatre Company Irish stage actresses 20th-century Irish actresses 21st-century Irish actresses