Tara-Lynne O'Neill (born 16 November 1975) is a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

from Northern Ireland.

Early life

Growing up she was an aspiring dentist, but abandoned this, after failing her

General Certificate of Secondary Education The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

in Chemistry. At Sixth form college she opted for a career in acting.

Career

Film and television

O'Neill started work as a

television presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for ...

Saturday Disney ''Saturday Disney'' is a long running Australian children's television program which aired on the Seven Network in Australia for over 26 years, with the first episode going to air on 27 January 1990. The show was a television block which aired ...

from 1993 to 1996. She was also a main presenter on a young-people television show, ''The Over the Wall Gang'' for

BBC Northern Ireland BBC Northern Ireland ( ga, BBC Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster-Scots: ''BBC Norlin Airlan'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Northern Ireland. It is widely available across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ire ...

. She later played Joanne Ryan in ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' between 20 September 2002 and 21 August 2003. O'Neill also appeared in film roles such as the town's seductress in ''

The Most Fertile Man in Ireland ''The Most Fertile Man in Ireland'' is a 2000 Irish comedy film directed by Dudi Appleton and starring Bronagh Gallagher, Kris Marshall and James Nesbitt. Cast *Kris Marshall as Eamonn Manley *Kathy Kiera Clarke as Rosie *Bronagh Gallagher as ...

'' (1999), as Claire McKee in “Wild About Harry” (2000), 2013-2016 saw her appear in '' The Fall''. In 2018, she joined the main cast of ''

Derry Girls ''Derry Girls'' is a British teen sitcom created and written by Lisa McGee that premiered on 4 January 2018 on Channel 4. The channel's most successful comedy since ''Father Ted'', the series was inspired by McGee's own experiences growing up ...

'' as Mary Quinn. The second series of

premiered on 5 March 2019. Other role includes '' The Informant'' (1997), ''

Disco Pigs ''Disco Pigs'' is a 2001 Irish film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and written by Enda Walsh, who adapted it from his 1996 play of the same name. Cillian Murphy and Elaine Cassidy star as two young people from Cork who have a lifelong, but unhealt ...

'' (2001), ''Full Circle'' and ''

Omagh Omagh (; from ga, An Ómaigh , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. North ...

'' (2004).

Stage

In addition to television and film, at age 19 she appeared on stage at the Grand Opera House in Belfast as Sandy in a production of the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

'' "Grease"''. In 2006 O'Neill appeared as Rita in a theatre production of ''

Educating Rita ''Educating Rita'' is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University tutor. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ''Educating Rita'' premièred at The Wa ...

'' staged at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. In 2021 she wrote and starred in ''Rough Girls'', a play about women's football in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

in 1917–21; it was aired on

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

in 2022.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Tara Lynne Irish stage actresses Irish television actresses Film actresses from Northern Ireland Living people Musical theatre actresses from Northern Ireland Stage actresses from Northern Ireland Actresses from Belfast Television actresses from Northern Ireland 1975 births