Geraldine Hughes (born 1970) is an

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a 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 term is (), li ...

from Belfast,

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

. Born in

West Belfast Belfast West can refer to: *The western part of Belfast. *Belfast West (Assembly constituency) * Belfast West (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency) *Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency) Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency ( ...

, Hughes has appeared in films such as '' Duplex'', ''

Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion), is a fictional title character and the protagonist of the ''Rocky'' film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eight ...

'', and ''

Gran Torino ''Gran Torino'' is a 2008 American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, and Ahney Her. This was Eastwood's first starring role since 2004's ''Million D ...

''. She also played

Mary Todd Lincoln Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (December 13, 1818July 16, 1882) served as First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Mary Lincoln was a member of a large and wealthy, slave-owning ...

in ''

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''.Geraldine Hughes Talks KILLING LINCOLN, How She Views Mary Todd Lincoln, and Period Costumes
/ref> More recently, she performed a solo play written by herself, '' Belfast Blues.''

Early life

Hughes grew up in the Divis Flats in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

. To get herself through the tough times, Hughes participated in her school's drama club. She loved school, saying it made her feel safe and she enjoyed the structure it provided. It was where she escaped from The Troubles. After being chosen for her role in the film ''Children in the Crossfire'', Hughes spent her first summer in the United States. She had no acting experience beyond her school's drama club before accepting her role as Mary in the movie.

Education

In Belfast, Hughes attended St. Louise's Comprehensive College in the '80s. Later, she attended the

University of California in Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...

(UCLA) with a private scholarship from those she worked with in the film ''Children in the Crossfire''. While they paid her tuition, she paid her living expenses. Hughes graduated from the university with a BA from the School of Theater, Film and TV. And in 2009, Queens University in Belfast awarded Hughes an honorary doctorate for her contributions to the performing arts.

Career

When Hughes was just 14, American TV producers auditioned hundreds of children in Ireland for their film and of the hundreds, three were chosen to participate in the film, Hughes being one of them. This first film debut of hers was in the movie, ''Children of the Crossfire'' in the year 1984. Later, during her first years in Los Angeles, Hughes became a part-time nanny to

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and

Rhea Perlman Rhea Jo Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American actress. She played head-waitress Carla Tortelli in the sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993). Over the course of 11 seasons, Perlman was nominated for ten Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Ac ...

's children. After a theater performance, Hughes was contacted by a casting director and asked to audition for the role of Marie in ''Rocky Balboa'', a role she is arguably most known for. Hughes has been and continues to work in the field of performing arts.

Family and personal life

Hughes comes from a working-class family in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She grew up in a Catholic household. Because she lived during The Troubles, Hughes experienced life in a war zone. ''Belfast Blues'' is a play she wrote detailing her real life experiences from her life in Belfast. As a child, Hughes never spoke of the horrors she witnessed in Belfast. Her performances of this play are dedicated “to all the children who live in places of conflict.” Hughes left Belfast at the age of 18. She lived in Los Angeles for 16 years then moved to New York City. Family comes first for Hughes as she regularly returns to Belfast for visits. Hughes was married to an American from Pennsylvania, Ian Harrington. He also "came from nothin'' as his family was very poor. He was the first to encourage Hughes to share her story.

Filmography and theatrical appearances

Film

Television

Theater

Awards and nominations

Hughes received her first award in 2003, the Los Angeles Ovation Award. Just a year later, in 2004 she received the Garland and Drama Critics Circle Awards. Hughes also received a nomination for Distinguished Performance from the Drama League Award for her acting in her solo play, ''Belfast Blues'', in 2004.

References

External links

* * NY Time
article
about ''Belfast Blues.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Geraldine 1970 births Living people Film actresses from Northern Ireland Stage actresses from Northern Ireland 20th-century actresses from Northern Ireland 21st-century actresses from Northern Ireland Actresses from Belfast Date of birth missing (living people)