Niamh Cusack

Irish actress (born 1959)

Niamh Cusack

Born|  (1959-10-20) 20 October 1959 (age 65)

Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland

Occupation| Actress
Years active| 1984–present
Spouse| Finbar Lynch
Children| Calam Lynch
Parent(s)| Cyril Cusack
Maureen Kiely
Relatives| Calam Lynch (son)
Sinéad Cusack (sister)
Sorcha Cusack (sister)
Pádraig Cusack (brother)
Catherine Cusack (half-sister)
Richard Boyd Barrett (nephew)
Max Irons (nephew)

Niamh Cusack (/ˈniːv/ NEEV; born 20 October 1959) is an Irish actress. Born into a family with deep roots in the performing arts, she has performed extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and other prominent theatre ensembles.

Cusack is best known for her television role as Dr. Kate Rowan in the British series Heartbeat (1992–1995). Her further screen credits include the medical drama Always and Everyone (1999–2002), the animated series The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1992–1995), and films such as The Closer You Get (2000), Testament of Youth (2014), and The Ghoul (2016). Notable television appearances include episodes of Agatha Christie's Marple ("4:50 from Paddington", 2004), Midsomer Murders (2008), A Touch of Frost (2010), Death in Paradise (2021), and The Tower (2023), alongside performances in dramas like In Love with Alma Cogan (2011), Departure (2015), and The Virtues (2019).

Cusack received a nomination for an IFTA Award for her role in the television film Too Good to be True (2003).

## Early life

[edit]

Niamh Cusack was born on 20 October 1959[1] in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland. She is the daughter of actor Cyril Cusack[2] and actress Maureen Cusack (formerly Mary Margaret Kiely). Among her siblings are actresses Sinéad Cusack and Sorcha Cusack,[1] as well as half-sister Catherine Cusack.[3] Her brothers include Paul Cusack, a television producer,[2] and Pádraig Cusack,[1] a producer for the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain.

## Education

[edit]

Cusack received a bilingual education in Dublin, and is fluent in both Irish (Gaeilge) and English. Initially pursuing a career in music, she trained as a professional flautist and earned a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London.[2] Following this, she worked as a freelance musician with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.[3] She later transitioned to acting, securing a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to undertake formal training.[3]

## Acting career

[edit]

### Theatre

[edit]

Cusack began her stage career in 1985, playing Irina in Kasparov Wrede’s production of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, followed by portraying Desdemona opposite Ben Kingsley in the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production of Othello.[4] In 1986, she starred as Juliet opposite Sean Bean's Romeo in the RSC’s Romeo and Juliet.[5]

Throughout the 1990s, Cusack performed in prominent London productions, including Nora Clitheroe in Sam Mendes's staging of Seán O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars at the Young Vic,[4] Rosalind in As You Like It at the Barbican Centre,[4] Flora Crewe in Tom Stoppard's Indian Ink at the Aldwych Theatre,[4] and a role in Jean Genet's The Maids at the Donmar Warehouse.[4] In 2003, she played Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice at the Chichester Festival Theatre, directed by Gale Edwards.[4]

In 2004, she joined the National Theatre's adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials as Serafina Pekkala, alongside Anna Maxwell Martin, Ben Wishaw, and Patricia Hodge. In 2007, She returned to the National Theatre in 2007 for The Enchantment[6][7] and starred in Mark O'Rowe's Crestfall at Theatre503.[8] In 2009, she portrayed Maggie in the Old Vic's revival of Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa alongside her husband, Finbar Lynch.[4] In 2010, she played Catherine Dickens in Andersen's English, by Sebastian Barry.[9]

In 2011, she appeared in The Painter by Rebecca Lenkiewicz,[10] opposite Toby Jones and followed it with the role of Edith Davenport in Cause Célèbre by Terence Rattigan and the Widow Quin in The Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge, both at the Old Vic.[11] Cusack was nominated for a Whatsonstage.com Award in 2012 in the Best Supporting Actress in a Play category for The Playboy of the Western World role.

In August 2012, Cusack rejoined the National Theatre for the role of Siobhan in the world première of the stage adaptation of Mark Haddon's book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott. The show premièred on 2 August 2012. It also starred Luke Treadaway as Christopher, Nicola Walker as his mother Judy, Paul Ritter as his father Ed and Una Stubbs as Mrs. Alexander.[4] The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time secured the most nominations, with eight, for the 2013 Olivier Awards.[12][13] The show transferred to the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, London on 1 March 2013 with Cusack reprising her role.[4]

Cusack returned to the London stage in 2016 as Paulina in The Winter's Tale at the Globe and Owen McCafferty's Unfaithful at Found 111 in the West End.[4]

In 2017, she was cast in the leading role of Lenú in the world premiere of the stage adaptation of the multi-award-winning tetralogy of books My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante at the Rose Theatre, which transferred to the Olivier Theatre of the Royal National Theatre in 2019.[4] In between the transfer in 2018, Cusack returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company in another leading role as Lady Macbeth opposite Christopher Eccleston which transferred to London's Barbican Theatre.[4] In the first stage adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel The Remains of the Day by Barney Norris, Cusack was cast as Miss Kenton. Cusack also returned television as Janine in the acclaimed 4-part series The Virtues directed by Shane Meadows.

In 2022, Cusack appeared at Abbey Theatre in Brian Friel's Faith Healer opposite Aidan Gillen and directed by Joe Dowling[14] (which had been postponed owing to COVID-19). For her performance, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Support Role at the Irish Times Theatre Awards. In 2022, she starred as Gertrude in Hamlet by Bristol Old Vic along with husband Finbar Lynch.[15] In 2023, she led the cast in the first major revival of Polly Stenham's That Face at London's Orange Tree Theatre.[4]

### Film and television

[edit]

In 1989 Cusack appeared in the ninth episode of the first series of Agatha Christie's Poirot entitled The King of Clubs.[16] She starred as Dr. Kate Rowan in the popular 1990s television drama series Heartbeat (1992–1995),[2] set in the 1960s in the North Riding of Yorkshire.[2] She left the show after becoming pregnant.[2] Cusack was nominated in the category of Best Actress in a TV Drama in 2004 at the 2nd Irish Film & Television Awards for her performance in the Cartlon Television TV film Too Good to Be True.[17]

She played Christine Fletcher in Always and Everyone (1999–2002), a British accident and emergency medical series alongside Martin Shaw; Grace Haslett in the miniseries State of Mind,[16] alongside Andrew Lincoln; Julie Flynn in the one-off drama Rhinoceros alongside Robson Green and Beatrix Potter in the TV series The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1992–1995).[16] She played Wodehouse's Bobbie Wickham in the ITV series Jeeves and Wooster (1990–1993). She was also in Agatha Christie's Marple series[16] ("4:50 from Paddington", 2004),[16] and has appeared in episodes of Midsomer Murders (2008) and A Touch of Frost (2010),[16] alongside David Jason. She starred in the film The Closer You Get (2000),[16] alongside Seán McGinley. She appeared in Testament of Youth (2014), Departure (2015),[16] Chick Lit (2016),[16] and in the British psychological crime horror The Ghoul (2016).[16]

In 2021, she appeared in two episodes of Death in Paradise (2021).[16] In 2023, she appeared in series two of The Tower, alongside Tamzin Outhwaite.[18]

### Radio

[edit]

In January 2013, she was nominated for a BBC Audio Drama Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for The Man with Wings by Rachel Joyce, produced by Gordon House, Goldhawk Essential Productions for Radio 4. Cusack played Molly Bloom in James Joyce's Ulysses for BBC Radio 4 which aired a new 9-part adaptation dramatised by Robin Brooks, produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer. The series began on Bloomsday (16 June) 2012.[19]

## Personal life

[edit]

Cusack is married to the actor Finbar Lynch.[1] They met when rehearsing in Dublin in the theatre production of Three Sisters in 1990.[2] They have one son, actor Calam Lynch.[1] Cusack is a keen athlete and has run the London Marathon for the charity St Joseph's Hospice in 2003.[20]

## Filmography

[edit]

Film

Year  | Film  | Role  | Notes
1988 | Paris by Night | Jenny Swanton | dir. David Hare
1990 | Fools of Fortune | Josephine | dir. Pat O'Connor
1992 | The Playboys | Brigid Maguire |
2000 | The Closer You Get | Kate | dir. Aileen Ritchie
2007 | Matterhorn | Marie | Short film
2009 | Five Minutes of Heaven | Alistair's Mum – 1975 | dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel
2010 | The Kid | 1980 school nurse |
Hereafter | Marcus' foster mother | dir. Clint Eastwood
2011 | In Love with Alma Cogan | Sandra | dir. Tony Britten
2012 | The Best of Men | Sister Edwards | dir. Tim Whitby
2014 | Testament of Youth | Sister Jones | dir. James Kent
2015 | Departure | Sally |
2016 | ChickLit | Claire | dir. Tony Britten
The Ghoul | Fisher | dir. Gareth Tunley
2020 | Returning | Mum | dir. Lucy Bridger
2023 | Unwelcome | Niamh | dir. Jon Wright
In the Land of Saints and Sinners | Rita | dir. Robert Lorenz
2024 | We Live in Time | Sylvia |
Four Mothers | Maura |
Television
Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes
1988 | A Shadow on the Sun |  | TV film
Screen Two | Denise Slipper | Episode: "Lucky Sunil"
1989 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Valerie Saintclair | Episode: "The King of Clubs"
1991 | Jeeves and Wooster | Roberta 'Bobbie' Wickham | Episode: "Wooster with a Wife (or, Jeeves the Matchmaker)"
Chalkface | Melanie | 7 episodes
1992 | Angels | Ellen | TV film
1992–1995 | Heartbeat | Dr. Kate Rowan | 49 episodes
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends | Beatrix Potter | 9 episodes
1997 | Living Proof – Cause of Death | Mary McGuire | TV series documentary
1998 | Colour Blind | Bridget Paterson | Mini-Series
1999 | Rhinoceros | Julie Flynn | TV film
1999–2002 | Always and Everyone | Christine Fletcher | 37 episodes
2000 | Little Bird | Ellen Hall | TV film
2003 | State of Mind | Dr. Grace Hazlett | TV film
Loving You | Chloe | TV film
Too Good to Be True | Tina | TV film – IFTA Awards: Best Actress in Film or TV (Nom)[17]
2004 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Emma Crackenthorpe | Episode: "4.50 from Paddington"
2005 | The Last Detective | Gill | Episode: "Friends Reunited"
2007 | Fallen Angel | Vanessa Byfield | Episode: "The Judgement of Strangers"
2008 | Midsomer Murders | Penny Galsworthy | Episode: "Days of Misrule"
2010 | A Touch of Frost | Sally Berland | 2 episodes
Lewis | Dr. Ellen Jacoby | Episode: "Falling Darkness"
2012 | Henry IV, Part II | Lady Northumberland | TV film
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Siobhan | TV film for National Theatre Live
2014 | New Tricks | Joanne Gibson | Episode: "In Vino Veritas"
2016 | Rebellion | Nelly Cosgrave | 4 episodes
Silent Witness | Sylvie Blake | 2 episodes
2018 | Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Royal Shakespeare Company
2019 | The Virtues | Janine | 2 episodes, directed by Shane Meadows[3]
2020 | Father Brown | Roisin Crayford | Episode: "The Numbers of the Beast"
2021 | Death in Paradise | Maggie O'Connell | 2 episodes[3]
2021 | Brassic | Clodagh | 1 episode
2023 | The Tower | Claire Mills | Series two[18]
Archie | Alma Hitchcock | Episode #1.2
2024 | Big Mood | Gillian | 2 episodes
2025 | I, Jack Wright | Annie Rouse | Series regular

## Selected theatre credits

[edit]

* 1985: Othello as Desdemona (Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican, London)[4]
* 1985: Mary, After the Queen (Royal Shakespeare Company)[4]
* 1985: Anything Goes (Royal Shakespeare Company)[4]
* 1985: Three Sisters as Irina (Royal Exchange, Manchester)
* 1986: Romeo and Juliet as Juliet (Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican, London)[5]
* 1987: The Art of Success (Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican, London)[4]
* 1987: Portrait of a Marriage (Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican Theatre, London)
* 1988: The Tutor (Old Vic, London) – Alongside half sister Catherine Cusack[4]
* 1988: The Admirable Crichton (West End – Theatre Royal Haymarket, London)[4]
* 1990: Three Sisters as Irina (Gate Theatre, Dublin[4] & Royal Court Theatre, London[4] – Alongside sisters Sinead Cusack (Masha) & Sorcha Cusack (Olga) & her father Cyril Cusack)[3]
* 1991: The Plough and the Stars as Nora Clitheroe (Young Vic Theatre, London)[4]
* 1991: The Phoenix (Bush Theatre, London)[4]
* 1993: A Doll's House as Nora (Gate Theatre, Dublin)
* 1995: Indian Ink as Flora (West End – Aldwych Theatre)[4]
* 1996: As You Like It as Rosalind (Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican, London)[4]
* 1996: The Learned Ladies as Armande (Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican, London)[4]
* 1997: The Maids (Donmar Warehouse, London)[4]
* 1998: Nabokov's Gloves (Hampstead Theatre, London)
* 2003: The Merchant of Venice as Portia (Chichester Festival Theatre)
* 2003: His Dark Materials as Serafina Pekkala (Royal National Theatre, London)
* 2005: Breathing Corpses (Royal Court Theatre/Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, London)[4]
* 2006: Mammals (The Bush, London)[4]
* 2007: The Way of the World (Royal Theatre, Northampton)
* 2007: The Enchantment (Royal National Theatre, London)[6]
* 2007: Ghosts as Mrs Alving (Gate Theatre – Notting Hill, London)
* 2007: Crestfall (Theatre503, London)[8]
* 2008: The Portrait of a Lady (Theatre Royal Bath)[4]
* 2009: Dancing at Lughnasa as Maggie (West End – Old Vic Theatre)[4]
* 2010: Anderson's English (Hampstead Theatre/Out of Joint and on tour)
* 2010: Women, Power and Politics (Tricycle Theatre, London)
* 2011: Cause Célèbre (West End – Old Vic Theatre)[4]
* 2011: The Painter (Arcola Theatre, London)
* 2011: The Playboy of the Western World as Pegeen Mike (West End – Old Vic Theatre)[11]
* 2012: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as Siobhan (Royal National Theatre, London)[2]
* 2013: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as Siobhan (West End – Apollo Theatre)[4]
* 2014: Afterplay as Sonya (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield)[2]
* 2016: The Winter's Tale as Paulina (Shakespeare's Globe, London)
* 2016: Unfaithful (Theatre 111, London)
* 2017: My Brilliant Friend as Lenú (Rose Theatre, London)
* 2018: Macbeth as Lady Macbeth (Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican, London)[4]
* 2019: The Remains of the Day as Kenton (Out of Joint/UK Tour)
* 2019: My Brilliant Friend as Lenú (Royal National Theatre, London)
* 2022: Faith Healer as Grace (Abbey Theatre, Dublin)
* 2022: Hamlet as Gertrude (Bristol Old Vic)
* 2023: That Face as Martha (Orange Tree Theatre, London)[4]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

* Nominated: BBC Audio Drama Awards 2013 – Best Supporting Actress for The Man with Wings by Rachel Joyce, for BBC Radio 4
* Nominated: Whatsonstage.com Awards 2012 – Best Supporting Actress in a Play for Playboy of the Western World at Old Vic
* Nominated: Irish Film & Television Academy IFTA 2004 – Best Actress in a TV Drama for Too Good to be True[17]
* Winner: Received an Irish Life Award
* Winner: Received an Irish Post Award
* Nominated: Irish Times Theatre Awards 2021/22 – Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Faith Healer by Brian Friel at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Edworthy, Sarah (15 May 2009). "My Perfect Weekend: Niamh Cusack". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The big interview: Actress Niamh Cusack". Yorkshirepost.co.uk. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
3. ^ a b c d e f Matt Spivey (5 January 2022). "ITV Heartbeat: Niamh Cusack's life with actor husband she met on set and Disney star son". mylondon.news.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "Niamh Cusack – past productions". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
5. ^ a b William Shakespeare (26 October 2011). "Romeo and Juliet". Archived from the original on 26 December 2011.
6. ^ a b Susan Elkin (2 August 2007). "The Enchantment". The Stage. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
7. ^ Serena Davies (3 August 2009). "The Enchantment: Erotic love's cruel power". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
8. ^ a b Lyn Gardner (1 December 2007). "Crestfall". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
9. ^ Michael Billington (9 April 2010). "Andersen's English". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
10. ^ Natasha Tripney (7 January 2011). "The Painter". The Stage. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
11. ^ a b Michael Billington (30 March 2011). "Cause Célèbre". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
12. ^ Clark, Nick (26 March 2013). "Olivier Awards 2013: Stars of the Silver Screen Helen Mirren, James McAvoy and Rupert Everett in Competition for top theatre gongs". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
13. ^ "Nominations by Show 2013". Olivier Awards. 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
14. ^ "'There are a lot of ghosts in Dublin for me' – Niamh Cusack gets ready for her Abbey debut". Irish Independent. 28 March 2020.
15. ^ "Billy Howle Joined By Niamh Cusack and Mirren Mack in HAMLET at Bristol Old Vic; Full Cast Announced". Broadway World.
16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Niamh Cusack Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
17. ^ a b c "Winners of the 2nd Annual Irish Film & Television Awards". ifta.ie. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
18. ^ a b "Tamzin Outhwaite, Niamh Cusack and Ella Smith have joined the cast for the second series of The Tower". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
19. ^ "James Joyce's Ulysses". BBC Radio. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
20. ^ "Niamh Cusack – London Marathon 2003". alamyimages.fr. 13 April 2003.

## External links

[edit]

* Niamh Cusack at IMDb
* Niamh Cusack at BroadwayWorld.com
* Niamh Cusack in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
* Niamh Cusack – National Theatre Company Cast Bio (archive)
* Niamh Cusack nomination for BBC Audio Award

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