Sinéad Keenan

Sinéad Keenan
Keenan holding an action figure of her Doctor Who character at the Birmingham Memorabilia Convention in 2012
Born (1977-12-27) 27 December 1977 (age 48)
Dublin, Ireland
Alma materUniversity College Dublin
OccupationActress
Years active1999–present
Spouse
Chris McGill
​
(m. 2012)​
Children2

Sinéad Keenan (born 27 December 1977) is an Irish actress with a wide range of television, film, and stage credits. Keenan is best known for playing Farrah Phelan in Fair City and for playing the role of a werewolf called Nina Pickering on BBC Three's supernatural drama Being Human. She has played DCI Jessica James in ITV1 drama Unforgotten since 2023.

Early life and education

Sinéad Keenan was born on 27 December 1977[1] and raised in Dublin, the eldest of three children. Her younger brother and sister, Rory and Gráinne,[2] are also actors.[3]

She attended University College Dublin,[2] graduating with a degree in sociology and history.[4] As a child, Keenan wanted to be a lawyer because she loved the US legal drama Matlock, but as she got older she realised that she actually just wanted to play the part of the lawyer, not be one.[3]

Career

Film

Keenan's first role was in 1999, when she was cast as the teenage girlfriend of Cillian Murphy in the film, Sunburn.[3]

Theatre

Throughout her career, Keenan has had strong roots in theatre becoming a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). She played Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Novello Theatre in 2006.[5] The play was directed by Gregory Doran.[6] She played Evie in the original play, The American Pilot in 2005,[1] and starred in The Comedy of Errors also in 2005.[7]

Radio

In 2011, Keenan starred alongside Jason Done as DCI Lise Lazard in Crimes Of Mancunia set in Manchester. It was written by Michael Symmons Roberts, directed by Susan Roberts and produced by Charlotte Riches.[8]

In 2014 she appeared as Aoife in the radio play Doctor Who: Iterations of I, made by Big Finish Productions. It was written by John Dorney and directed by Ken Bentley.[9]

In 2025, Keenan starred as Maria Kossecka in Hat Trick Productions series Discretion, broadcast as part of BBC Radio 4's broadcast and podcast series Limelight.[10] It was written by Chris Brandon, produced by Claire Broughton, with executive production by Jed Mercurio.

Television

After appearing in Sunburn, she played the character Farrah Phelan in Irish soap opera Fair City for a year. Keenan has stated she would return to Fair City, as another character.[11]

Keenan left Fair City amid fears of becoming typecast,[12] and moved on to film the movie On the Nose with Cracker actor Robbie Coltrane. Her next television role was as Lisa Cassidy in short-lived Irish sitcom The Cassidys.[13]

Keenan then went on to have guest roles in Murder City, Taggart and Doctors, along with starring in movies Conspiracy of Silence and Trouble with Sex, before landing the role of Kelly Hawkins in ITV's Moving Wallpaper, which ran for two series.[14]

Following this, Keenan played Nina Pickering in Toby Whithouse's Being Human.[15]

Following her success in Being Human, Keenan has had guest roles in Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Silent Witness, and David Tennant's final episodes of Doctor Who.[16]

In March 2018, Keenan won the Royal Television Society Programme Award for Actor (Female) for her role as Melanie Jones in Little Boy Blue.[17] In April 2018, it was announced that she had been nominated for a Leading Actress BAFTA TV Award for the same role.[18]

Keenan had a starring role in the Jimmy McGovern and Gillian Juckes drama Care, broadcast on BBC One in December 2018.[19]

In April 2021, it was announced that Keenan would be starring in the two-part BBC One drama Three Families, which will focus on abortion in Northern Ireland. It was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2020.[20]

Keenan appears in series 5 and 6 of ITV's crime drama Unforgotten as DCI Jessica James.[21]

Personal life

In 2012, she married film and television director Chris McGill, founder at Dusthouse Productions, with whom she has two sons.[22][23]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Fair City Farrah Phelan
2001 The Cassidys Lisa Cassidy
2004 Murder City Young mother Series 1, Episode 5
2007 Taggart Alic Martin Series 23, Episode 3 - Tenement
2008 Doctors Elena Series 10, Episode 22 - Larp
Moving Wallpaper Kelly Hawkins
2009 Comedy Showcase Wendy Series 2, Episode 4 - The Amazing Dermot
Agatha Christie's Poirot Nora Brent Series 12, Episode 1 - "The Clocks"
Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas Delia Smith's secretary
2009–2010 Doctor Who Addams "The End of Time"
2009–2011 Being Human Nina Pickering Series One, Episodes 2–6, Series Two, Episodes 1–4, 7, 8. Series Three, Episodes 1–8
2010 Victoria Wood's Little Cracker Mrs Whitefield Short for Sky1
2011 Silent Witness Naomi Silverlake Series 14, Episode 1–2 - A Guilty Mind
2012 Lip Service Nora Series 2
2013 London Irish Bronagh Channel 4
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot Doctor Who fan BBC Red Button
2015 Uncle Maggie Series 2, Episode 5 - A Guilty Mind
2017 Little Boy Blue Melanie Jones
2018 Care Claire 90-minute drama by Jimmy McGovern and Gillian Juckes
2019 Porters Dr. Bartholomew Series 2, 5 episodes
Deep Water Roz ITV
2020 My Left Nut Patricia Campbell BBC
2021 Three Families Theresa Ryan Two-part drama for BBC One
Showtrial Detective Inspector Paula Cassidy Five-part drama for BBC One
2022 Derry Girls Aideen Series 3, episode 3
2023–present Unforgotten Detective Chief Inspector Jessica James Series 5. Six-part crime drama for ITV
2026 How to Get to Heaven from Belfast Robyn 8 episodes

Personal appearances

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Doctor Who Confidential Herself Lords and Masters, Allons-y!
2011 Alan Carr: Chatty Man Herself Series 5, Episode 7

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Sunburn Margaret Keenan's first role
2001 On the Nose Sinead Delaney
2003 Conspiracy of Silence Majella
2004 Mind of the Crime Carrie TV movie
2006 Trouble with Sex Kathy

Radio and CD audio drama

Year Title Role Radio station / production company
2011 Crimes Of Mancunia DCI Lise Lazard BBC Radio 4
2014 Doctor Who: Iterations of I Aoife Big Finish Productions
2025 Discretion Maria Kossecka Hat Trick Productions for BBC Radio 4

Theatre

Year Title Role Theatre / notes
2003 Loyal Women Adele Royal Court Theatre
2005 The American Pilot Evie The Other Place
2005 Comedy of Errors Luciana Royal Shakespeare Theatre
2006 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Novello Theatre

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Award Work Result Ref.
2018 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Actor (Female) Little Boy Blue Won [17]
BAFTA TV Awards Best Actress Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b "Being Human | Nina". BBC Three. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Interview: Sinead Keenan, actress". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b c "We chat to Being Human's Sinead Keenan". Company. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Farrah and Away; Fair City actress has sights on Hollywood". Daily Mirror. 25 April 2000. Retrieved 14 November 2011 – via The Free Library.
  5. ^ "A Midsummer Night's Dream | by William Shakespeare | RSC at the Novello Theatre | 5 - 25 Feb 2006". onlinereviewlondon.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012.
  6. ^ "A Midsummer Night's Dream - RSC 2006". London Theatre. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  7. ^ David, Peta (4 August 2005). "Reviews | The Comedy of Errors". The Stage. Archived from the original on 4 January 2006.
  8. ^ "Crimes of Mancunia" (Radio play). Drama on 4. 27 January 2014. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Doctor Who: The Fifth Doctor Box Set | Psychodrome - Iterations of I | Cast". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Discretion" (Radio play). Limelight. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  11. ^ Quigley, Maeve (11 February 2008). "I'd return to Fair City..as someone ELSE". Daily Mirror – via The Free Library.
  12. ^ "Sexy Sinead Swaps Pub Life for a Bit of a Laugh". Sunday People. 30 September 2001 – via The Free Library.
  13. ^ "The Cassidys". TV.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012.
  14. ^ Moving Wallpaper at IMDb
  15. ^ Being Human at IMDb
  16. ^ "The End of Time - Part Two" (TV programme). Doctor Who. 1 January 2010. BBC. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  17. ^ a b "RTS Programme Awards 2018 in partnership with Audio Network". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  18. ^ "Bafta TV Awards 2018: All the nominees and winners". BBC News. 4 April 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  19. ^ "Care" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  20. ^ "Cast confirmed for BBC One drama Three Families, from the producers of Three Girls" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Sinéad Keenan joins Sanjeev Bhaskar for Unforgotten series 5" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  22. ^ Shillcock, Francesca (20 March 2023). "All there is to know about Unforgotten star Sinéad Keenan's family including famous siblings". Hello!. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  23. ^ Fear, Helen (27 February 2023). "As Sinéad Keenan joins Unforgotten as DCI Jess James, we reveal her seriously famous family!". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinead_Keenan