| Sinead Keenan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sinead Keenan 27 December 1977 Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1999–present |
Sinead Keenan (born 27 December 1977)[1] is an Irish actress with a vast variety of television, film and stage credits. Keenan is best known to Irish viewers for playing Farrah Phelan in Fair City and is best known to UK viewers for playing the role of werewolf Nina Pickering on BBC Three's supernatural drama Being Human,[2] which began airing in 2009. Keenan has been a regular cast member since Series 3 began airing in 2011. In November 2011, Keenan's on-screen partner, Russell Tovey announced he would be leaving Being Human to work full-time on his BBC Three sitcom, Him & Her.[3]. It currently remains unknown what this development means for Keenan's character.
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Keenan is the eldest of three children. Her younger brother and sister, Rory and Grainne,[4] are also actors.[5] She grew up in Dublin, Ireland. She attended University College Dublin[4] and has a degree in Sociology and History.[6] As a child, Keenan says she 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.[5]
Keenan's first role was in 1999, when she was cast as the teenage girlfriend of Cillian Murphy in the film, Sunburn.[5] After this, 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.[7]
Keenan left Fair City amid fears of becoming type-cast,[8] 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.
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.
Following this, Keenan found herself playing Nina Pickering in Toby Whithouse's Being Human. The actress was so well liked by Whithouse, and her chemistry with on-screen boyfriend Russell Tovey, that he edited the storyline to keep Keenan's character in the show. It is unknown whether she will remain after co-star Tovey announced he was leaving the series.
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.
Throughout her career, Keenan has had strong roots in theatre becoming a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), playing parts such as Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream[9] and Evie in the original play, The American Pilot.[10] She also starred in Comedy of Errors.[11]
It was announced in May 2011 that Keenan would be staring in Series Two of BBC Three drama, Lip Service.[12]
Sinead is 5 feet 1.5 inches (156.2 cm) tall. On 25 September 2011, Keenan announced that she was engaged.[13] Keenan is allergic to chocolate.[14]
| 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 |
| 2008 | Moving Wallpaper | Kelly Hawkins | |
| 2009 | Comedy Showcase | Wendy | Series 2, Episode 4 - The Amazing Dermot |
| 2009 | Being Human | Nina Pickering | Series One, Episodes 2-6, Series Two, Episodes 1-4, 7, 8. Series Three, Episodes 1-8 |
| 2009 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Nora Brent | Series 12, Episode 1 - The Clocks |
| 2009 | Doctor Who | Addams | The End Of Time - Part One and Two |
| 2009 | Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas | Delia Smith's Secretary | |
| 2010 | Victoria Wood's Little Cracker | Mrs Whitefield | Short for Sky1 |
| 2011 | Silent Witness | Naomi Silverlake | Series 14, Episode 1-2 - A Guilty Mind |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Alan Carr: Chatty Man | Herself | Series 5, Episode 7 |
| 2009 | Doctor Who Confidential | Herself | Lords and Masters, Allons-y! |
| 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 |
| Year | Title | Role | Radio Station / Production Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Crimes Of Mancunia | DCI Lise Lazard | BBC Radio 4 |
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Loyal Women | Adele | The 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 |