Maria Doyle Kennedy

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Maria Doyle Kennedy
Maria Doyle Kennedy in 2014
Born
Maria Josephine Doyle

(1964-09-25) 25 September 1964 (age 59)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
Years active1980s–present
Spouse
Kieran Kennedy
(m. 1988)
Children4
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals
Websitewww.mariadk.com

Maria Josephine Doyle Kennedy[1] (born 25 September 1964) is an Irish singer and actress. With a singing and acting career that has spanned more than 30 years, she has established herself as one of Ireland's most prolific artists and entertainers.[2] As an actress, she is best known for her extensive television roles as Patsy in Father Ted (1998), Catherine of Aragon in The Tudors (2007–2010), Vera Bates in Downton Abbey (2011), Siobhán Sadler in Orphan Black (2013–2017), and Jocasta Cameron in Outlander (2018–present). More recently in 2022, she starred as the Scottish journalist Tannie Maria in the series Recipes for Love and Murder, set in the Karoo in South Africa and adapted for the screen from the book of the same name by Sally Andrew.

Doyle Kennedy has also appeared in numerous films, including The Commitments (1991), The Matchmaker (1997), The General (1998), Miss Julie (1999), Tara Road (2005), Albert Nobbs (2011), Byzantium (2012), Jupiter Ascending (2015), Sing Street (2016), and The Conjuring 2 (2016). In 2020, she was listed as number 46 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.[3]

As a singer, Doyle Kennedy has released nine solo studio albums and two live albums, alongside two albums as a member of The Black Velvet Band.

Early life

Doyle was born in

joint honours degree in political science and business,[5][6] and she never considered becoming an actress until after she established herself as a singer.[4]

Career

Music

Maria started The Black Velvet Band with her future husband, Kieran Kennedy and music quickly became a motivating force in her life.[4] The band released their first album, When Justice Came, in 1989.[8] Recorded in Los Angeles in 1989, it reached number four on the Irish charts and is ranked among the best Irish albums of the late 1980s.[citation needed] She then united with producers Clive Langer and Allen Winstanley to record her second Black Velvet Band album, King of Myself, in 1992.[8]

The Lady Sings The Blues, a compilation album featuring Doyle Kennedy alongside Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, and Annie Lennox followed, and proved to be a best-selling album in 1994. It also established Doyle Kennedy in new markets throughout Europe, the U.S., and Japan. Touring Europe for the first time, she got rave reviews from The Guardian and The Times. She produced a documentary, Golden Boy, based on the life and work of Irish artist Patrick Scott, for which she specifically created the production company Mermaid Films.[9][10] She has appeared as a broadcaster on Irish television, filling in for John Kelly on his Mystery Train show and for Tom Dunne on Pet Sounds. Doyle Kennedy also hosted an RTÉ musical series Borderline in the late 1980s.[11]

After releasing music with The Black Velvet Band, Doyle Kennedy left the group to pursue a solo career in music.[8] In 2001, Doyle Kennedy released music on Mermaid Records, a label she founded herself in 2000.[6][12] Her debut solo album Charm was released in 2001, following the release of the two lead singles, "Stars Above" and "Babes".[8] She coordinated Sirens, which is a compilation album of female artists and was released in 2003. In the same year, she performed on the first series of Other Voices.[8] She released the album Skullcover for a limited time between 2004 and 2005. The album contained her covers of songs such as "Lovesong", "Video Killed the Radio Star", and "Still in Love with You".[8]

Doyle Kennedy then released the alternative folk album

Pepper Canister Church, with her husband Kieran providing the instrumentation and production; and Mütter's Daughter, an album containing unreleased and re-released tracks from the album Mütter.[14][15]

Doyle Kennedy worked with her husband to create a follow-up album to Sing.

Eric Garner in response to international media coverage of the Ferguson unrest and other police-related violence in the United States. Both songs are confirmed to be appearing on the record.[17] "Pride", the first single from her self-titled ninth studio album, was released on 10 June 2017, with the album itself being released on 25 September.[18]

Irish music magazine Hot Press called her "truly one of Ireland's greatest vocalists" and one of their "best-kept secrets",[19] while BBC Music reviewer Andy Fyfe opined that Doyle Kennedy's "transcendence sets her apart from the avalanche of female singer-songwriters".[20] Upon its release, Nicole Byrne of Shout4Music called Sing "one of the best Irish albums of the year – if not the best" and referred to Doyle Kennedy as a "Celtic angel".[21] Her voice has been credited as one of Ireland's national treasures.[12]

On 4 May 2021, Doyle Kennedy released her tenth studio album, Fire on the Roof of Eden.[22][23]

Acting

Doyle Kennedy's first experience with acting came in 1991 when she played Natalie Murphy in the musical comedy-drama

featured on an Irish postage stamp as part of the Ireland 1996: Irish Cinema Centenary series issued by An Post.[24] The image also includes her The Commitments co-stars Angeline Ball as Imelda Quirke, Bronagh Gallagher as Bernie McGloughlin, and Andrew Strong as Deco Cuffe.[24]

She continued to expand her acting platform with roles in 1997 The Matchmaker, directed by Mark Joffe; John Boorman's 1998 crime drama film, The General, Alan Bleasdale's 1999 miniseries Oliver Twist, and the 1999 British television series Queer as Folk.[1] In 2006, she received small-screen success in the television series Hide & Seek.[1]

In 2007 and 2008, she received widespread recognition for her role as

ITV's period drama series Downton Abbey, appearing as Vera Bates, estranged wife of the valet of the Earl of Grantham. In the same year, she also played a small role as a maid, Mary, in the period drama film Albert Nobbs, alongside American actress Glenn Close
.

In 2012, Doyle Kennedy played a leading role in the ITV miniseries Titanic and also appeared beside fellow Irish actress Saoirse Ronan in Neil Jordan's horror fantasy film Byzantium, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.

In 2013, Doyle Kennedy began co-starring in the Canadian science fiction thriller series

fifth and final season.[29][30]

She reprised her leading role as Mairéad Mhic Iarnáin for the second series of Corp & Anam in 2014.[26] She also appeared as Jupiter's mother Aleksa in The Wachowskis' 2015 science fiction action film Jupiter Ascending.[16] In 2016, Doyle Kennedy starred as Penny in the musical comedy-drama film Sing Street, which made its debut at South by Southwest.[31] She appeared in the 2016 sequel to the supernatural horror film The Conjuring, entitled The Conjuring 2.[32]

On 12 April 2016, Doyle Kennedy was announced as having been cast as

Redwater.[33][34]

In 2017, Doyle Kennedy was cast as Jocasta MacKenzie Cameron in the fourth season of the Starz historical romantic drama series Outlander, which is an adaptation of novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. The season premiered in 2018 and she continued in the role for multiple seasons.[35] Also in 2018, she starred as George Cusack in the second season of the RTÉ One drama series Striking Out, in which she appears as a series regular.[36]

In 2020, Doyle Kennedy was cast as Ila in the epic fantasy drama series The Wheel of Time, which is an adaptation of Robert Jordan's novel series of the same name.[37][38]

Personal life

Doyle Kennedy first met musician Kieran Kennedy at a gig she was performing, and he subsequently invited her to sing on one of his demos. This event turned into a first date for the couple, and they married soon after in 1988. The couple have four sons, including one of Doyle Kennedy's sons from a previous relationship.[4][6][39]

Doyle Kennedy considers music to be the most integral aspect of her life, and she prefers her musical endeavours over her acting ones.[4][7] She states "I do not miss acting when I am not doing it, but I would not spend a day without singing, even to myself."[7] She still experiences nerves before she sings on stage, but she has learned ways to control them through pacing and breathing techniques.[17] When acting, Doyle Kennedy is attracted to characters who are multifaceted and able to display not only a loving, motherly side, but also a fierce, determined side.[28]

Influences

She draws musical influence from jazz musician Billie Holiday, American country singer John Prine (with whom she went on to duet on her Sing album), and fellow Irish folk musician Dónal Lunny, a close personal friend of hers,[6] and has been referred to as "an Irish Patti Smith".[4] Additionally, she draws acting influences from her personal heroes Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton, with whom she starred on Downton Abbey.[6] Irish artist Patrick Scott, one of Doyle Kennedy's dearest personal friends, also served as one of her biggest inspirations for her life, in general. She admired his ability to allow his life to inform his art and found inspiration in his sentiment that improvement, and not degradation, can still happen in old age.[2]

Discography

With The Black Velvet Band

Studio albums

List of studio albums
Title Album details
When Justice Came
King of Myself
  • Release: 1992
  • Label: Mother Records
  • Formats: LP

Solo

Studio albums

List of studio albums
Title Album details
Charm
  • Release: August 2001
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL
Skullcover
  • Release: September 2004
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL
Mütter
  • Release: 18 May 2007
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL
The Storms Are on the Ocean
  • Release: 27 January 2011
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL
La Sirena 1992-1997
  • Release: 27 June 2011
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: DL
Sing
  • Release: September 2012
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL
Mütter's Daughter
  • Release: June 2015
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: DL
Maria DK
  • Release: 25 September 2017
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL
Fire on the Roof of Eden
  • Release: 4 May 2021
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL

Live albums

List of live albums
Title Album details
Maria Live
  • Release: 17 March 2014
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL
Live at el Lokal
  • Release: 16 November 2018
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD, DL

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums
Title Album details
Sirens
  • Release: 2003
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats: CD

DVD albums

List of DVD albums
Title Album details
The Band of Maria's (Live)
  • Release: January 2008
  • Label: Mermaid Records
  • Formats:
    DVD

Singles

List of singles
Title Year Album
"Stars Above" 2001 Charm
"Babes"
"How You Remind Me" 2003 Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1
"Fuckability" 2007 Mütter
"Forty Days"
"
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
"
2009 Non-album single
"The Storms Are on the Ocean" 2011 The Storms Are on the Ocean
"Am I Choosing Right" 2012 Sing
"Yes We Will (feat. John Prine)" 2013
"Hola Luna (feat. Paul Brady)"
"Sing (feat. Damien Rice)" 2014
"Stuck (Epic version)" 2015 Mütter's Daughter
"Stuck (Extended Indie version)"
"Stuck (Orphan Black version)" Non-album single
"Pride" 2017 Maria Doyle Kennedy
"Keeps on Spinning" 2020 Non-album single
"Cyane" Non-album single
"And the Wind Just Cries" Non-album single
"Need a Little Luck in This Life" Non-album single
"Revenge is Sour" Non-album single
"L'Amour c'est nous" Non-album single

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1991 The Commitments Natalie Murphy
1995 Nothing Personal Ann
1996 Moll Flanders Alice
1997
The Break
Roisin
The MatchMaker
Sarah Kelly
1998 The General Frances Cahil
1999 I Could Read in the Sky Maggie
Gregory's Two Girls Bel
Miss Julie Christine
2003 Mystics Foxy
2004
Spin the Bottle
Anastasia
2005 Tara Road Rosemary Ryan
2010 (She Owns) Every Thing Object of Affection Short film
2011 Albert Nobbs Mary
2012 After the Triumph of Your Birth Sister Roisin
Byzantium Morag
2013 A Thousand Times Good Night Theresa
Eliza Lynch: Queen of Paraguay Eliza Lynch
2015 Jupiter Ascending Aleksa Jones
The Timber Maggie
2016 Sing Street Penny Lawlor
The Conjuring 2 Peggy Nottingham
2020 Wolfwalkers Moll MacTíre Voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Father Ted Patsy Episode: "Night of the Nearly Dead"
1999 DDU: District Detective Unit Emma Pearson 2 episodes
Oliver Twist Irish Shop Assistant Miniseries
1999–2000 Queer as Folk Marie Threepwood 3 episodes
2000 The Fitz Rita Episode: "Dirty Book Deal"
2002 No Tears Kitty Fogarty Miniseries
Home for Christmas Cora Quirke Television film
2003 Thursday the 12th Nina Bannister Television film
2005 Legless Jenny Television film
2006 Hide & Seek Emma Holden 4 episodes
Sorted Roisin 6 episodes
2007–2010 The Tudors Catherine of Aragon 17 episodes
2010 Dexter Sonya 8 episodes
2011–2014
Corp & Anam
Mairéad Mhic Iarnáin 8 episodes
2011 Downton Abbey Vera Bates 3 episodes
2012 Titanic Muriel Batley Miniseries
2013–2017 Orphan Black Siobhán Sadler 40 episodes
2015 Call the Midwife Attracta Episode: "4.6"
2017
Redwater
Roisín Kelly
Miniseries
2018 Striking Out George Cusack 6 episodes
2018−present Outlander Jocasta MacKenzie Cameron 10 episodes
2020 Cold Courage Suzie Hawkins 4 episodes
2021–present Kin Bridget 'Birdy' Goggins 8 episodes
2021 The Wheel of Time Ila 3 episodes
2022 Recipes for Love and Murder Maria "Tannie Maria" Purvis Main role

Music video

Year Song Artist Role Ref.
2017 "Century" Feist (featuring Jarvis Cocker) Adversary [40]

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result
2002 Meteor Music Award Best Irish Female Herself Nominated
2003 Irish Film & Television Award Best Actress in a Film Mystics Nominated
2008 Meteor Music Award Best Irish Female Herself Nominated
Gemini Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series The Tudors Won
Irish Film & Television Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Television Won
2009 Irish Film & Television Award Won
Golden Nymph Award Outstanding Actress – Drama Series Nominated
2011 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Dexter Nominated
2012 Irish Film & Television Award Best Actress – Television Corp & Anam Nominated
Best Supporting Actress – Film Albert Nobbs Nominated
2014 Canadian Screen Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series Orphan Black Won
2015 Irish Film & Television Award Best Actress in a Lead Role – Drama Corp & Anam Nominated
2016 Canadian Screen Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series Orphan Black Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c "Maria Doyle Kennedy". BuddyTV. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b Dunne, Steven. "Interview: Maria Doyle Kennedy". State. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  3. ^ "The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order". The Irish Times.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Maria on the Eamon Dunphy Show". Mariadk.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Maria Doyle Kennedy Biography". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h O'Halloran, Shauna. "Soul Sister" (PDF). Irish Tatler. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Earnshaw, Helen. "Maria Doyle Kennedy Exclusive Chat". Female First. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Maria Doyle Kennedy Biography". Irish Music DB. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Patrick Scott". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  10. ^ "MCD Presents Maria Doyle Kennedy". The Sugar Club. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Borderline". RTÉ News.
  12. ^ a b "Orphan Black star Maria Doyle Kennedy chats with All in a Day's Alan Neal". CBC. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  13. ^ "Single of the Fortnight" (PDF). Hot Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  14. ^ a b c "Mermaid Records". MariaDK. Archived from the original on 3 May 2001. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Greetings from the Ocean Bed". MariaDK. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Maria Doyle Kennedy". Hugh's Room. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  17. ^ a b Burke, Sinéad. "Extraordinary Women: Maria Doyle Kennedy". Minnie Melange. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Maria Doyle Kennedy". Mermaid Records. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  19. ^ Tyaransen, Olaf. "Well-Kept Secret Delivers Exuberant New Record" (PDF). Hot Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  20. ^ Fyfe, Andy. "Maria Doyle Kennedy Sing Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  21. ^ Byrne, Nicole. "Maria Doyle Kennedy – 'Sing'". Shout4Music. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Album Review: Maria Doyle Kennedy – 'Fire on the Roof of Eden'".
  23. ^ "Fire on the Roof of Eden". Spotify. 4 May 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Ireland 1996: Irish Cinema Centenary". Emerald Isle Gifts, original stamps from An Post. 17 October 1996. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  25. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (10 June 2010). "Maria Doyle Kennedy Joins 'Dexter' Season". [[Deadline Hollywood|]]. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  26. ^ a b "Corp+Anam returns to screens tonight". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  27. ^ Ross, Dalton. "'Orphan Black': Maria Doyle Kennedy talks about the mysterious past of Mrs. S". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  28. ^ a b Wicks, Kevin. "Interview: Dead on 'Downton,' Maria Doyle Kennedy Resurfaces on 'Orphan Black'". BBC America. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  29. ^ "Canadian Screen Awards 2014: Nominees Announced For TV And Movie Honours". HuffPost Canada. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  30. ^ "2016 television nominees". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  31. ^ Michael Roffman (12 April 2016). "Film Review: Sing Street". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  32. ^ "Delaney and Doyle Kennedy for The Conjuring sequel". RTE Ten. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  33. ^ "EastEnders spin-off has all-Irish cast". BBC News. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  34. ^ "Maria Doyle Kennedy CV". United Agents. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  35. ^ Ausiello, Michael (11 October 2017). "Outlander Season 4: Orphan Black, Downton Abbey Vets Land Key Roles". TVLine. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  36. ^ "Production kicks off on Striking Out's second series". RTÉ. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  37. ^ Denzel, Jason (22 January 2020). "Liandrin and Three Other Cast Members Announce Themselves". Dragonmount. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  38. ^ Flook, Ray (22 July 2020). "The Wheel of Time: Amazon Series Adaptation Adds 3 More To Cast". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  39. ^ "This is who I am" (PDF). The Sunday Times. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  40. ^ Blistein, Jon (13 July 2017). "Watch Feist Rumble 'West Side Story'-Style in Intense 'Century' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 July 2020.

External links