Brenda Meaney

Meaney was born in New York, NY to Irish actors Bairbre Dowling and Colm Meaney. She spent the majority of her childhood and adolescence in Los Angeles, California, and Dublin, Ireland.Murphy, Lauren. "Colm Meaney’s Daughter Brenda on Sharing the Stage with Her Famous Dad." The Irish Times, July 16, 2023. https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/colm-meaneys-daughter-brenda-on-sharing-the-stage-with-her-famous-dad-c3gbxpj9c. She graduated from The Archer School for Girls in 2003. McIntosh, Christina. "The Archer School for Girls: Alumni News". Artemis, April 9, 2013. https://issuu.com/thearcherschoolforgirls/docs/130409181219-b383171f43c045b887a1a2b554dbc6ba_orig. She later matriculated to Trinity College Dublin, where a childhood fascination with Egyptology inspired her to pursue a Joint honours degree in the History of Art and Architecture & Ancient History and Archaeology. Meaney graduated in 2007 with plans to become a paleontologist, but later decided to pursue acting. She then matriculated to the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University, graduating in 2013 with an MFA in Acting.Finn, Melanie. "Family ties: Colm Meaney and his daughter, Brenda, to share silver screen." Irish Independent, November 6, 2020. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/family-ties-colm-meaney-and-his-daughter-brenda-to-share-silver-screen/39712935.html.

Meaney made her professional stage debut as Melanie Coleman in Lewis Black's One Slight Hitch at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, directed by Joe Grifasi and appearing opposite Mark Linn-Baker and Lizbeth MacKay.Phelps, Rob. "One Slight Hitch is One Extremely Funny Play at W.H.A.T." The Columbus Dispatch, August 1, 2013. https://www.dispatch.com/story/archive/2013/08/01/one-slight-hitch-is/39506899007/. The same year she appeared in Caryl Churchill's Owners at the Yale Repertory Theatre.Gold, Sylviane. "The Implications of Ownership." The New York Times, November 9, 2013. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/nyregion/a-review-of-owners-at-yale-repertory-theater.html. The following year, Meaney starred in the West Coast premiere of David Ives' Tony Award winning play Venus in Fur at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California.Examiner Staff. "Battle of Sexes Fuels 'Venus in Fur' at ACT." San Francisco Examiner, March 31, 2014. https://www.sfexaminer.com/culture/battle-of-sexes-fuels-venus-in-fur-at-act/article_bbe478c4-2e99-526a-a3c3-34636d64c59d.html. Later that same year, she made her New York stage debut as Nell in the American premiere of Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink at Roundabout Theatre Company, directed by Carey Perloff. In a review for The New York Times chief theatre critic Ben Brantley deemed the production as one of the year's best plays.Brantley, Ben. "The Tony Award Nominations Should Be ..." The New York Times, May 9, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/theater/theaterspecial/the-tony-award-nominations-should-be.html. Indian Ink was subsequently restaged at the American Conservatory Theater in 2015, with Meaney taking over the lead role of Flora Crewe. In a review for the SFGate, theatre critic Robert Hurwitt observed "Brenda Meaney, who played a smaller role in New York, is a magnetic Flora, as sensually alive as she is smart."Hurwitt, Robert. "Theater Review: ACT’s 'Indian Ink' Shimmers, Then Fades." SFGATE, January 22, 2015. https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Theater-review-ACT-s-Indian-Ink-6030740.php. Later that same year Meaney worked in three successive stage productions, appearing as Natella Abashvili in Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle at the Yale Repertory Theatre;DeWitt, David. "Choosing to Do Good, Once Upon a Time." The New York Times, April 4, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/nyregion/choosing-to-do-good-once-upon-a-time.html. Helen Stott in C. P. Taylor's And a Nightingale Sang... at the Westport Country Playhouse;DeWitt, David. "A Review of ‘And a Nightingale Sang’ at the Westport Country Playhouse." The New York Times, June 20, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/nyregion/a-review-of-and-a-nightingale-sang-at-the-westport-country-playhouse.html. and Betty Jones in Harold Chapin's The New Morality at the Mint Theater Company.Soloski, Alexis. "Review: 'The New Morality,' a Vintage Play, at the Mint." The New York Times, September 24, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/theater/review-the-new-morality-a-vintage-play-at-the-mint.html.

In 2016 Meaney reunited with director Carey Perloff, appearing as Hillary in Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem at the American Conservatory Theater.Janiak, Lily. "Tom Stoppard Couldn't Not Write 'The Hard Problem.'" SFGATE, October 18, 2016. https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Tom-Stoppard-couldn-t-not-write-The-Hard-9976267.php. In 2018 Meaney starred opposite Academy Award winner Hayley Mills in the American premiere of Isobel Mahon's Party Face at New York City Center.Vine, Hannah. "Hayley Mills and the Cast of Off-Broadway’s 'Party Face' Meet the Press." Playbill, December 18, 2017. https://playbill.com/article/hayley-mills-and-the-cast-of-off-broadways-party-face-meet-the-press. Later that year, Meaney would once again reunite with Perloff to appear as Renia in the regional premiere of Martyna Majok's Queens at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California. In 2019 Meaney appeared as Jerri in the world premiere of Neil LaBute's Great Negro Works of Art at the Davenport Theatre, programmed as part of the annual LaBute New Theater Festival.Vincentelli, Elisabeth. "Review: Neil LaBute's New Theater Festival Offers Familiar Themes." The New York Times, January 17, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/theater/review-labute-new-theater-festival-neil-labute.html. Later that year she starred as Bairbre in Micheál Mac Liammóir's The Mountains Look Different at the Mint Theater Company. The production was named a The New York Times Critics' Pick.Collins-Hughs, Laura. "Review: 'In the Mountains Look Different' Explores Sin, Shame, and Self-Determination." The New York Times, June 20, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/theater/review-in-the-mountains-look-different-sin-shame-and-self-determination.html. Shortly thereafter Meaney starred opposite Academy Award nominee Marsha Mason in Elaine Murphy's Little Gem at the Irish Repertory Theatre.Vincentelli, Elisabeth. "Review: 'Little Gem' Offers Three Generations of Family Drama." The New York Times, July 31, 2019. Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/theater/little-gem-review.html.

In 2023 Meaney appeared in workshop productions of William Shakespeare's Richard II and Henry IV, in repertory at Theatre for a New Audience.Putnam, Leah. "Broadway Alums to Star in Repertory Workshop of Richard II and Henry IV at TFANA." Playbill, January 25, 2023. https://playbill.com/article/broadway-alums-to-star-in-repertory-workshop-of-richard-ii-and-henry-iv-at-tfana. Later that year she returned to Theatre for a New Audience to appear as Pascuala in a new adaptation of Lope de Vega's play Fuenteovejuna, written by Adrian Mitchell.Putnam, Leah. "TFANA's Fuente Ovejuna Opens Off-Broadway May 23." Playbill, May 23, 2023. https://playbill.com/article/tfanas-fuente-ovejuna-opens-off-broadway-may-23. Shortly thereafter she made her Irish stage debut, starring opposite her father Colm Meaney in Enda Walsh's Bedbound at the Galway International Arts Festival. The production later transferred to Olympia Theatre, Dublin, where it received critical acclaim. Both The Stage and The Arts Review awarded the production 4 stars, while The Irish Times praised the pairs chemistry, and RTÉ Arena described Meaney's performance as "magnetic, electric, and extraordinary."Landmark Productions. "Bedbound." Last modified November 25, 2023. https://www.landmarkproductions.ie/production/bedbound/. Meaney made her Broadway debut the following year, in a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya at Lincoln Center Theatre, understudying the roles of Sonya and Elena for Alison Pill and Anika Noni Rose, respectively.Tran, Diep. "On the Red Carpet: There Are No Small Roles in Uncle Vanya." Playbill. April 26, 2024.https://playbill.com/article/on-the-red-carpet-there-are-no-small-roles-in-uncle-vanya. Later that year she starred as Gretl in back-to-back productions of Tom Stoppard's Tony Award winning play Leopoldstadt at Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, Massachusetts, and Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.Huntington Theatre Company. "Brenda Meaney." Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/bio/brenda-meaney/.Shakespeare Theatre Company. "Leopoldstadt 24-25." Accessed March 15, 2025. https://www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/leopoldstadt-24-25/.

Meaney made her screen debut in the 2021 family drama There's Always Hope, appearing opposite her father, Colm Meaney. She later had supporting roles as Bridget in Neil LaBute's 2023 action thriller Fear the Night, and Helen in Lorcan Finnegan's 2024 psychological thriller The Surfer, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2024/the-screenings-guide-of-the-77th-festival-de-cannes/|title=The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes|date=8 May 2024|website=Festival de Cannes|access-date=8 May 2024}} Her television credits include guest roles on Love/Hate, Hell on Wheels, For Life, and FBI: Most Wanted. From 2021-2024 Meaney starred as Debra in the podcast series Fear, A Love Story on Acast.

Meaney is married to American actor Henry Clarke. The pair performed opposite one another in David Ives' Venus in Fur at the American Conservatory Theatre in 2014.BroadwayWorld. "Photo Flash: First Look at Brenda Meaney and Henry Clarke in ACT's 'Venus in Fur.'" BroadwayWorld, March 21, 2014. https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-francisco/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Brenda-Meaney-and-Henry-Clarke-in-ACTs-VENUS-IN-FUR-20140321.

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Category:Living people

Category:Irish film actresses

Category:Irish stage actresses

Category:Irish television actresses