Maureen O'Brien

O'Brien was born in Liverpool.Kirby, Richard (2013). [https://books.google.com/books?id=K3RRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT12 Desperately Seeking Susan Foreman]. Duncan, OK: BearManor Media. {{ISBN|978-1-59393-728-7}}. She attended Notre Dame School, as well as the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.{{cite web | title =Actress in her own write | work =Free Library – Liverpool Echo | publisher =MGN and Gale, Cengage Learning | date =18 January 2003 | url =http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Actress+in+her+own+write.-a097547824 | accessdate =12 December 2011 }}{{cite news |last1=Amos |first1=William |title=Terror Behind the Footlights |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed-terror-behin/156926269/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=Daily Post (Merseyside ed.) |date=25 November 1968 |pages=8}}

After graduating in 1964, O'Brien returned to Liverpool to become a founder member of the Everyman Theatre.{{cite web | last =Hickling | first =Alfred | title =Macbeth - review (footnote to the article from 13 May 2011)| work =The Guardian | date =25 May 2011 | url =https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2011/may/13/macbeth-everyman-liverpool-review | accessdate =12 December 2011 }} As well as acting, she worked as an assistant floor manager for the company.{{cite web |last1=Shannon |first1=Sullivan |title=Maureen O'Brien Biography |url=http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/bio/maureen-obrien.html |website=Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) |access-date=15 December 2023}}

She played the part of Vicki in 38 episodes of Doctor Who from 2 January to 6 November 1965, starring alongside the original Doctor, William Hartnell. She has reprised the role in several Big Finish Productions Doctor Who audio plays. In 2022, 57 years after playing the role on screen, she appeared as Vicki in a short webisode made to promote the release of her first season on Blu-ray. She reprised the role again in the series Tales of the TARDIS.{{cite web|title=Doctor Who: Welcome to The Whoniverse where every Doctor, every companion and hundreds of terrifying monsters live |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2023/doctor-who-the-whoniverse-tales-of-the-tardis|publisher=BBC Media Centre|date=30 October 2023}}

After leaving Doctor Who O'Brien found it difficult to find acting work on television, and worked as a supply teacher. Her next role was in the theatre, where she appeared in an Oxford Playhouse production of Volpone with Leo McKern and Leonard Rossiter.{{cite web|url=https://drwhointerviews.wordpress.com/category/maureen-obrien/ |title=Maureen O'Brien |publisher=Doctor Who Interview Archive |accessdate=8 May 2016}}

File:Maureen O'Brien and Eric Donkin in Scene from "'The Merchant of Venice", 1970.jpg in a scene from The Merchant of Venice with Eric Donkin, in 1970{{cite news |title=Stratford to Open June 8 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-grand-rapids-press-stratford-to-open/156925283/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=The Grand Rapids Press |date=8 March 1970 |pages=63}}]]

O'Brien moved to Ontario, Canada, in November 1969, with husband Michael Moulds, who was then head of the Canadian Film Institute.{{cite news |last1=Gardiner |first1=Eunice |title=Maureen O'Brien: Actress Relates 'Portia' to Women's Liberation |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-journal-maureen-obrien-actr/156905153/ |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=The Ottawa Journal |date=6 April 1970 |pages=23}} In 1970 she played Imogen and Portia in productions of Cymbeline and The Merchant of Venice respectively,

both at the Stratford Festival.{{cite news |last1=Bannon |first1=Anthony |title=Shaw, Stratford Ready for Summer '70 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-shaw-stratford-ready-f/156869506/ |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=The Buffalo News |date=2 May 1970 |pages=23}}{{cite journal |last1=Edinborough |first1=Arnold |title=A Gallic Romp through Shakespeare: An Account of the 1970 Season at Ontario's Stratford Festival |journal=Shakespeare Quarterly |date=1970 |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=458 |doi=10.2307/2868433 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2868433 |issn=0037-3222|url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Donald Davis is Praised for Role of Shylock in Merchant of Venice |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-expositor-donald-davis-is-praised-fo/156904149/ |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=The Expositor |date=9 June 1970 |pages=18}} In 1971 she directed a production of Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Carleton University.{{cite web |title=Brecht in Canada |url=https://omeka.uottawa.ca/brecht-canada/items/show/119}}{{cite news |last1=Swimmings |first1=Betty |title=Brecht Well Presented |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-brecht-well-presented/156926212/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=Ottawa Citizen|date=4 March 1971 |pages=26}} She later returned to the UK.

She had recurring roles as Morgan in The Legend of King Arthur (1979) and as unit general manager Elizabeth Straker in the second season of Casualty (1987).{{cite news |last1=Millar |first1=John |title=Queen of Evil |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-record-queen-of-evil/156926356/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=Daily Record |date=20 October 1979 |pages=96}}{{cite news |last1=Pickles |first1=Helen |title=But Doctor, I Want my own Career |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-telegraph-but-doctor-i-want-my-o/156926419/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=Sunday Telegraph |date=15 August 1993 |pages=62}} She made guest appearances in The Duchess of Duke Street ("Trouble and Strife") (1976), Taggart ("Forbidden Fruit") (1994), Cracker ("The Big Crunch") (1994), A Touch of Frost ("Private Lives") (1999) and Heartbeat. In 1997 she appeared as Kirsten Holiday in "Jack in the Box", episode two of Jonathan Creek.

In 1974, she played Celia in "Panic", an episode of the BBC Radio series The World of Daphne du Maurier. The 1980s saw her teaching acting workshops in the USA. She also made a rare film appearance in the comedy She'll Be Wearing Pink Pyjamas in 1985, opposite Julie Walters. She received the Time Out Critic's Choice award for her production of Mike English's Getting In in 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.maureenobrien.co.uk/ |title=Maureen O'Brien – Author and Actor |publisher=Maureenobrien.co.uk |date=18 August 2008 |accessdate=8 May 2016}}

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O'Brien has also written seven detective novels: Close-Up on Death (1989),{{cite news |last1=Laurence |first1=Rachel |title=Death Stalks in Twilight Worlds |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-the-paper-for-wales-death-st/156926449/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=Daily Post: The Paper for Wales |date=23 February 1989 |pages=6}} Deadly Reflection (1993),{{cite news |title=Chilling Horror |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-herald-chilling-horror/156926463/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=Evening Herald |date=31 December 1994 |pages=12}} Mask of Betrayal (1998), Dead Innocent (1999), Revenge (2001), Unauthorised Departure (2003) and Every Step You Take (2004); all feature the character of Detective Inspector John Bright.{{Cite web|url=http://www.maureenobrien.co.uk/books.php#Books|title = Maureen O'Brien – Author and Actor}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.maureenobrien.co.uk/}}
• {{IMDb name|id=0639709|name=Maureen O'Brien}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Maureen}}

Category:Living people

Category:1943 births

Category:English mystery writers

Category:English television actresses

Category:Actresses from Liverpool

Category:20th-century English actresses

Category:21st-century English actresses

Category:English women mystery writers

Category:Writers from Liverpool