Rebecca O'Mara (born 15 March 1977) is an Irish actress. The Dublin-born actress grew up by the sea in Sandycove and is the voice actor for Caitlin in the children's television series Thomas & Friends.

Rebecca O'Mara
Born (1977-03-15) 15 March 1977 (age 47)
Sandycove, Dublin, Ireland
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present
SpouseCiaran Hope
RelativesJason O'Mara (brother)

Early life

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O'Mara attended Holy Child Killiney before completing a degree in Drama and Theatre at Trinity College Dublin.[1] On graduating, she moved to London and worked in film production for some years. In 2004, she began her acting training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).[2]

Career

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She has also worked extensively in theatre in the UK and Ireland since graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).[3] She played Minnie Larkins in The History of Mr Polly, Mrs. O Keefe in the 2014 Ken Loach film Jimmy's Hall and has guest starred in various television programmes including Line of Duty and Doctors, but is probably best known for her role as scene of crime officer, Frankie Hynes, in TV3's Red Rock.[4] In 2018, at the Mick Lally Theatre in Galway, she starred in Druid Theatre's production of Furniture, a "wickedly insightful comedy"[5] from Sonya Kelly. In March 2019, she won the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the performance.[6]

Personal life

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She is married to Irish composer Ciaran Hope and is the younger sister of actor, Jason O'Mara.[7]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Character Production Notes
2007 Doctors Cleo Tucker BBC One Episode: "Background Noise"
2013–2015 Thomas & Friends Caitlin and a Slip Coach HIT Entertainment Episodes: "Calm Down Caitlin", "Not So Slow Coaches", "Duck and the Slip Coaches", "Last Train for Christmas", "The Truth About Toby", "Best Engine Ever"
2016 Line of Duty Rachel O' Connor BBC Episode #3.1
2016 Line of Duty Rachel O' Connor BBC Episode #3.2
2017 Red Rock Frankie Hynes TV3 Episode #4.29
2017 Red Rock Frankie Hynes TV3 Episode #4.30 - Season Finale
2019 Bump Colette Blue Ink Films in association with RTE Full Season
2020 Doctors Bethany Hastings BBC One Episode: "Peccata Mundi"[8]
2022 Smother Sheahan RTE Season 3 episodes 1,2 & 6

Film

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Year Title Character Notes
2007 The History of Mr. Polly Minnie Larkins TV movie
2010 Laika Laikia (voice) Short
2013 Thomas & Friends: King of the Railway Caitlin
2014 Jimmy's Hall Nora O' Keefe Director: Ken Loach
2016 Thomas & Friends: The Great Race Caitlin
2020 Herself Grainne Director: Phyllida Lloyd
2022 The Toxic Avenger Shelly Gooze Director: Macon Blair
2024 Anniversary Enumerator Director: Jan Komasa
2024 Beetlejuice 2 Jody Welch Director: Tim Burton

Theatre

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Year Title Character Production Director
2006 06/07/05 Arcola Hamish Pirie
2007 Salt Meets Wound Various Theatre 503 Paul Robinson
2007 Minsk Minsk Bush Theatre at Latitude Josie Rourke
2008 Deep Blue Sea Ann Theatre Royal Bath/ West End Edward Hall
2008 Far From the Madding Crowd Bathsheba English Touring Theatre (ETT) Kate Saxon
2009 The Yalta Game Anna Gate Theatre, Dublin & Edinburgh International Theatre Festivals Patrick Mason
2010 Danton's Death Lucille Royal National Theatre, London Michael Grandage
2011 Moment Ruth Pigeon The Bush Theatre David Horan
2012 Hayfever Sorel Bliss Gate Theatre, Dublin Patrick Mason
2013 Mrs Warren's Profession Vivie Warren Gate Theatre, Dublin Patrick Mason
2014 Pride and Prejudice Caroline Bingley Gate Theatre, Dublin Alan Stanford
2014 The Vortex Clara Hibbert Gate Theatre, Dublin Annabelle Comyn
2014 Aristocrats Alice Abbey Theatre, Dublin Patrick Mason
2014 Wuthering Heights Isabella Linton Gate Theatre, Dublin Michael Barker Cavan
2015 Chekhov's First Play Sasha Dublin Theatre Festival Bush Moukarzel/Ben Kidd
2016 Othello Desdemona Abbey Theatre, Dublin Joe Dowling
2016 Helen and I Lynn Druid Theatre, Dublin Annabelle Comyn
2017 Private Lives Amanda Gate Theatre, Dublin Patrick Mason
2018 Describe the Night Yevgenia Hampstead Theatre, London Lisa Spirling
2018 Furniture Dee Gate Theatre, Dublin Cathal Cleary
2021 All the Angels Susannah Smock Alley Theatre & The Everyman Theatre Lynn Parker
2022 The Last Return Umbrella Woman Gate Theatre & Druid Theatre Company Production, Dublin Sara Joyce
2023 The Quare Fellow Lifer & Governor Abbey Theatre, Dublin Tom Creed
2024 Children of the Sun Lisa Abbey Theatre, Dublin Lynne Parker

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Work Result Ref.
2019 Irish Times Theatre Awards Best Supporting Actress Furniture Won

References

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  1. ^ "Rebecca O'Mara". IMDb. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  2. ^ "'Theatre's like a bad boyfriend: it treats me like shit and I keep coming back' - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  4. ^ "Get To Know Irish Actress Rebecca O'Mara". The Gloss Magazine. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  5. ^ Crawley, Peter. "Furniture review: wickedly insightful comedy from Sonya Kelly". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  6. ^ Crawley, Peter. "The Irish Times 22nd Irish Theatre Awards: Villainy triumphs in tales for our times". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  7. ^ "'My cultural life: Rebecca O'Mara". Independent.ie. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. ^ Timblick, Simon (5 May 2020). "Doctors spoilers: There's DANGER for Ruhma Carter". What's on TV. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
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