Victoria Smurfit
| Victoria Smurfit | |
|---|---|
| Born |
31 March 1974 Dublin, Ireland |
| Residence | Santa Monica, California, United States |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse(s) | Douglas Baxter (2000–2015) |
| Children | 3 |
Victoria Smurfit (born 31 March 1974) is an Irish actress. She may be best known for her role as Cruella De Vil in Once Upon a Time.
Early life
Victoria Smurfit is part of the Smurfit family, one of the richest in Ireland, through the Smurfit Kappa Group. The family, headed by Victoria's uncle Michael Smurfit, sponsors a number of sporting events including the Smurfit European Open and the Champion Hurdle. The family is also associated with Smurfit Business School in University College Dublin (UCD). She was educated at two Anglican schools, Saint Columba's College, Dublin[1] and St. George's School, Ascot, England. She did an A level in theatre studies and then went to the Bristol Old Vic theatre school.[2]
Career
Smurfit gained fame for her role as Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series Ballykissangel. From 2003 to 2009,[3] she took over from Kate Buffery in the lead role in Trial & Retribution as DCI Roisin Connor. She also guest starred in the BBC Radio 4 series Baldi. Smurfit appeared in Agatha Christie's Miss Marple TV episode The Mirror Cracked From Side to Side.
She also appeared in a small role in the movie The Beach.
Recently she has appeared on the NBC television network drama Dracula as Lady Jane. The show aired in the fall of 2013.[4] Smurfit also had a guest-starring role on ABC's Once Upon a Time as the iconic character known as Cruella de Vil in spring of 2015.
She is currently shooting for her role in Homecoming, a film she has described as a "mean girls for grownups." She plays Nikki, the "head mean girl."[5]
Personal life
Smurfit married advertising executive Douglas Baxter on 29 July 2000 in Surrey, England. She gave birth to their first child, daughter Evie Dorothy Baxter in Dublin, Ireland on 2 November 2004. A second daughter, Ridley Belle Baxter was born in May 2007.[6] Their third child, a boy, was born in November 2008 and named Flynn Alexander Baxter.[7]
In 2012, the family relocated to Santa Monica, California.[8] In February 2015 it was announced that Smurfit and her husband had filed for divorce.[9]
She writes an opinion blog for The Dubliner, which often features anecdotes from her personal life.[10] and is a patron of the children's charity World Vision Ireland.[11]
Selected credits
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Ivanhoe | Rowena | TV series |
| 1998 | Berkeley Square | Hannah Randall | TV series |
| 1998 | Ballykissangel | Orla O'Connell | TV series, 1998–1999 |
| 2000 | The Wedding Tackle | Clodagh | Feature film |
| 2000 | The Beach | Weather girl | Feature film |
| 2000 | North Square | Dr. Helen Ferryhough | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 2000 | Cold Feet | Jane Fitzpatrick | TV series, recurring role, 2000–2001 |
| 2002 | About a Boy | Suzie | Feature film |
| 2003 | Bulletproof Monk | Nina | Feature film |
| 2003 | Trial & Retribution | DCI Roisin Connor | TV series, 2003–2009 |
| 2006 | The Shell Seekers | Olivia Keeling | Mini-series |
| 2009 | The Clinic | Dr. Edel Swift | TV Series |
| 2011 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Ella Blunt | TV series, 1 episode ("The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side") |
| 2013 | Dracula | Lady Jayne Wetherby | TV series |
| 2014 | The Mentalist | Monica Giraldi | TV series |
| 2014-present | Once Upon a Time | Cruella de Vil | Recurring role (Season 4 & 5): 14 episodes |
| 2015 | Homecoming | Nikki | Feature film |
References
- ↑ Sunday Independent 4 May 2008
- ↑ Irish Times Magazine, page 10, 10 January 2009
- ↑ "14 years on, but Ballykissangel fans still stop Victoria Smurfit in the street". evoke.ie. 31 August 2015.
- ↑ Hall, Eva (February 4, 2013). "Victoria Smurfit To Sink Teeth Into Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ ‘Dracula’". IFTN. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ↑ Butler, Laura. "Putting divorce aside, actress Victoria Smurfit lines up role after role". Evoke.ie. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/property/2005/0901/3342536493RPINDOUG.html[]
- ↑ 'Cannes-do' Irish go networking - News & Gossip, Entertainment - Independent.ie
- ↑ http://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-features/exclusive-victoria-smurfit-interview-its-me-three-kids-two-dogs-and-a-cup-of-tea-now-31021078.html
- ↑ "Victoria Smurfit & husband Doug Baxter split after 15 years of marriage". evoke.ie. 20 February 2015.
- ↑ The Dubliner Magazine: Victoria Smurfit
- ↑ World Vision Ireland
External links
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