Amanda Donohoe
Encyclopedia
Amanda Donohoe is an English film and television actress. She is known for her 1980s relationship with popstar Adam Ant
and her later work on television — including L.A. Law
and Emmerdale
— and her roles in successful movies including Liar, Liar.
and also Central School of Speech and Drama
. She is of Irish
, Russian
and Swiss roots.
. She came to the attention of worldwide audiences in 1986, when she was cast opposite Oliver Reed
as Lucy Irvine
in Nicolas Roeg
's Castaway
. She followed this up with roles in two Ken Russell
films The Lair of the White Worm
, based on a Bram Stoker
novel, and The Rainbow
, based on a D. H. Lawrence
novel. Another major film role for her was Liar, Liar (1997) opposite Jim Carrey
.
In February 1991, Donohoe took part in the first of the so-called "lesbian kiss episode
s" on American television when her character C. J. Lamb on L.A. Law
kissed Abbie Perkins, played by Michele Greene
. Donohoe appeared in L.A. Law for two seasons. Some of her other television roles include Murder City
, Bad Girls
and a guest appearance in Ally McBeal
. Donohoe joined the cast of ITV soap opera Emmerdale
at the beginning of 2009 as businesswoman Natasha Wylde
. On 25 July 2010 it was announced that Donohoe would be leaving Emmerdale
later in the year. Her last screen date was 24 November 2010. On 18 and 19 February 2010, she was a guest panelist on Loose Women
.
Donohoe's stage roles include replacing Jerry Hall
in the role of Mrs Robinson in The Graduate in London's West End
in the spring of 2001, and the title role in Hedda Gabler
at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in 2005.
She has also lent her voice to the Activision
PC video game "Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder" as Karen Gordon, a prime suspect and ex-wife to Elk Moon's husband, Jack.
Channel 4
ranked Donohoe as number 38 in their list of the 50 Greatest British actresses.
. The pair live in Suffolk.
for her role in L.A. Law and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award
for her Broadway
debut in Uncle Vanya.
Adam Ant
Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
and her later work on television — including L.A. Law
L.A. Law
L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
and Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
— and her roles in successful movies including Liar, Liar.
Early life
Donohoe was born in London, the daughter of Joanna and Ted Donohoe, antique dealers. Amanda has attended The Francis Holland SchoolFrancis Holland School
Francis Holland School is the name of two independent day schools for girls in central London governed by the Francis Holland Schools Trust...
and also Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
. She is of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and Swiss roots.
Career
In 1981, Donohoe appeared in the music videos for the songs "Antmusic" and "Stand & Deliver" by Adam and the AntsAdam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
. She came to the attention of worldwide audiences in 1986, when she was cast opposite Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
as Lucy Irvine
Lucy Irvine
Lucy Irvine is a British adventurer and author. Born in Whitton, London, after a tumultuous and free spirited adolescence, in which she replaced formal education with travel and adventure, she joined forces with writer Gerald Kingsland and, as an experiment in isolation, became self imposed...
in Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Jack Roeg, CBE, BSC is an English film director and cinematographer.-Life and career:Roeg was born in London, the son of Mabel Gertrude and Jack Nicolas Roeg...
's Castaway
Castaway (film)
Castaway is a 1986 film starring Amanda Donohoe and Oliver Reed, and directed by Nicolas Roeg. It was adapted from the 1984 book of the same name by Lucy Irvine, telling of her experiences of staying for a year with writer Gerald Kingsland on the isolated island of Tuin, between New Guinea and...
. She followed this up with roles in two Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
films The Lair of the White Worm
The Lair of the White Worm (film)
The Lair of the White Worm is a 1988 film based loosely on the novel by Bram Stoker of the same name and drawing upon the English myth of the Lambton Worm...
, based on a Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
novel, and The Rainbow
The Rainbow (film)
The Rainbow is a 1989 drama film directed by Ken Russell. The story, adapted from the D. H. Lawrence novel, is a prequel to Lawrence's Women in Love, which was also made into a film by Russell in 1969....
, based on a D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
novel. Another major film role for her was Liar, Liar (1997) opposite Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
.
In February 1991, Donohoe took part in the first of the so-called "lesbian kiss episode
Lesbian kiss episode
The "lesbian kiss episode" is a sub-genre of the U.S. television media created in the 1990s. Beginning in 1991 with a kiss on L.A. Law episode "He's a Crowd" between C.J...
s" on American television when her character C. J. Lamb on L.A. Law
L.A. Law
L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
kissed Abbie Perkins, played by Michele Greene
Michele Greene
Michele Dominguez Greene is an American actress, singer, and songwriter, perhaps most well-known for her role as attorney Abigail "Abby" Perkins in L.A. Law from 1986 - 1991. She returned to that role in 2002 for the TV "reunion" film L.A...
. Donohoe appeared in L.A. Law for two seasons. Some of her other television roles include Murder City
Murder City (TV Series)
Murder City is a British police drama that centres on two mismatched detectives who scour London solving complex cases. Murder City premiered on 18 March 2004 on the ITV Network at 9pm. BBC America began airing the series on 17 August 2006.-Cast:...
, Bad Girls
Bad Girls (TV series)
Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
and a guest appearance in Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
. Donohoe joined the cast of ITV soap opera Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
at the beginning of 2009 as businesswoman Natasha Wylde
Natasha Wylde
Natasha Jane Wylde is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale played by Amanda Donohoe. She made her first appearance, along with her husband Mark Wylde, on 15 January 2009. It was announced in July 2010 that Donohoe had quit her role as Natasha, and would leave the series later...
. On 25 July 2010 it was announced that Donohoe would be leaving Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
later in the year. Her last screen date was 24 November 2010. On 18 and 19 February 2010, she was a guest panelist on Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
.
Donohoe's stage roles include replacing Jerry Hall
Jerry Hall
Jerry Faye Hall is an American model and actress, also known for her long-term relationship with Mick Jagger, with whom she had four children.-Early life:...
in the role of Mrs Robinson in The Graduate in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
in the spring of 2001, and the title role in Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in 2005.
She has also lent her voice to the Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
PC video game "Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder" as Karen Gordon, a prime suspect and ex-wife to Elk Moon's husband, Jack.
Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
ranked Donohoe as number 38 in their list of the 50 Greatest British actresses.
Personal life
Donohoe's partner is the multidisciplinary artist Russell HaswellRussell Haswell
Russell Haswell is a multidisciplinary artist.He has exhibited conceptual and wall based visual works, video art, public sculpture, as well as audio presentations in both art gallery and concert hall contexts. Extreme Computer Music is one specialized area of activity...
. The pair live in Suffolk.
Film
- Foreign BodyForeign Body (film)Foreign Body is a 1986 British romantic comedy film directed by Ronald Neame. It stars Victor Banerjee, Warren Mitchell, Denis Quilley, and Amanda Donohoe...
as Susan Partridge (1986) - CastawayCastaway (film)Castaway is a 1986 film starring Amanda Donohoe and Oliver Reed, and directed by Nicolas Roeg. It was adapted from the 1984 book of the same name by Lucy Irvine, telling of her experiences of staying for a year with writer Gerald Kingsland on the isolated island of Tuin, between New Guinea and...
as Lucy Irvine (1987) - The Lair of the White WormThe Lair of the White Worm (film)The Lair of the White Worm is a 1988 film based loosely on the novel by Bram Stoker of the same name and drawing upon the English myth of the Lambton Worm...
as Lady Sylvia Marsh (1988) - The RainbowThe Rainbow (film)The Rainbow is a 1989 drama film directed by Ken Russell. The story, adapted from the D. H. Lawrence novel, is a prequel to Lawrence's Women in Love, which was also made into a film by Russell in 1969....
as Winifred Inger (1989) - Paper MaskPaper MaskPaper Mask is a 1990 British drama film directed by Christopher Morahan and starring Paul McGann, Amanda Donohoe and Tom Wilkinson. A hospital porter decides to impersonate a doctor in a busy hospital. It was based on a novel by John Collee.-Cast:...
as Christine Taylor (1990) - The SubstituteThe Substitute (TV movie)The Substitute is a 1993 television movie, directed by Martin Donovan, starring Amanda Donohoe, Dalton James and Natasha Gregson Wagner. The film marks Mark Wahlberg his first acting role. It was written by David S. Goyer under the pseudonym Cynthia Verlaine.-Synopsis:High school teacher Gayle...
as Gayle Richardson (1993) - A Womans Guide To Adultery as Jo Saxon (1994)
- The Madness of King GeorgeThe Madness of King GeorgeThe Madness of King George is a 1994 film directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his own play, The Madness of George III. It tells the true story of George III's deteriorating mental health, and his equally declining relationship with his son, the Prince of Wales, particularly...
as Lady Pembroke (1995) - Liar LiarLiar LiarLiar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical...
as Miranda (1997) - A Knight in CamelotA Knight in CamelotA Knight in Camelot is a 1998 TV movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Michael York. It was directed by Roger Young, distributed by Disney and is loosely based on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.-Plot:...
as Queen Guinevere (1998) - Glory GloryGlory Glory (2000 film)Glory Glory is a 2000 western film. The film was also marketed under the title Hooded Angels.-Synopsis:It is the dawn of the Wild West in Silver Creek. A gang of beautiful but deadly women have unleashed violence on the society that failed to protect them, robbing banks and destroying everything...
as Widow (2000) - Mary Higgins Clark Lucky Day (2002)
- Starship Troopers 3Starship Troopers 3Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is a science fiction film, written and directed by Ed Neumeier and starring Casper Van Dien from the original movie and Jolene Blalock. The film is a sequel to Starship Troopers and Starship Troopers 2. The film was released directly to DVD in the US on August 5, 2008...
as Admiral Enolo Phid (2008)
Television
- Screen Two: The Laughter Of God as Jane Clemant (1991)
- L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
as Cara Jean Lamb (1990–1992) - FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
as Catherine (1994) - Murder Most HorridMurder Most HorridMurder Most Horrid is a BBC dark comedy anthology series starring comedian Dawn French. It ran for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999....
as Carmela Vezza (1994) - The Thorn Birds: The Missing YearsThe Thorn Birds: The Missing YearsThe Thorn Birds: The Missing Years was a CBS miniseries that aired in 1996. It is a "midquel" to the original miniseries, The Thorn Birds, that aired on ABC in 1983....
as Meggie Cleary O'Neill (1996) - Ally McBealAlly McBealAlly McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
as Marianne Holt (1997) - Batman BeyondBatman BeyondBatman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
as The Queen (1999–2001) (Voice) - In the BeginningIn the Beginning (2000 film)In the Beginning is a 2-part miniseries directed by Kevin Connor. It stars Martin Landau and Jacqueline Bisset and it premiered on NBC on 12 November 2000.-Plot:...
as Zuleika (2000) - Lucky Day as Nora Barkin (2002)
- Murder City as DI Susan Alembic (2004–2006)
- Bad GirlsBad Girls (TV series)Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
as Lou Stoke (2006) - EmmerdaleEmmerdaleEmmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
as Natasha Wylde (2009–2010) - Loose WomenLoose WomenLoose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
as herself (2010) 2 Episodes
Stage
- CymbelineCymbelineCymbeline , also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline, is a play by William Shakespeare, based on legends concerning the early Celtic British King Cunobelinus. Although listed as a tragedy in the First Folio, modern critics often classify Cymbeline as a romance...
as Helen (1984) - Great ExpectationsGreat ExpectationsGreat Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
as Estella (1984) - The Admirable CrichtonThe Admirable CrichtonThe Admirable Crichton is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. It was produced by Charles Frohman and opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in London on 4 November 1902, running for an extremely successful 828 performances. It starred H. B. Irving and Irene Vanbrugh...
as Lady Catherine (1984) - Uncle VanyaUncle VanyaUncle Vanya is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897 and received its Moscow première in 1899 in a production by the Moscow Art Theatre, under the direction of Konstantin Stanislavski....
as Yelena (1996) - Miss JulieMiss JulieMiss Julie is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg dealing with class, love, lust, the battle of the sexes, and the interaction among them...
as Miss Julie (1996) - The GraduateThe GraduateThe Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
as Mrs Robinson (2001) - Hedda GablerHedda GablerHedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
as Hedda Gabler (2005) - Star QualityStar qualityStar quality may refer to:*Charisma, in quantities allowing for a chance at celebrity*Glamour * Star Quality, the last play by Noël Coward* Star Quality, a novel by Joan Collins...
as Lorraine Barrie (2011)
Awards and nominations
Donohoe won a Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for her role in L.A. Law and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
for her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in Uncle Vanya.