Pauline McLynn
Born (1962-07-11) 11 July 1962
Sligo, County Sligo, Ireland
Occupation(s)Actress, author
Years active1988–present
Spouse
Richard Cook
​
(m. 1997)​
Websitepaulinemclynn.com

Pauline McLynn (born 11 July 1962) is an Irish character actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Mrs. Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless, Tip Haddem in the BBC One comedy Jam & Jerusalem, and Yvonne Cotton in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Early life

McLynn was born in Sligo, and grew up with two younger brothers in Galway.[1] She studied History of Art and Modern English at Trinity College, Dublin, but was more heavily involved in the college's drama society.[2] She graduated with an MA.[1]

Career

Although McLynn was in her early thirties when playing Mrs Doyle in Father Ted, makeup was used to make her look far older to fit the character's elderly profile. She received a British Comedy Award for her performances in 1996. The award was presented to her by Tony Blair.

Subsequent televised appearances included a similar elderly role in the "Yesterday Island" episode of youth sci-fi series Life Force,[3] sketches on Bremner, Bird and Fortune, and panel shows Just a Minute, Have I Got News for You, and If I Ruled the World. In 1999, she appeared in the film adaptation of Angela's Ashes. She also appeared in Jennifer Saunders' Jam & Jerusalem. Between 2001 and 2003 she reprised Mrs Doyle in an advert for online tax return filing by the Inland Revenue.[4]

McLynn was critically acclaimed for her performance in the 2005 film Gypo, receiving an Irish Film and Television Award nomination for Best Actress.[5]

McLynn appeared in Shameless, which was produced by the British broadcaster Channel 4, as Libby Croker. In January 2011 it was announced that she had left the show, reportedly after a "difficult year".[6] McLynn also played the role of Alice's mother in the Comedy Central show Threesome. She starred in Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield in 2011.

McLynn played Mary Whyte in the BBC's 2013 sitcom Father Figure.[7]

In 2014, McLynn played the part of Evelyn in "Kiss for the Camera", a series three episode of the BBC comedy Pramface. On 12 May 2014, McLynn joined the cast of EastEnders as Yvonne Cotton, the mother of Charlie Cotton (Declan Bennett) and ex-daughter-in-law of Dot Branning (June Brown).[8] After starting as a recurring character, McLynn quickly became a regular when her character's storylines escalated. She made her final appearance on 13 January 2015, at the end of her contract. However, McLynn returned to the soap opera on 14 May 2015 for one single episode to give evidence against Dot during Nick Cotton's (John Altman) murder trial.

In 2017, McLynn appeared as the mother of lead character Marcella in Roisin Conaty's E4 comedy GameFace, and in April 2018 she portrayed Sister Mary in the BBC Two biopic Dave Allen At Peace. She appears as a minor character named Mrs. Trattner in the 2018 film Johnny English Strikes Again.[9]

In 2020, McLynn was one of the celebrity pilgrims on the Sultans Trail in the BBC series Pilgrimage: Road to Istanbul.[10][11][12] She also appeared in Riverdance: The Animated Adventure.[13]

In 2021 McLynn appeared as Oona in the E4 S6 of Inside No. 9.[14] She also appeared as Carol, a bar landlady, in the film Last Night in Soho, which was released in October 2021.[15] McLynn also appeared in Doctor Who, as Mary in the New Year’s special "Eve of the Daleks".

Personal life

McLynn is married to theatrical agent Richard Cook.[16] She is a patron of the children's charity World Vision Ireland and is president of Friends of Innisfree Housing Association.[17][18] She is also a patron for Littlehill Animal Rescue, Sanctuary in Ireland and Birmingham Greyhound Protection.

McLynn is a fan of the Premier League football team Aston Villa.[19] She says her best moment supporting Villa came in 1996 when she watched them beat Leeds United in the Football League Cup final with her Father Ted co-star Ardal O'Hanlon, who is a Leeds supporter. McLynn was raised as a Roman Catholic, but is now an atheist.[20]

McLynn is involved with many charities against the racing and export of greyhounds. She is a patron of Greyhound Protection UK.[21]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
1992 Far and Away Prostitute
1994 Joey's Christmas Joey's Mum Short film
1995 Guiltrip Joan
1996 My Friend Joe Ms. Doyle
1997 Electricity Lydia Lipp Short film
1999 Angela's Ashes Aunt Aggie
2000 Nora Miss Kennedy
Quills Mademoiselle Clairwill
When Brendan Met Trudy Nuala
The Most Fertile Man in Ireland Maeve
An Everlasting Piece Gerty
2001 Iris Maureen
2002 Gina and Stella Stella Short film
2005 Gypo Helen
Heidi Aune Detie
O Anne Short film
2009 Hell's Pavement Joan O'Connor
The Calling Sister Hilda
2011 First Confession Miss Ryan Short film
2014 Noble Mother Superior
2016 The Secret Scripture Anne McCartney
2017 Transformers: The Last Knight Female Researcher
2018 Captain Morten and the Spider Queen Aunt Annabelle / The Spider Queen (voice)
Johnny English Strikes Again Mrs. Trattner
2019 A Girl from Mogadishu Social Worker
Making Noise Quietly Mildred
2020 Out! Joan Short film
2021 Deadly Cuts Shelley Sherlock
Riverdance Grandma
Last Night in Soho Carol
TBA Man & Witch Goatherd's Mother Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1986 The Playboy of the Western World Honor Blake Television film
1988 Troubles Hospital Nurse Episode: "Episode #1.1"
Commonplaces Unknown TV mini-series
1994 Family Denise 3 episodes
1995−1998 Father Ted Mrs. Doyle 25 episodes
1996 It Happened Next Year Various Television film
1998 Ballykissangel Bella Mooney 2 episodes
Her Own Rules Constable Williams Television film
1999 Aristocrats Susan Fox-Strangways 2 episodes
Dark Ages Agnes 5 episodes
2000 Life Force Polly Phemus Episode: "Yesterday Island"
2000−2002 TV to Go Various 2 episodes
2001 Black Day at Black Rock Grace Television film
2002 Dalziel and Pascoe Dr. Kirsty Urquhart 2 episodes
2003 The Return Laura Dunmore Television film
2004 French and Saunders Enthusiastic Fan Episode: "Episode #6.6"
Animated Tales of the World Various (voice) Episode: "The Boy Who Had No Story"
2005 The Island of Inis Cool Various (voice) Animated series
2006−2009 Jam & Jerusalem Tippi Haddem 17 episodes
2007 High Hopes Esmeralda Episode: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
Bremner, Bird and Fortune Various Episode: "Episode #11.1"
2009 Demons Karen Speedwell Episode: "Nothing Like Nebraska"
2010−2011 Shameless Libby Croker 24 episodes
2011 The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff Maggoty Episode: "Christmas Special"
2011−2012 Threesome Lorraine 5 episodes
2013 Common Ground Peggy the Homeless Lady Episode: "Eleanor"
Father Figure Mary Whyte 6 episodes
2013−2014 Pramface Evelyn 2 episodes
2014 GameFace Marcella's Mum Television film
2014−2015 Eastenders Yvonne Cotton 27 episodes
2014−2019 Bing Gilly 7 episodes
2016 Tracks Mrs. Moore Episode: "Origin: Episode Three"
2017−2019 GameFace Mum 6 episodes
Drop Dead Weird Bunni 52 episodes
2018 Dave Allen at Peace Sister Mary Television film
Alien: Sea of Sorrows Colleen O'Rourke Podcast series
Trollied Pat O'Banton Episode: "The Wedding"
2020 The Young Offenders Psychologist Episode: "Episode #3.3"
2021 Inside No. 9 Oona Episode: "Hurry Up and Wait"
Silent Witness Mary Thorpe 2 episodes
2022 Doctor Who Mary Episode: "Eve of the Daleks"
Holding Eileen O'Driscoll 4 episodes
Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything Win Molloy 6 episodes
2023 The Inheritance Coroner 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Title Result
1996 British Comedy Award Top TV Comedy Actress Father Ted Won[22]
2006 Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Special Mention: Best Video Gypo Won[23]
2007 Irish Film and Television Award Best Actress in a Lead Role in a Feature Film Gypo Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 "Biography". paulinemclynn.com/. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Aine O'Connor "Interview: Unexpectedly novel", The Sunday Times, 11 December 2005
  3. ↑ McGown, Alistair (2003). The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama - An Encyclopedia. BFI. p. 266. ISBN 0851708781.
  4. ↑ Allen, Richard (3 January 2002). "Mrs Doyle in 'most annoying ad'". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Pauline McLynn – Awards & Nominations". IMDb. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Ian Wylie "Shameless star Pauline McLynn quits show after 'difficult year'", Manchester Evening News, 23 January 2011
  7. ↑ "Father Figure: interviews with Jason Byrne and Pauline McLynn". Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "EastEnders: Father Ted star Pauline Mclynn joins show as Yvonne Cotton". Digital Spy. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  9. ↑ Johnny English Strikes Again. British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  10. ↑ "BBC Two - Pilgrimage - Meet the Celebrity Pilgrims". BBC.
  11. ↑ "Pauline McLynn 'in tears' at end of pilgrimage for BBC". 26 March 2020 – via www.rte.ie. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ↑ Chiles, Adrian (26 March 2020). "The Sultan's Trail was good practice for lockdown | Adrian Chiles". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  13. ↑ "Pierce Brosnan, Lilly Singh, Brendan Gleeson to Voice 'Riverdance: The Animated Adventure' Feature (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 September 2020.
  14. ↑ "BBC Two - Inside No. 9, Series 6, Hurry Up and Wait, Inside No 9 Hurry Up And Wait". BBC.
  15. ↑ Clarke, Donald. "Last Night in Soho: New horror ends in uncertain, muddy territory". The Irish Times.
  16. ↑ Kellaway, Kate (8 May 2011). "Pauline McLynn: 'For Winnie the rule is: I talk therefore I am' – interview". The Guardian.
  17. ↑ Gray, Jim (29 August 2011). "How Pauline's life was 'turned upside down' by her trip to Tanzanian town". The Sligo Champion. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "Friends of Innisfree". innisfree.org.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  19. ↑ "Aston Villa Famous Fans - Pauline McLynn". Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "Father Ted star reveals she is a confirmed atheist". The Irish Post. 22 March 2020.
  21. ↑ "Patrons". Greyhound Protection UK. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "Past Winners 1996". britishcomedyawards.com. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  23. ↑ Shared with Chloe Sirene, Paul McGann, Rula Lenska, Freddie Connor, Olegar Fedoro, Tamzin Dunstone, Barry Latchford, Tom Stuart
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