Pauline O'Driscoll

Pauline O'Driscoll is best known for the role of Mary, the big-hearted, resilient, matriarch of a rural Irish family who ultimately loses her battle with terminal illness opposite Pat Shortt in the 2017 IFTA nominated TV3 drama series Smalltown written and directed by Gerard Barrett. Smalltown was hailed as "The Irish TV Drama of the Year" by entertainment.ie. Other recent screen roles include: a concerned taxi driver in The Art Of Love, a strong but distraught mum of a missing teenager in Busman's Holiday, an enthusiastic, chatty proud mum of an inventor in Slices, a protective, determined abuse survivor in Selling Silence, a manipulative, commanding, aristocratic matriarch in Staccato And a feisty, witty, loving mum in Blackout. Pauline has also graced our TV screens in Commercials for Aer Lingus (VIP Lounge Businesswoman) Toyota (patient mum of learner driver) and Bord Gais (silencing look mum of newly engaged couple).Born in Cork, one of six children to Edward and Kathleen O'Driscoll. She went to boarding school in Dublin before returning to Cork to study business at UCC. Upon graduating with a B.Comm Hons 2.1 she went on to work in marketing at St.Ivel and Unigate Foods in the UK. In1990 thanks to a Donnelly Green Card Visa she was able to fulfil her dream of emigrating to the USA where she worked in the Sports, Leisure & Hospitality industries until a chance encounter in Aspen, Colorado with internationally renowned acting coach Alice Spivak, author of "How to Rehearse When There is No Rehearsal", resulted in her changing tack completely and moving to New York City. Thus began her acting career, she never went back to marketing.She auditioned for and was accepted into the Herbert Berghoff Studio in New York and completed a full-time 3 year Performing Arts Course studying directly with both Uta Hagen author of "Respect for Acting" and "A Challenge To The Actor" and Alice Spivak. Pauline went on to perform both on and off Broadway over the next five years before moving to London where she continued her acting career and also received Double Honours Gold Medals and an ALAM Diploma from LAMDA.Pauline toured extensively in the UK working with big name actors and directors such as Gretta Scacchi, Graham McTavish, Wendy Craig, Caroline John, Michael Glen Murphy, Paul Cawley, Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh, Maria Aitken, Gwenda Hughes, William Galinsky, Nona Shepard and John Adams in numerous theatrical productions including The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Love Me Slender, Lovers and Easy Virtue. After 18 years abroad Pauline returned home to Ireland in 2005 an took a career break to raise to focus on family. Since her return to the industry selected theatre credits include the solo play You Have It All Backwards, A Doll's House, Life Behind the Venue, Goldfish in the Sun, Dorchadas Draíochta, Wallpaper and Dear Sister Anne, in which her portrayal of the illiterate Paula won her a Best Actress award . She is married to Sean Devereux whom she met while playing Maureen in The Beauty Queen of Leenane at the Haymaket in Basingstoke. They have three daughters. Show less «