Victoria Smurfit

Last updated

Victoria Smurfit
Victoria Smurfit 2016.jpg
Smurfit in 2016
Born (1974-03-31) 31 March 1974 (age 50)
Dublin, Ireland
OccupationActress
Years active1995–present
Spouse
Douglas Baxter
(m. 2000;div. 2015)
Children3
Relatives Michael Smurfit (uncle)

Victoria Smurfit (born 31 March 1974) is an Irish actress. She is known for playing Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series Ballykissangel , Detective Chief Inspector Roisin Connor in the ITV police procedural Trial & Retribution and Cruella de Vil in Once Upon a Time for which she was nominated as Best Supporting Actress in 13th IFTA Film & Drama Awards in 2016. Most recently she played Maud O’Hara in ‘Rivals’ on Disney Plus.

Contents

Early life

Victoria Smurfit is part of the Smurfit family which, through Smurfit Kappa, is one of the richest in Ireland. 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). Smurfit studied for an A-level in theatre studies and subsequently went onto the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. [1]

Career

Smurfit gained fame for her role as Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series Ballykissangel from 1998 to 1999. She played Nina in the 2003 film Bulletproof Monk . From 2003 to 2009, Smurfit portrayed the lead role of Detective Chief Inspector Roisin Connor in the ITV police procedural Trial & Retribution . [2] She also guest starred in the BBC Radio 4 series Baldi . In 2011 Smurfit appeared in the Agatha Christie's Marple television episode "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side".

In 2013, Smurfit co-starred as Lady Jayne Wetherby in the NBC television period drama Dracula . [3] In 2014, she began playing the recurring guest role of Cruella de Vil in ABC's Once Upon a Time . [4] [5]

In the run-up to shooting for her role in Homecoming, she described the film as a "mean girls for grown-ups". She played Nikki, the "head mean girl". [6] In 2021 she played Pippa in Deadly Cuts and in 2022 played Olivia Foyle in "Bloodlands". In 2024 she played Maud O’Hara in Disney Plus’s ‘Rivals’, based on the Jilly Cooper novel of the same name, which was renewed for a second season in December 2024.

Personal life

Smurfit married advertising executive Douglas Baxter on 29 July 2000 in Surrey, England, and 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. [7] Their third child, a boy, was born in November 2008 and named Flynn Alexander Baxter. [8] In 2012 the family relocated to Santa Monica, California, US. [9] In February 2015 it was announced that Smurfit and her husband had filed for divorce. [10] [11]

She wrote an opinion blog for The Dubliner , which often featured anecdotes from her personal life, [12] and is a patron of the children's charity World Vision Ireland. [13] Victoria Smurfit tied the knot with her partner Steve Jacobs at the end of 2023.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1995 The Run of the Country Annagh [14]
1996 The Leading Man Annabel [15]
1997Romance and RejectionHelen [16]
2000 The Beach Weathergirl [17]
The Wedding Tackle Clodagh [18]
2002 The Last Great Wilderness Claire [19]
About a Boy Suzie [20]
2003 Bulletproof Monk Nina Strucker [21]
2011Honeymoon for OneHilaryTelevision film [22]
A Proper Send-OffNataliaShort film [23]
2014Amnesia: Who Are You?Monica [24]
Among Ravens Emma [25]
BaitBex [26]
2016 Best Fake Friends Nikki [27]
2017 The Lears Diana [28]
The Secret MarketDr. Amy McCarthyShort film [29]
2021 Deadly Cuts Pippa [30]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1997 Ivanhoe Lady RowenaMiniseries; 6 episodes [31]
1998 Berkeley Square Hannah RandallSeries regular; 10 episodes [32]
1998–1999 Ballykissangel Orla O'ConnellSeries regular; 24 episodes [33]
2000 North Square Helen FernyhoughSeries regular; 10 episodes [34]
2000–2001 Cold Feet Jane FitzpatrickRecurring role; 3 episodes [35]
2003–2009 Trial & Retribution DCI Róisín ConnorSeries regular; 24 episodes [36]
2004 The Alan Clark Diaries Clark's MistressEpisode: "Into the Wilderness" [37]
2006 The Shell Seekers Olivia KeelingMiniseries; 2 episodes [38]
2009 The Clinic Dr. Edel SwiftRecurring role; 5 episodes [39]
2010 Agatha Christie's Marple Ella BluntEpisode: "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" [40]
2012 Missing SloaneEpisode: "Ice Queen" [41]
2013–2014 Dracula Lady Jayne WetherbySeries regular; 10 episodes [42]
2014 The Mentalist Monica GiraldiEpisode: "Blue Bird" [43]
Rush Isabel ThoreauEpisode: "Don't Ask Me Why" [44]
2014–2018 Once Upon a Time Cruella De Vil Series regular; 15 episodes [45]
2018 Marcella Maya WhitmanRecurring role; 7 episodes [46]
2019 Strike Back: Revolution Lauren GillespieRecurring role; 2 episodes [47]
2021 Around the World in 80 Days Lady Clemency RowbothamEpisode: "Episode 5" [48]
2022 The Man Who Fell to Earth Penny MorganRecurring role; 3 episodes [49]
Bloodlands Olivia FoyleSeries regular; 6 episodes [50]
2024 Rivals Maud O’HaraSeries regular; 8 episodes [51]

Awards and nominations

YearTitleRoleAwardsResult
2014 Amnesia: Who Are You? MonicaIFS Award Best ActressWon
2016 Once Upon A Time Cruella de Vil 13th IFTA Film & Drama Awards Best Actress in Supporting Role in DramaNominated
2018 The Lears Diana15th Irish Film & Television Academy Awards Best Actress in Supporting Role in FilmWon

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References

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