Nora-Jane Noone

Nora-Jane Noone (born 8 March 1984) is an Irish actress. In 2020, The Irish Times ranked her 47th on its list of the greatest Irish film actors of all time. She made her screen debut in her breakthrough role film The Magdalene Sisters (2002), and has since been nominated three times at the IFTA Film & Drama Awards for her work in 3 films: The Descent (2005), Savage (2009) and Wildfire (2020).

Her other credits include Doomsday (2008), Ella Enchanted (2004), The Ipcress File (2022), and Hidden Assets (2023).

Early life and education
Noone grew up in Upper Newcastle, Galway City. She trained for two years at the Performing Arts School in Galway, and is a proficient musician (piano to Grade 7 level) and dancer. Her previous acting role before starting her acting career, was in school and amateur productions and pantomime.

She graduated in 2004 from NUI Galway with a degree in Science, and then moved to London.

Career
Noone made her professional film debut playing Bernadette in the Peter Mullan written and directed film The Magdalene Sisters (2002). The film won the Best Film prize in the 2002 Venice Film Festival, and was nominated as Best British Picture at the British Academy Film Awards. For her performance as Bernadette, Noone was nominated for British Newcomer of the Year at the 2004 London Film Critics' Circle Awards, alongside Mullan, who won best director.

In 2005, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film for her role as Holly in The Descent (2005) at the 3rd Irish Film & Television Awards. and was nominated again in 2010, Best Actress in a Supporting Role Film for her role in the film Savage (2009).

In 2008, she co-starred in Doomsday, directed by Neil Marshall, Speed Dating and Ella Enchanted. Other work includes the short films News for the Church written and directed by Andrew McCarthy and The Listener, directed by Michael Chang. Noone also recorded Walking at Ringsend for BBC Radio 4. In 2008, Noone appeared in Insatiable.

Noone has also appeared in The Descent Part 2, The Day of the Triffids and The Runaway and she has co-starred in episodes 1–6 in season one of Jack Taylor. In 2013 she also began writing a film short.

In 2020, Noone received a nomination Best Actress in a Leading Role Film at the 17th Irish Film & Television Awards for her performance as Lauren in Wildfire. In 2022, she was involved in the relaunch of The Ipcress File, as Dr Karen Newton.

In 2023, she returned to Ireland as Detective Sergeant Claire Wallace in the RTÉ crime series Hidden Assets.

Personal life
In 2023, she moved back to live in Galway whilst filming Hidden Assets. She and her husband, fellow actor Chris Marquette, had a daughter in 2020. This was one reason why Noone decided to return to Ireland.