Rosaleen Linehan

Rosaleen Philomena Linehan (; born 1 June 1937) is an Irish stage, screen, and television actress.

Early life and education Linehan was born in Dublin to a mother from Belfast and a father from East Donegal. Both her parents were older when she was born: her mother in her late 40s and her father in his 50s.

She attended University College Dublin and graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Politics. She joined UCD Dramsoc on her first day of college and started acting professionally within two years of leaving the university.

Career

Linehan began her acting career appearing in comedy revues she co-wrote with her husband, Fergus Linehan. Initially known solely as a singer and comedian, Linehan began pursuing more serious roles in the early 1980s, encouraged by playwrights who offered her new roles in support of this shift.

She has appeared on stage in plays including Blithe Spirit, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Seagull, andTwelfth Night, in which she "gave a mesmeric performance as Feste, the clown, [evoking] an ashen melancholoy". In 2014, she was awarded the UCD Alumni Award for Arts.

Linehan was married to Fergus Linehan, who died in 2016, with whom she had four children and eight grandchildren. Linehan lives in County Dublin.

Filmography

Film performances

Television performances

Theater

Stage performances (partial)