Victoria Smurfit
Smurfit in 2016
Born (1974-03-31) 31 March 1974 (age 49)
Dublin, Ireland
OccupationActress
Years active1995–present
Spouse
Douglas Baxter
​
​
(m. 2000; div. 2015)​
Children3
RelativesMichael 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.

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".

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] Smurfit has said she was not able to eat anything[clarification needed] during that time.[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]

Filmography

Year Title Role Other notes
1995 The Run of the Country Annagh Feature film
1996 The Leading Man Annabel Feature film
1997 Ivanhoe Rowena TV series
1997 So this is Romance Helen Feature film
1998 Berkeley Square Hannah Randall TV series
1998–1999 Ballykissangel Orla O'Connell TV series
2000 The Wedding Tackle Clodagh Feature film
2000 The Beach Weather Girl Feature film
2000 North Square Helen Ferryhough TV series, 10 episodes
2000–2001 Cold Feet Jane Fitzpatrick TV series, recurring role
2002 The Last Great Wilderness Claire Feature film
2002 About a Boy Suzie Feature film
2003 Bulletproof Monk Nina Strucker Feature film
2003–2009 Trial & Retribution DCI Roisin Connor TV series, series 7–12
2004 The Alan Clark Diaries Clark's mistress TV series
2006 The Shell Seekers Olivia Keeling Mini-series
2009 The Clinic Edel Swift TV series
2011 Agatha Christie's Marple Ella Blunt TV series, 1 episode ("The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side")
2011 Honeymoon for One Hilary TV movie
2012 Missing Sloane TV series
2013 Dracula Lady Jayne Wetherby TV series
2014 The Mentalist Monica Giraldi TV series (season 6, episode 22)
2014 Amnesia: Who are you? Monica Feature film
2014 Among Ravens Emma Feature film
2014 Rush Isabel Thoreau TV series
2014–2018 Once Upon a Time Cruella de Vil Recurring role (season 4, 5/DVD extra and 7, guest):
15 episodes
2015 Homecoming / Best Fake Friends Nikki Feature film
2017 The Lears Diana Feature film
2017 Milk Fran TV movie
2018 Marcella Maya Whitman TV series (series 2)
2019 Strike Back: Revolution DEA Special Agent Lauren Gillespie Guest role (season 7):
2 episodes
2022 Around the World in 80 Days Lady Clemency Rowbotham TV series, episode 5
2022 Bloodlands Olivia TV series (series 2)
2022 The Man Who Fell to Earth Penny Morgan TV series, guest role
TBA Rivals Maud O’Hara Lead role[14]

Awards and nominations

Year Title Role Awards Result
2014 Amnesia: Who Are You? Monica IFS Award Best Actress Won
2016 Once Upon A Time Cruella de Vil 13th IFTA Film & Drama Awards Best Actress in Supporting Role in Drama Nominated
2018 The Lears Diana 15th Irish Film & Television Academy Awards Best Actress in Supporting Role in Film Won

References

  1. ^ Irish Times Magazine, page 10, 10 January 2009
  2. ^ "14 years on, but Ballykissangel fans still stop Victoria Smurfit in the street". evoke.ie. 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2 September 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  3. ^ Hall, Eva (4 February 2013). "Victoria Smurfit To Sink Teeth Into Jonathan Rhys Meyers' Dracula". IFTN. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Once Upon a Time: Victoria Smurfit Talks Cruella de Ville, and Season 4". collider.com. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  5. ^ "Once Upon a Time: Victoria Smurfit set to return as Cruella". ew.com. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  6. ^ Butler, Laura. "Putting divorce aside, actress Victoria Smurfit lines up role after role". Evoke.ie. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  7. ^ Lyons, Eoin (9 September 2005). "Couple mix comfort with designer good looks". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  8. ^ "'Cannes-do' Irish go networking - Independent.ie". Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Exclusive Victoria Smurfit interview: 'It's me, three kids, two dogs and a cup of tea now'". Independent.ie. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Victoria Smurfit & husband Doug Baxter split after 15 years of marriage". evoke.ie. 20 February 2015. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Victoria Smurfit". 13 January 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2023 – via open.spotify.com.
  12. ^ Smurfit, Victoria. "(sampling of column entries by Smurfit, March to June 2008)". The Dubliner. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008.
  13. ^ "World Vision Ireland". Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Turner star in adaptation of racy Jilly Cooper novel". Independent.ie. 21 March 2023.

External links

Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Film
Authority control databases
Hosts of the Irish Film & Television Awards ceremonies
Categories