Victoria Smurfit

Victoria Smurfit (born 31 March 1974) is an Irish actress. She is known for playing Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series Ballykissangel and Detective Chief Inspector Roisin Connor in the ITV police procedural Trial & Retribution.

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

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). Victoria Smurfit was educated at two Anglican schools, Saint Columba's College, Dublin[1] and St George's School, Ascot, England. She did an A-level in theatre studies and then went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.[2]

Career

Smurfit gained fame for her role as Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series Ballykissangel from 1998–99. 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.[3] 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 costarred as Lady Jayne Wetherby in the NBC television period drama Dracula.[4] In 2014, she began playing the recurring guest role of villainess Cruella de Vil on ABC's Once Upon a Time.[5][6]

She is currently shooting for her role in Homecoming, a film she has described as a "mean girls for grownups." She plays Nikki, the "head mean girl."[7] She will be starring alongside Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in The Ambassadors.

Personal life

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

She writes an opinion blog for The Dubliner, which often features 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
1997 Ivanhoe Rowena TV series
1998 Berkeley Square Hannah Randall TV series
1998 Ballykissangel Orla O'Connell TV series, 1998–1999
2000 The Wedding Tackle Clodagh Feature film
2000 The Beach Weather girl Feature film
2000 North Square Dr. Helen Ferryhough TV series, 10 episodes
2000 Cold Feet Jane Fitzpatrick TV series, recurring role, 2000–2001
2002 About a Boy Suzie Feature film
2003 Bulletproof Monk Nina Feature film
2003–2009 Trial & Retribution DCI Roisin Connor TV series, Seasons 7–12
2006 The Shell Seekers Olivia Keeling Mini-series
2009 The Clinic Dr. Edel Swift TV Series
2011 Agatha Christie's Marple Ella Blunt TV series, 1 episode ("The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side")
2013 Dracula Lady Jayne Wetherby TV series
2014 The Mentalist Monica Giraldi TV series (Season 6, Episode 22)
2014–2018 Once Upon a Time Cruella de Vil Recurring role (Season 4 & 5, guest 7):
14 episodes
2015 Homecoming Nikki Feature film
2017 The Lears Diana Feature Film
2018 Marcella Maya Whitman TV Series (Season 2)
2019 Strike Back: Revolution Special Agent Lauren Gillespie, United States Drug Enforcement Administration Guest role (Season 7):
2 episodes

References
  1. Sunday Independent 4 May 2008
  2. Irish Times Magazine, page 10, 10 January 2009
  3. "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.
  4. Hall, Eva (4 February 2013). "Victoria Smurfit To Sink Teeth Into Jonathan Rhys Meyers' Dracula". IFTN. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  5. "Once Upon a Time: Victoria Smurfit Talks Cruella de Ville, and Season 4". collider.com. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  6. "Once Upon a Time: Victoria Smurfit set to return as Cruella". ew.com. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  7. 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.
  8. https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/property/2005/0901/3342536493RPINDOUG.html%5B%5D
  9. "'Cannes-do' Irish go networking - Independent.ie".
  10. "Exclusive Victoria Smurfit interview: 'It's me, three kids, two dogs and a cup of tea now' - Independent.ie".
  11. "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.
  12. "The Dubliner Magazine: Victoria Smurfit". Archived from the original on 5 July 2008.
  13. "World Vision Ireland".
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