Nora-Jane Noone

Nora-Jane Noone (born 8 March 1984) is an Irish actress renowned for her versatility and compelling screen presence. Raised in Upper Newcastle, Galway City, she honed her craft at the Performing Arts School in Galway, where she spent two years studying acting, and also achieved Grade 7 proficiency in piano and trained as a dancer, giving her a well‑rounded artistic foundation. After earning a science degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2004, she relocated to London to pursue professional opportunities, quickly making an impression with her breakthrough role as Bernadette in Peter Mullan’s critically acclaimed film The Magdalene Sisters (2002), a performance that earned her a nomination for British Newcomer of the Year at the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards. She continued to attract attention with her haunting portrayal of Holly in The Descent (2005), which secured a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Irish Film & Television Awards, and later demonstrated her range in the gritty drama Savage (2009) and the romantic fantasy Ella Enchanted (2004). Throughout the 2010s she appeared in genre‑spanning projects such as Doomsday (2008), The Ipcress File (2022), and the television series Jack Taylor, while also exploring short‑form storytelling and voice work for BBC Radio 4. In recent years Noone has returned to her Irish roots, starring as Detective Sergeant Claire Wallace in the RTÉ crime series Hidden Assets (2023) and receiving a Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination at the 2022 Irish Film & Television Awards for her performance in Wildfire (2020). Beyond the screen, she shares a life with fellow actor Chris Marquette, with whom she welcomed a daughter in 2020, prompting her move back to Galway where she continues to contribute to film and television both in Ireland and internationally.