Introduction
Sorcha Cusack ([ˈsɔɾə̆xə]) (born 9 April 1949) is an Irish actress. Her numerous television credits include playing the title role in Jane Eyre (1973), Casualty (1994–97), Coronation Street (2008) and Father Brown (2013–present).
Personal life
Cusack was born in Dublin, Ireland. She is the second daughter of the actors Cyril Cusack (1910–1993) and Maureen Cusack (1920–1977), her elder sister is actress Sinéad Cusack, and her younger sister is actress Niamh Cusack.She is a half-sister to Catherine Cusack. Through her sister Sinéad, she is the sister-in-law of actor Jeremy Irons and the aunt of actor Max Irons and his brother, former child actor Samuel Irons.
Career
Cusack has made many film and television appearances including The Bill, Casualty (as Staff Nurse / Ward Sister Kate Wilson from 1994 to 1997), a BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre (1973), and the film Snatch (2000) as the traveller mother of Mickey, played by Brad Pitt. In 1998, she voiced Mother Duck on the cartoon The First Snow of Winter in UK Version. She has also acted for radio, including a guest appearance in the BBC Radio 4 series Baldi and starring as Juno Boyle in the 2014 BBC Radio 3 production of Juno and the Paycock. She played Helen Connor in Coronation Street in 2008, but because of her other acting commitments the role was played by Dearbhla Molloy when the character returned in July 2009.
In 2011, Cusack played Hilary Nicholson in two episodes of the first series of Mrs. Brown's Boys. Susie Blake took over the role for the second and third series. Despite this, she did play the part of Justice Dickie in the 2014 film Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie. Since 2013, she has played Mrs McCarthy, the housekeeper and parish secretary, in the BBC adaptation of Father Brown. Cusack played Bridie Stevenson in the BBC television series River (2015).
Selected theatre performances
- Varya in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov. Directed by Casper Wrede at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1980)
- Vassillissa in The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky. Directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1980)
- Julia in The Duchess of Malfi. Directed by Adrian Noble at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1980)
- Mary Mcleod in Detective Story by Sidney Kingsley. Directed by John Dillon at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1982)
- Mary Barfoot in The Odd Women by Michael Meyer. World premiere directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1992)
- Wilse in Smoke by Rod Wooden. World premiere directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1993)
- Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Greg Hersov at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (2004)