Photo: Greg2600 / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Fionnula Flanagan is the kind of Irish character actress who elevates whatever she's in. For me her Eloise Hawking on Lost is unforgettable, the sort of cryptic, commanding presence that made a wild show feel grounded, and that Primetime Emmy recognition is well earned. But what I really admire is the range across decades, from James Joyce's Women and Waking Ned to The Others, The Guard and the lovely Song of the Sea. She's never been a tabloid name, just a consistently excellent performer working from stage roots into film and television. That's the career I find most respectable, longevity built purely on craft.
Overview
Fionnghuala Manon "Fionnula" Flanagan (born 10 December 1941) is an Irish actress. Flanagan is best known for her roles in the films James Joyce's Women (1985), Some Mother's Son (1996), Waking Ned (1998), The Others (2001), Four Brothers (2005), Yes Man (2008), The Guard (2011) and Song of the Sea (2014). She is also known for her recurring role as Eloise Hawking in the series Lost (2007–2010).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Fionnula Flanagan
- Name (Japanese)
- フィオヌラ・フラナガン
- Reading
- ふぃおぬら・ふらながん
- Born
- December 10, 1941 (age 84)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Snake
- Origin
- Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / television actor / film producer / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Stage actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from Ireland →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.