Acting
Feb 23, 1982
Kilkenny - County Kilkenny - Ireland
Jessica Regan
Acting
Biography
Jessica Regan (born 24 February 1982) is an Irish actress, known for portraying the role of Niamh Donoghue in the BBC soap opera Doctors. For her portrayal of the role, she won the award for Best Female Acting Performance at the 2014 RTS Midlands Awards, as well as the award for Best Newcomer at the 2015 British Soap Awards. Following her departure from Doctors, she starred in the BBC series Ill Behaviour. Regan also has numerous stage credits, having starred in productions including Blood and Gifts and Long Day's Journey into Night. Regan was born on 24 February 1982 in Kilkenny, and grew up in County Tipperary. She attended University College Cork (UCC), since the majority of her family live in Cork. At UCC, she studied English and History. In 2004, at the age of 22, Regan made her stage debut as Charlotte in a one-woman production of The Yellow Wallpaper. She described the show as the "catalyst" for her motivation to begin acting professionally, stating: "I wasn't sure if I had the ability or the stomach for acting and The Yellow Wallpaper helped me to figure that out". Afterwards, she told her parents that she wanted to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, to which she stated that they were "not surprised". She then borrowed the money for the train fare to Dublin from her parents in order to audition for a place at RADA, to which she was accepted. Regan made her television debut in the Channel 4 television film Ladies and Gentlemen in 2007, after graduating from RADA. In 2007, she made a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors. Then in 2008, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Laura. In 2013, she appeared in another episode of Doctors. The following year, she was cast as a regular character in the soap, Dr. Niamh Donoghue. On the casting process, Regan expressed her shock at the casting call, since they wanted an Irish actress aged 30 to 33, which she found to be rare in her experience, especially with the role being regular. For her portrayal of the role, she won the award for the Best Female Acting Performance at the 2014 RTS Midlands Awards, as well as the award for Best Newcomer at the 2015 British Soap Awards. Her other nominations include the British Soap Award for Best Actress and Best On-Screen Partnership, alongside co-star Ian Midlane. In 2016, after two years on the soap, Regan announced her departure from the role. She confirmed that the decision was her own, and her character departed from the series in April 2016 after being fired from her job. In 2017, she starred in the BBC comedy-drama series Ill Behaviour, and appeared in an episode of the BBC drama Casualty the following year.
Feature Films (5)
Madame Ranevskaya is a spoiled, aging aristocratic lady who returns from a trip to Paris to face the loss of her magnificent Cherry Orchard estate after a default on the mortgage. In denial, she continues living in the past, deluding herself and her family, while the beautiful cherry trees are being axed down by the re-possessor Lopakhin, her former serf, who has his own agenda.
National Theatre Live: The Cherry Orchard
The Kitchen, Arnold Wesker’s "extraordinary black comedy," is directed by Bijan Sheibani and features an ensemble cast of 29 actors. The production is set in a restaurant in 1950s London.
National Theatre Live: The Kitchen
Queen Victoria, the original "Instamum," struggles with postnatal depression while facing a photo shoot to show off her perfect family to the world.
Ma'am
In an elite college, Sarah invites a diverse group of female students to restart a powerful men’s club from centuries ago. Inspired to change the world, everyone signs up, only to discover the original members are joining them for dinner.
The Everlasting Club
The story revolves around the rather self-centred ladies and gentlemen living in a Victorian house with their maids and money looking after them and not really anything to be that concerned about in the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Television & Series (8)
After being fired, Angela moves back to the small town in which she grew up. This is her chance to reassess things and get her life back on track, if her friends don't ruin everything.
Nowhere Fast
Comedy thriller about three friends who embark on a journey that takes them to the extremes of their friendship, crossing every boundary imaginable to save a life.
Ill Behaviour
Drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.
Call the Midwife
Two dysfunctional flatmates reveal all their inner thoughts - whether dark, stupid or embarrassing. Or, occasionally, all three...
Peep Show
The Wrong Door is a comedy sketch show, first aired on BBC Three on 28 August 2008. The programme is the first comedy show in which almost all of the sketches have a CGI element. As such, it was produced under the working title of The CGI Sketch Show. The show also contains strong language, adult humour and toilet humour.
The Wrong Door
No Signal! was a British comedy sketch-show that aired on a weekly basis from 5 February to 9 April 2009 on FX. The show's humor was based almost entirely on satire of television, including channels, adverts and programming. Though general reaction was mixed, the show was considered successful.
