Marin Ireland (born August 30, 1979) is an American actress and playwright. Known for her work in theatre and independent films, The New York Times deemed Ireland "one of the great drama queens of the New York stage". She has received nominations for two Independent Spirit Awards and one Tony Award.
Following a series of guest roles in the Law & Order franchise (2003–2008), Ireland earned praise when she starred in Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Pretty (2008), for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. After parts in films such as The Understudy and Rachel Getting Married (both 2008), Ireland's role in Glass Chin (2014) earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. Her other film credits include The Family Fang (2015), Hell or High Water (2016), Piercing, The Miseducation of Cameron Post (both 2018), The Irishman (2019), The Dark and the Wicked (2020), and Eileen (2023).
On television, Ireland played Julia Bowman in the Amazon Studios series Sneaky Pete (2015–2019), Sissy Cooper in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy (2020–2022), and Nora Brady in Hulu's Y: The Last Man (2021).
Early life A native of Camarillo, California, Ireland was born on August 30, 1979.Wilson, H. W. (2017). "Marin Ireland". Current Biography. November 2017. p. 25. Retrieved April 1, 2025. "Date of birth: August 30, 1979. Occupation: Actor"."YOUR HOROSCOPE, TUESDAY, AUG. 30, 2022: Birthday STAR". The Montreal Gazette. August 30, 2022. p. A11. Retrieved April 1, 2025. "Actor Marin Ireland was born in Camarillo, California, today in 1979. This birthday star has portrayed Sissy Cooper on the series 'The Umbrella Academy' since 2020." She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Hartt School, the performing-arts conservatory at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut."Marin Ireland biography" American Repertory Theatre, retrieved April 5, 2010
Career
Ireland made her off-Broadway theatre debut in Nocturne (2001), a play written by Adam Rapp, which ran at the New York Theatre Workshop. She also appeared in the play during its run in the American Repertory Theatre New Stages presentation at the Hasty Pudding Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts in October 2000.Clay, Carolyn. "The ART's Nocturne hits powerful notes" The Boston Phoenix, October 19–26, 2000 Her other off-Broadway work includes Caryl Churchill's Far Away (2002) at the New York Theatre Workshop.Hernandez, Ernio."Frances McDormand Opens in Far Away at New York Theatre Workshop, Nov. 11" playbill.com, November 11, 2002 She played the title role in Sabina (2005) by Willy Holtzman at Primary Stages.Murray, Matthew. "'Sabina'" talkinbroadway.com, February 2, 2005
Ireland was featured in the 2008 stage adaptation of The Beebo Brinker Chronicles, a series of lesbian pulp fiction novels by Ann Bannon.Hetrick, Adam. "Fresh Off the Bus: Beebo Brinker Chronicles Arrives Off-Broadway Feb. 19" playbill.com, February 19, 2008 She made her Broadway theatre debut in Reasons to Be Pretty (2009).Brantley, Ben. "First You Shut Up, Then You Grow Up," The New York Times . For this performance, she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, and won the Theatre World Award.Lipton, Brian Scott. "Meet the Nominees: reasons to be pretty's Marin Ireland" theatermania.com, May 20, 2009Theatre World Awards theatreworldawards.org, retrieved April 2, 2010 She then appeared in After Miss Julie in a Roundabout Theatre Company presentation of a Donmar Warehouse production at the American Airlines Theatre in September through December 2009.Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review: Seduction by Class Conflict" The New York Times, October 23, 2009 Ireland in the New Group revival of A Lie of the Mind in February and March 2010.Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review:Home Is Where the Soul Aches" At one point the played in Sesame Seed, giving Big Bird his voice. The New York Times, February 19, 2010
Ireland's early film roles are the drama Rachel Getting Married (2008) and the comedy The Understudy (2008). In 2012, she played the female lead role in the Matt Ross debut film 28 Hotel Rooms. For playing Ellen Doyle in Glass Chin (2014), she earned a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. In November 2012, she starred in the title role of Marie Antoinette in the world premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre."At Yale Rep: A 'humorous and haunting' world premiere" YaleNews, October 15, 2012 She starred in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Abe Koogler's Kill Floor in 2015. She has also appeared in the films The Family Fang (2015), Hell or High Water (2016), Piercing (2018), The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018), and The Irishman (2019).
In 2012, while working on a Wooster Group production of Troilus and Cressida in London, Ireland dated costar Scott Shepherd. During that period, the couple fought physically at home, with Ireland once appearing at rehearsals with a black eye. Ireland later expressed disappointment that the Wooster Group did not do more to support her, and has lobbied theater unions to create protocols for handling misconduct. After a meeting with civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel in 2017 at the Public Theater, where they discussed ways of combatting sexual harassment, they launched the Human Resources for the Arts in January 2018. It aims to be a pro bono mediation system where the victim and a perpetrator come to a resolution using a third party not working at a theater.
Ireland has gained prominence in the television industry, notably for her roles as Julia in the Amazon series Sneaky Pete (2015–2019), Sissy in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy (2020–2022), and Nora Brady in the Hulu post-apocalyptic drama series Y: The Last Man (2021). Her leading role in the horror film The Dark and the Wicked (2020) earned her praise.
Ireland has narrated several audiobooks, including bestsellers by Frederik Backman, Anthony Doerr, and Amor Towles. She was awarded an Audie Award for Best Female Narrator in 2020 for her recording of Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson.
In 2024, a play she wrote, Pre-Existing Condition, was produced off-Broadway at the Connelly Theater Upstairs with a rotating cast of actresses (including Tatiana Maslany, Tavi Gevinson, Deirdre O’Connell, Edie Falco, and Julia Chan). In 2026, it was restaged at the Greenwich House Theatre; this time the rotating cast included Lupita Nyong'o, Phillipa Soo, Susannah Flood, Whitney White, Hari Nef, and Edie Falco (again).
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2004 Army Transcriber2007 Suburban Girl Katie Mercy Joyce Short film I Am Legend Woman Evacuee2008 Rebecca Rachel Getting Married Angela Paylin Esmeralda If You Could Say It in Words Sadie Mitchell Revolutionary Road Party Guest 2009 Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Samantha 2010 Megafauna Anna Short film2012 28 Hotel Rooms Woman Future Weather Tanya Allison Allison Short film Hope Springs Molly Anita Stars in Shorts Wife Film: "Sexting" Sparrows Dance Woman in Apartment2013 Side Effects Upset Visitor Bottled Up Sylvie2014 Glass Chin Ellen Doyle Take Care Laila Kill Me Lucy Short film2015 Suzanne Crosby This Summer Feeling Nina2016 Hell or High Water Debbie Howard In the Radiant City Laura Yurley2017 Crystal Aardvark Jenny Sollers Point Kate Some Freaks Georgia2018 Piercing Reed's mother Bethany2019 Light from Light Shelia Dolores Sheeran2020 Louise Nora Quail2023 Eileen Anne Polk Birth/Rebirth Dr. Rose Casper The Boogeyman Rita Billings Somewhere Quiet Madelin Whitman 2025 Materialists Violet 2026 Anima Mikaela The Last Day Ellen
Television Year Title Role Notes 2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Anais Hutchinson Episode: "Zoonotic"2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Laura Booth Episode: "Dramma Giocoso" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Gina Maylor Episode: "Confrontation" 2008 Law & Order Mila Hames Lingard Episode: "Called Home"2011 Mildred Pierce Letty Recurring role; 5 episodes Marjorie Garnett Episode: "In Sickness" Elena Episodes: "Pilot", "In Case of Discomfort", "In Case of Exposure" Prime Suspect Jodi Barrett Episode: "Gone to Pieces" 2011–2012 Homeland Aileen Morgan Recurring role; 5 episodes2012 Unforgettable Sarah Green Episode: "Heartbreak" Boss Claire Mann Episodes: "The Conversation", "Consequence", "Clinch", "True Enough" 2012–2014 Liz Holder Episode: "Off the Reservation" & "The Good Soldier" 2013 The Following Amanda Episode: "Love Hurts"2014 The Divide Christine Rosa Recurring role; 8 episodes Masters of Sex Pauline Masters 3 episodes Madam Secretary Gina Fisher Episode: "The Operative"2015 The Slap Sandi Apostolou 8 episodes Girls Logan 3 episodes Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Bella Carisi Episode: "Parole Violations" Elementary Alta Von See Episode: "Evidence of Things Not Seen" 2015–2019 Sneaky Pete Julia Bowman Main role 2017 Flint Melissa Mays Television film 2018 Bull Maya Whitbeck Episode: "Survival Instincts" 2020 The Good Doctor Vera Episodes: "Hurt", "I Love You" 2020–2022 The Umbrella Academy Sissy Cooper 11 episodes 2021 Y: The Last Man Nora Brady Main role 2022 Gaslit Judy Hoback 2 episodes 2023 Justified: City Primeval Maureen Downey 8 episodes 2024 Feud: Capote vs. The Swans Katharine Graham Episode: "Masquerade 1966"2025 Dope Thief Mina Miniseries Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Elizabeth Piest 8 episodes2026 His & Hers Zoe Harper 6 episodes The Bear Sherri Episode: "Gary" The Terror: Devil in Silver 'Dewey' 3 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Playwright VenueRef. 2000 Nocturne Candice Brown Adam Rapp Hasty Pudding Theatre, (Cambridge, Massachusetts) 2001 Nocturne Candice Brown Adam Rapp New York Theatre Workshop (New York City) 2002 Far Away Joan Caryl Churchill New York Theatre Workshop (New York City) 2005 Sabina Sabina Willy Holtzman Primary Stages (New York City) 2008 Laura Chapman Kate Moira Ryan Linda S. Chapman Fourth Street Theater (New York City) Blasted Cate Sarah Kane Soho Rep (New York City) 2009 Reasons to Be Pretty Steph Neil LaBute Lyceum Theatre (New York City) After Miss Julie Christine Patrick Marber American Airlines Theatre (New York City) 2010 Beth Sam Shepard Acorn Theatre (New York City) 2011 Three Sisters Natasha Anton Chekhov Classic Stage Company (New York City) Margaret and Craig Margaret Gibson David Solomon Powerhouse Theater (New York City) Maple and Vine Katha Jordan Harrison Playwrights Horizons (New York City) 2012 Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette David Adjmi Yale Repertory Theatre (New Haven, Connecticut) Troilus and Cressida Cressida William Shakespeare Swan Theatre (Stratford-upon-Avon, UK) 2013 Marion Clifford Odets American Airlines Theatre (New York City) Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette David Adjmi Soho Rep (New York City) 2015 Kill Floor Andy Abe Koogler Claire Tow Theater, Lincoln Center (New York City) 2016 Ironbound Darja Martyna Majok Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (New York City) 2017 On the Exhale Woman Martín Zimmerman Black Box Theater (New York City) 2018 Summer and Smoke Alma Winemiller Tennessee Williams Classic Stage Company / Transport Group (New York City) Blue Ridge Alison Abby Rosebrock Atlantic Theater Company 2019 Happy Talk Ljuba Jesse Eisenberg The New Group 2021Morning SunTessaSimon StephensManhattan Theatre Club2023Uncle VanyaSonyaAnton ChekovA private loft in Flatiron (New York City) 2023 Spain Helen Jen Silverman Second Stage / Tony Kiser Theater (New York City) 2024Pre-Existing ConditionMarin IrelandConnolly Theater (New York City)2025QueensReniaMartyna MajokManhattan Theatre Club / New York City Center Stage I2025IronboundDarjaMartyna MajokOjai Theatre Festival (Ojai, California)
Accolades