Deirdre O'Connell
BIO
O'Connell began her career at Stage One, an experimental theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts. She made her Broadway debut in the 1986 revival of The Front Page, and was nominated for the 1991 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in the off-Broadway production Love and Anger. She is the recipient of two Drama-Logue Awards and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for her stage work in Los Angeles.
O'Connell made her screen debut in Tin Men. Additional film credits include State of Grace, Straight Talk, Leaving Normal, Fearless, City of Angels, Hearts in Atlantis, Imaginary Heroes, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Wendy and Lucy, What Happens in Vegas, Secondhand Lions, and Synecdoche, New York.
She was a regular on L.A. Doctors and has made numerous guest appearances on series such as Kate & Allie, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Six Feet Under, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Nurse Jackie. From 1994 to 2010, O'Connell appeared on six episodes of Law & Order, four of them as Dr. Valerie Knight, Anita Van Buren's oncologist in Season 20. In 2024, she portrayed Francis Cobb in the HBO series The Penguin.
Photos
STAGE CREDITS
[Off-Broadway]
Public Theater American Premiere Production, 2025
Cast
Movies
Anna
[ 1987 ] Assistant #2
[ 1987 ] Assistant #2
Tin Men
[ 1987 ] Nellie
[ 1987 ] Nellie
Stars and Bars
[ 1988 ] Shanda Gage
[ 1988 ] Shanda Gage
Misplaced
[ 1989 ] Ella
[ 1989 ] Ella
Pastime
[ 1990 ] Inez Brice
[ 1990 ] Inez Brice
State of Grace
[ 1990 ] Irene
[ 1990 ] Irene
Brain Dead
[ 1990 ] Mrs. Halsey
[ 1990 ] Mrs. Halsey
Leaving Normal
[ 1992 ] Ellen Dierdre O Connell
[ 1992 ] Ellen Dierdre O Connell
Cool World
[ 1992 ] Isabelle Malley
[ 1992 ] Isabelle Malley
Straight Talk
[ 1992 ] Lily
[ 1992 ] Lily
Falling from Grace
[ 1992 ] Sally Cutler
[ 1992 ] Sally Cutler
CrissCross
[ 1992 ] Shelly
[ 1992 ] Shelly
Fearless
[ 1993 ] Nan Gordon
[ 1993 ] Nan Gordon
Smoke
[ 1995 ] Sue the Waitress
[ 1995 ] Sue the Waitress
Lifeform
[ 1996 ] Dr. Gracia Scott
[ 1996 ] Dr. Gracia Scott
City of Angels
[ 1998 ] Mrs. Balford
[ 1998 ] Mrs. Balford
Just Looking
[ 1999 ] Mrs. Braverman, Lenny's Teacher
[ 1999 ] Mrs. Braverman, Lenny's Teacher
Hearts in Atlantis
[ 2001 ] Mrs. Gerber
[ 2001 ] Mrs. Gerber
Relative Evil
[ 2001 ] Phyllis
[ 2001 ] Phyllis
Dragonfly
[ 2002 ] Gwyn
[ 2002 ] Gwyn
Secondhand Lions
[ 2003 ] Helen
[ 2003 ] Helen
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
[ 2004 ] Hollis
[ 2004 ] Hollis
Imaginary Heroes
[ 2004 ] Marge Dwyer
[ 2004 ] Marge Dwyer
A Couple of Days and Nights
[ 2005 ] Cosmo
[ 2005 ] Cosmo
Winter Passing
[ 2005 ] Deirdre
[ 2005 ] Deirdre
Stephanie Daley
[ 2006 ] Jane
[ 2006 ] Jane
American Loser
[ 2007 ] Cynthia
[ 2007 ] Cynthia
Socket
[ 2007 ] Hospital Staff
[ 2007 ] Hospital Staff
Wendy and Lucy
[ 2008 ] Deb
[ 2008 ] Deb
Synecdoche, New York
[ 2008 ] Ellen's Mother
[ 2008 ] Ellen's Mother
What Happens in Vegas
[ 2008 ] Mrs. Fuller
[ 2008 ] Mrs. Fuller
A Dog Year
[ 2009 ] Donna Brady
[ 2009 ] Donna Brady
The Greatest
[ 2009 ] Joyce
[ 2009 ] Joyce
Apartment Troubles
[ 2014 ] Ina
[ 2014 ] Ina
The Quitter
[ 2014 ] Kathleen Lembo
[ 2014 ] Kathleen Lembo
St. Vincent
[ 2014 ] Linda
[ 2014 ] Linda
Gabriel
[ 2014 ] Meredith
[ 2014 ] Meredith
Detours
[ 2016 ] Beth
[ 2016 ] Beth
In the Radiant City
[ 2016 ] Woman
[ 2016 ] Woman
The Boy Downstairs
[ 2017 ] Amy
[ 2017 ] Amy
Diane
[ 2018 ] Donna
[ 2018 ] Donna
Lez Bomb
[ 2018 ] Rose
[ 2018 ] Rose
Before/During/After
[ 2020 ] Nancy
[ 2020 ] Nancy
The Requin
[ 2022 ] Anne
[ 2022 ] Anne
Eddington
[ 2025 ] Dawn Bodkin
[ 2025 ] Dawn Bodkin
TV Shows
L.A. Doctors
Suzanne Blum
Suzanne Blum
Law & Order
Dr. Valerie Knight, Joanna Wilder, Jane Schuman
Dr. Valerie Knight, Joanna Wilder, Jane Schuman
Second Noah
Shirley Crockmeyer
Shirley Crockmeyer
The Affair
Athena Bailey
Athena Bailey
The Path
Gab, Gab Armstrong
Gab, Gab Armstrong
Outer Range
[ 2022-2024 ] Patricia Tillerson
[ 2022-2024 ] Patricia Tillerson
The Penguin
Francis Cobb
Francis Cobb
The Penguin
Francis Cobb
Francis Cobb
Outer Range
[ 2022-2024 ] Patricia Tillerson
[ 2022-2024 ] Patricia Tillerson
The Better Sister
[ 2025-2025 ] Debbie Macintosh
[ 2025-2025 ] Debbie Macintosh
Awards and Nominations
Drama League Awards - 2022 - Distinguished Performance Awards
Deirdre O'Connell, Dana H
winner
Tony Awards - 2022 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Deirdre O'Connell, Dana H.
Drama Desk Awards - 2020 - Outstanding Solo Performance
Deirdre O'Connell, Dana H
Drama League Awards - 2020 - Distinguished Performance Award
Deirdre O'Connell, Dana H
winner
Obie Awards - 2020 - Performance Award
Deirdre O'Connell, Dana H.
winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2020 - Outstanding Solo Performance
Deirdre O'Connell, Dana H.
Drama Desk Awards - 2018 - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center
Drama League Awards - 2018 - Distinguished Performance Award
Deirdre O'Connell, Fulfillment Center
The Lortels - 2015 - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Deirdre O'Connell, By the Water
The Lortels - 2011 - Outstanding Featured Actress
Deirdre O'Connell, In the Wake
Drama Desk Awards - 1990 - Outstanding Featured Actress - Play
Deirdre O'Connell, Love and Anger
Videos
STAGE TUBE: Behind the Scenes with Roundabout's LITTLE CHILDREN DREAM OF GOD
by Stage Tube - 2015-01-29 22:13:11
TV: First Look at Highlights of Steppenwolf's World Premiere of THE WAY WEST
by Christina Mancuso - 2014-04-21 13:55:47
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How many Broadway shows has Deirdre O'Connell been in?
Deirdre O'Connell has appeared on Broadway in 2 shows.
How many West End shows has Deirdre O'Connell been in?
Deirdre O'Connell has not appeared in the West End.
What awards has Deirdre O'Connell been nominated for?
Distinguished Performance Awards (Drama League Awards) for Dana H, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Dana H., Outstanding Solo Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for Dana H, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Dana H, Performance Award (Obie Awards) for Dana H., Outstanding Solo Performance (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Dana H., Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Fulfillment Center, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Fulfillment Center, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (The Lortels) for By the Water, Outstanding Featured Actress (The Lortels) for In the Wake and Outstanding Featured Actress - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Love and Anger.
What awards has Deirdre O'Connell won?
Deirdre O'Connell has won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Dana H. She also received the Obie Award Performance Award for Dana H., as well as the Outstanding Solo Performance award from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for her work in Dana H.
Videos