Dearbhla Molloy

Dearbhla Molloy (; born 1946) is an Irish actress. Early life Molloy was born to John Molloy and Evelyn Ryan and grew up on Yellow Walls Road in Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland, the eldest of seven children. She attended an Irish-language school and finished her Leaving Certificate exams at the age of 16. As she was too young for university, she took a drama course at the Brendan Smith Academy before being accepted by the Abbey Theatre when she was 18. Career Molloy consolidated her stage reputation at both the Abbey and Gate theatres in Dublin, then she toured with an Abbey production to Britain. She was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in England, and has played Gertrude to Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet in the West End in London.