Geraldine Hughes

Geraldine Hughes (born 1970) is an actress from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Born in West Belfast, Hughes has appeared in films such as Duplex, Rocky Balboa, and Gran Torino. She also played Mary Todd Lincoln in Killing Lincoln. More recently, she performed a solo play written by herself, Belfast Blues. Early life Hughes grew up in the Divis Flats in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during The Troubles. To get herself through the tough times, Hughes participated in her school's drama club. She loved school, saying it made her feel safe and she enjoyed the structure it provided. It was where she escaped from The Troubles. After being chosen for her role in the film Children in the Crossfire, Hughes spent her first summer in the United States. She had no acting experience beyond her school's drama club before accepting her role as Mary in the movie. Education In Belfast, Hughes attended St. Louise's Comprehensive College in the '80s. Later, she attended the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) with a private scholarship from those she worked with in the film Children in the Crossfire. While they paid her tuition, she paid her living expenses. Hughes graduated from the university with a BA from the School of Theater, Film and TV. And in 2009, Queens University in Belfast awarded Hughes an honorary doctorate for her contributions to the performing arts. Career When Hughes was just 14, American TV producers auditioned hundreds of children in Ireland for their film and of the hundreds, three were chosen to participate in the film, Hughes being one of them. This first film debut of hers was in the movie, Children of the Crossfire in the year 1984. Later, during her first years in Los Angeles, Hughes became a part-time nanny to Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman's children.