Who is Maggie O’Neill?
Fans of the medical drama Peak Practice will know Maggie O'Neill as Dr Amanda Tucker, but the actress also made her mark in the gritty series Shameless. Her breakthrough role came years earlier, when she appeared opposite Sigourney Weaver in big screen success Gorillas In The Mist.
Maggie was born in Buckinghamshire to head teacher parents in 1962. Brought up against a religious backdrop, she is the youngest of six Catholic siblings. She attended a convent school, where she met an inspiring sixth-form drama teacher and “fell” into acting, she stated. Now she claims herself to be a “lapsed Catholic”, after revealing in an interview that she idolises stories from the Bible that have had a big impact on her.
Maggie O’Neill’s Career
She was educated at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which saw her landing a role upon completing her studies in Simply Red’s music video for Holding Back the Years in 1986. She later went on to make a name for herself theatrically, starring in Stephen Low’s drama Moving Pictures in 1985, her professional debut.
When she made regular appearances as Sheila in Channel 4’s comedy drama Shameless, she loved her time on set. Now looking back, she said “She was great fun to play. I love her, even though she’s not real. She’s full of goodness, but incredibly wild.”
Since Shameless, Maggie has remained a successful TV actress. From her appearance as Suzy Branning in EastEnders, to roles in Midsomer Murders, Call the Midwife, and Casualty, the actress remains a staple on our screens.
SEE: Where are the cast of Shameless now?
Maggie O’Neill’s Private Life
Maggie leads a very private life and does not reveal many details. The quiet actress mentioned in an interview in 2012 that she had a partner, “David, a cameraman”, whom she has been with for a long time but is unmarried. She has shared her views on marriage, claiming, “I don’t feel the need to get married. I feel the need to be committed to my partner, but I don’t feel the need to throw a big church ceremony or get a ring on my finger.”
In terms of kids, she has shared that she’d like to have them eventually. She said, “I come from a huge family. I’ve got about 60 nieces and nephews, and I’m the youngest of six brothers and sisters,” later revealing that while she is not broody, she definitely feels maternal instincts.
SEE: 7 EastEnders stars who dated in real life
Maggie O’Neill’s Achievements
Maggie does not give many interviews and much is not known about her, though her career success is owed to her incredible performances in EastEnders and Shameless, which made her clearly visible in the film industry.
