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If you've watched 'The Tudors', you might have looked at Maria Doyle Kennedy playing Catherine of Aragon - Henry's first wife - and thought: haven't I seen her before? Well, you probably have.
You've probably heard her, too. Because she's one of the lovely ladies singing in 'The Commitments,' back in '91. Great movie. And that's where Maria got her start in acting. Music, though? She's been doing that for a long time.
Maria was born in a suburb of Dublin, and started singing young. But she didn't really consider it a career until she went to university, and ended up meeting a bunch of musicians. She started fronting bands in the Eighties, including one you might remember - 'Hothouse Flowers.' Remember 'Don't Go'? Maria had actually moved on from the band by the time that single was recorded, and formed her own group, 'The Black Velvet Band,' with her husband.
Not too long afterward, Maria made the transition to acting, and she's been both acting and making music ever since. Maybe her biggest role yet came a few years ago - 'The Tudors.' For the show's first two seasons, she played Henry VIII's jilted first wife - and won a Gemini.
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