Stephanie McKeon

Stephanie Adrienne McKeon (born 9 June 1987) is an Irish actress. She began her career as a teenager in the RTÉ soap opera Fair City (2004–2007). She was nominated for Laurence Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards for her role as Anna in the West End production of Frozen.[2]

Stephanie McKeon
Born
Stephanie Adrienne McKeon

(1987-06-09) 9 June 1987[1]
Alma materTrinity College Dublin
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2017)​
Children1

Early life

McKeon grew up in a theatre family in Artane, North Dublin. She has a sister.[3]

McKeon attended Belgrove Girls' School in Clontarf, where she discovered acting through a school production of Bugsy Malone when she was seven.[4] She took drama classes at the First Active Children's Theatre (FACT) and Barry Billie Stage School.[5] She studied Drama and Theatre at Trinity College Dublin, graduating in 2009.[6]

Career

When she was a teenager, McKeon played Aisling O'Brien in the RTÉ soap opera Fair City from 2004 to 2007.[7][8]

After graduating from Trinity, McKeon went into theatre. She starred as Dorothy in Sean Gilligan's The Wizard of Oz. In 2012, she played Cinderella in the Gaiety Theatre's Christmas pantomime[9] as well as Philomena O'Shea in the Improbable Frequency revival. She also appeared in The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle at the Pleasance Dome in Edinburgh and Anglo: The Musical at the Olympia Theatre.

McKeon then relocated to London when she was cast as Natalie in The Commitments at the Palace Theatre, originating the role and marking her West End debut in 2013.[10] She was then a lead vocalist in Kyle Riabko's Bacharach Reimagined shows in 2015; What's It All About? was put on at the Menier Chocolate Factory. It was reimagined as Close to You when it moved to the Criterion Theatre. She took over the role of Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical for its final ten weeks at the Aldwych Theatre in 2017.

In 2019, McKeon was cast as Princess Anna opposite Samantha Barks as Elsa in the West End run of the stage adaptation of Disney's Frozen.[11] After being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show opened in 2021 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.[12] For her performance, McKeon was nominated for both the WhatsOnStage Award and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[13] McKeon released an EP Here I Go (2021) consisting of musical theatre covers.[14]

Personal life

McKeon married Kyle Riabko in December 2017,[15] having met through Bacharach Reimagined.[16] In February 2023, the couple announced they were expecting their first child.[17]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2004–2007 Fair City Aisling O'Brien 17 episodes
2014 Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Natalie Children in Need special
2018 Once Upon a Coma Soyler Video game
2019 Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth Asuka Langley Soryu English dub
The End of Evangelion

Stage
Year Title Role Notes
2011 The Wizard of Oz Dorothy The Helix, Dublin
2012 Improbable Frequency Philomena O'Shea Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle Gillian Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh
Cinderella Cinderella Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
Anglo: The Musical Aisling Olympia Theatre, Dublin
2013 The Commitments Natalie Palace Theatre, London
2015 What's It All About? Bacharach Reimagined Vocalist Menier Chocolate Factory, London
Close to You: Bacharach Reimagined Criterion Theatre, London
2017 Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris Woman Gate Theatre, Dublin[18]
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Cynthia Weil Aldwych Theatre, London
2021 Frozen Princess Anna Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2022 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Actress in a Musical Frozen Nominated [19]
Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Musical Nominated [20]

References
  1. Kyle Riabko (June 9, 2017). "HAPPY 30th to the kindest, most beautiful, funniest, smartest person I have ever met". Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Instagram.
  2. Barter, Pavel (August 7, 2021). "From Fair City to Frozen: Stephanie McKeon on living the fairytale". The Sunday Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.(subscription required)
  3. Barter, Pavel (August 7, 2021). "From Fair City to Frozen: Stephanie McKeon on living the fairytale". The Sunday Times. Retrieved December 20, 2022.(subscription required)
  4. Bell, Amy (May 16, 2022). "Stephanie McKeon". Revamp Magazine. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  5. Grenham, Sophie (May 14, 2007). "School's in for children's choir". Independent.ie. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  6. Wood, Alex (April 14, 2020). "Who are Stephanie McKeon and Samantha Barks – Frozen's West End Anna and Elsa?". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  7. Blake Knox, Kirsty (December 14, 2022). "Panto princess Stephanie dreams of Fair City return". Independent.ie. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  8. Smith, Gwendolyn (September 7, 2021). "'They're a spunky new kind of princess' – Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon on Frozen: The Musical". INews. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  9. Butler, Laura (November 29, 2012). "Cinderella brings touch of magic to Temple Street Stephanie McKeon as Cinderella, from the Gaiety Panto 'Cinderella', meets Laura Doyle (5)". Independent.ie. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  10. Audley, Fiona (October 28, 2021). "DREAM ROLE: Dubliner Stephanie McKeon finally takes lead in West End's Frozen after Covid-19 postponement". Irish Post. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  11. Willmott, Phil (April 14, 2020). "Samantha Barks is Frozen's Elsa & Stephanie McKeon is Anna. Disney's latest sisters". London Box Office. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  12. Sullivan, Lindsey (March 10, 2021). "London's Frozen, Starring Stephanie McKeon and Samantha Barks, to Open in August". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  13. "Irish actresses Jessie Buckley and Stephanie McKeon vie for top gong at Olivier Awards". Independent.ie. March 9, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  14. Wakeham, Nick (November 16, 2021). "CD Review: Here I Go – Stephanie McKeon". Musical Theatre Review. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  15. McKeon, Stephanie [@Steph_McKeon] (December 7, 2017). "Married my soul mate yesterday. How about you? ❤️" (Tweet). Retrieved June 28, 2019 – via Twitter.
  16. Morgan, Sally (July 21, 2021). "Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon: The Frozen stars on their close relationship". Hello. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  17. Stephanie McKeon (February 16, 2023). "Baby Riabko, coming July 2023". Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  18. "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris". Gate Theatre. September 24, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  19. Wood, Alex (December 9, 2021). "Nominees for 22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  20. Wood, Alex (March 8, 2022). "Olivier Awards 2022 nominees announced including Eddie Redmayne, Jessie Buckley and Stephanie McKeon". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
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