Gina Costigan

2003-2013: Early stage & screen work

During the 2000s and early 2010s, Costigan began working extensively in Irish theatre, frequently appearing in both English and Irish-language productions.^[9] Her stage work during this period included two national tours of Máiréad Ní Ghráda's An Triail with Aisling Ghéar Theatre Company (2008, 2012), as well as premieres of new plays at Project Arts Centre, Smock Alley Theatre, and the Town Hall Theatre.^[17][9] In 2003, Costigan made her screen debut as Molly, the girlfriend of Irish crime figure John Traynor in Joel Schumacher's Veronica Guerin, appearing opposite Cate Blanchett and Ciarán Hinds.^[18] The film received eight nominations from the Irish Film & Television Academy.^[19] In 2007, she had a recurring role as Diane Sutton on the RTÉ drama series Fair City and appeared as Caroline Austen in Julian Jarrold's Becoming Jane, starring Anne Hathaway.^[20] Costigan would later note in a profile with Hot Press, that the majority of her role in the film "ended up on the cutting room floor."^[16] From 2011 through 2012, Costigan starred in the world premiere of Isobel Mahon's Billy the Boat Loves Angelina at Liberty Hall Theatre and the The New Theatre, Dublin.^[21] In a review for The Irish Times, drama critic Peter Crawley noted "Costigan gives an assured performance while portraying a menacing figure with admirable bite."^[22] During this period, she continued to alternate between theatre and screen work, appearing in Keith Farrell's Irish-language docudrama Áille an Uafáisy, as well as Gráinne Curistan's Les Impossibles at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[23]

2014-2019: Broadway & Off-Broadway

In 2013, Costigan moved to New York City to study at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. She subsequently began working in New York theatre, making her Off-Broadway debut as Hen in Eileen Connolly's Daughter of the Waves at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.^[24] She later appeared in the world premiere of Honor Molloy's Crackskull Row at the Irish Repertory Theatre, followed by Teresa Deevy's The Suitcase Under the Bed at the Mint Theater Company. Both productions were named Critics' Picks by The New York Times.^[25][26] In a review for the latter, Stanford Friedman of New York Theatre Guide noted "Gina Costigan, as Mrs. Stims, shines the brightest."^[27] In 2018, Costigan appeared opposite Academy Award-winner Hayley Mills in the U.S. premiere of Isobel Mahon's Party Face at New York City Center. For their respective performances, Costigan and Mills were both nominated for Best Actress at the 2018 1st Irish Awards.^[28] Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast noted "Gina Costigan’s excellent performance is the layered heart of the play."^[29] The same year, she was cast in the original Broadway company of Jez Butterworth's The Ferryman, understudying the roles of Caitlin and Mary Carney.^[30] The production later won the Tony Award for Best Play.^[31] During this period, Costigan had recurring roles on the television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime Video (2017), and Vikings on the History Channel (2019-2020), as well as a supporting role in the feature film Halal Daddy (2017).^[6] In 2019, she was named to The Irish Echo's 40 Under 40 for emerging Irish talent.^[7]

2020-present: Later stage & screen work

In 2020, Costigan appeared in Joe Crilly's On McQuillan's Hill at the Finborough Theatre in London, England. The production received critical acclaim, earning five stars from the Morning Star and four stars from The Stage.^[32][33] In a review for The Arts Desk, drama critic Rachel Halliburton noted "In a play distinguished, not least, by its strong female characters, it is Gina Costigan’s Loretta who particularly shines."^[34] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she portrayed Molly Bloom in The Ulysses Project, a digitally produced adaptation of Ulysses featuring more than 75 performers.^[35] The film was later screened by the Irish Film Institute, as part of their Bloomsday Centennial celebration.^[36] In 2022, Costigan joined the original Broadway company of Martin McDonagh's Hangmen.^[37] The production was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play.^[38] Shortly thereafter she portrayed the titular role in Seán Ó Muireagáin's Luaithríona, an Irish language panto adaption of Cinderella at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich in Belfast. In 2023, Costigan starred as Grace in the UK national tour of Brian Friel's Faith Healer.^[39] In a review for Plays International & Europe, drama critic Jeremy Malies noted "There is no distance whatsoever between actor and her lines in Gina Costigan’s wonderful performance. My heart leapt out to Grace as Costigan skillfully dismantled the character’s natural reticence."^[40] In 2025, she starred as Kate Mundy in Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa at the Asolo Repertory Theatre directed by Joe Dowling. In 2026, she appeared as Ann Putnam in Arthur Miller's The Crucible at The Gaiety Theatre. Her recent screen work has included guest and recurring appearances in various television series, including Atlanta on FX, Harry Wild on Acorn TV, Kin on RTÉ, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC, as well as supporting roles in the feature films My Sailor, My Love (2022) and TWIG (2024).^[41]

In addition to acting, Costigan has worked extensively as a voice artist for advertising campaigns including Guiness, Ryanair, Volkswagen, Marks & Spencer, and Electric Picnic, among others.^[42]

Film

Television

Stage

Radio