DonnaAnita

bio

Donna Anita Quinn is an Irish actor and voice over artist. Theatre highlights include the lead role of Judith Noone in Jaki McCarrick’s 2024 Irish premiere of ‘Belfast Girls’. She also played the roles of Martin, Wafaa and Nathan in Dermot Bolger’s ‘Home, Boys, Home’ as part of the 2024 Dublin Theatre Festival.

Her breakthrough TV role came as immigrant nurse Ama Chisenga, on RTE’s national soap ‘Fair City’. Since leaving the show in 2017 she has played various roles in TV productions including ‘Crá’, ‘Kin’, ‘Conversations with Friends, ‘Nova Jones’ and ‘The South Westerlies’.

Donna’s recent film credits include award winning film ‘September Says’, ‘Sweetness in the Belly’ and Hallmark’s ‘Christmas at Castle Hart’. She won Best Supporting Actor for her role as Ali in the award winning short ‘QED’ at the 2018 Dublin Underground Cinema Festival. 

As a voice over artist she has narrated documentaries for BBC and Virgin Media. She voiced the role of Mum in Cartoon Saloon’s preschool animation ‘Silly Sundays’.

Donna trained at The Focus Theatre and Bel Canto School of Voice. She is represented by Alex Cusack Management and Voice Bank.

Home Boys Home Cast Pic
HOME, BOYS, HOME
"Ray Yeates reprises his role in this production, almost years on from his first with Bolger. He is strongly accompanied by Fionnuala Gygax and Donna Anita Nikolaisen, who play various roles, believably occupying the space of a cocky drug dealer one moment, an immigrant the next."
Conor Capllis, THE IRISH TIMES
4/5
Donna Anita Nikolaisen as Judith Noone in Belfast Girls
BELFAST GIRLS
"Nikolaisen and Kelly are both utterly sublime when their characters are allowed to breathe rather than being corseted inside someone else’s borrowed ideas."
THE ARTS REVIEW.COM
"In the opening scene we meet four of the five characters, one or two spatting already. ‘Fat’ Hanna (impressive Leah Rossiter) gets in an argument with Ellen (Fiona Keenan O’ Brien) over who caught the cook’s eye. The air turns blue but Judith, a natural leader and excellently played by Donna Anita Nikolaisen, sorts them out."
THE BELFAST TIMES
tea-chests-300
TEA CHESTS AND DREAMS
“In a delicate exchange between the bright mannered Hickey and Nikolaisen, radiant with sincerity, the elderly character tells a new arrival about the psychology of accruing heirlooms, by which they “try and stop time by hording things”.”
Peter Crawley, THE IRISH TIMES

about

Background
Born in Dublin and raised in Cork, from an early age I felt that the stage called to me. My debut performance, apart from The Wicked Queen at the age of 7 on my primary school stage, was a student showcase for Monfort School of Performing Arts at the Cork Cat Club. 

After graduating from UCC with a degree in Business Information Systems, I moved to Dublin and worked in IT for a number of years. After taking a 6 month trip around the world, on my return home I decided to pursue an artistic path. I began my performance training at The Focus Theatre, The Attic Studio, Bel Canto School of Voice and Waltons School of Music. During this time I also began freelancing as a web and graphic designer. 

Early stage roles include Bloody Mary in ‘South Pacific’, Margaret in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and Tituba in ‘The Crucible’. From this wonderful springboard I began my acting career. Today I continue to develop my craft, role by role, through working with creative people and songwriting.

Performance Training

Acting for Camera, Film Venture; Stanislavsky Studio, Tim McDonnell (The Focus Theatre); Chekhov, Rayla Tadjimotova; Viewpoints, Joe Devlin; Voice, Andy Hinds; Bel Canto Voice, Bel Canto School of Voice; Music Theatre, Waltons School of Music; Contemporary Dance, CoisCéim Dance Theatre; Jazz Ballet, Elena Degtyareva; Hip Hop, Jane Shorthall; LAMDA Acting and Speech & Drama Grades at Montfort College of Performing Arts;


Skills & Qualifications
Singer-Songwriter 
Visual Aspects Web Design
BSc Business Information Systems Hon, UCC 
Full Drivers License

Film & TV

HIGHLIGHTS

RTE

Dr Madelaine Tress

SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS