Amybeth McNulty (born 7 November 2001) is an Irish-Canadian actress. She is known for her starring role as Anne Shirley in the CBC/Netflix drama series Anne with an E (2017–2019), based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Early life
Amybeth McNulty was born on 7 November 2001 in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland, where she was raised. Her father is Irish and her mother is Canadian.
Career
McNulty’s stage experience began with ballet and amateur performances at An Grianán Theatre and musicals by the writer and composer Paul Boyd. In 2014, McNulty co-starred in the RTÉ One series Clean Break as inquisitive child Jenny Rane. In 2015, McNulty appeared in Agatha Raisin as the younger version of the titular character and guest-starred in CBBC’s The Sparticle Mystery. McNulty made her film debut in sci-fi thriller Morgan, portraying the 10-year old iteration of the titular character. The film received mixed reviews.
From 2017 to 2019, she starred as Anne Shirley in the CBC and Netflix drama series Anne with an E, an adaptation of the 1908 novel series Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. McNulty was cast from a selection of 1800 girls “for her ability to deliver dialogue which is “incredibly thick and dynamic and beautiful”; her audition for consisted of talking to trees, chatting with flowers and building thrones out of twigs.” McNulty received critical acclaim for her portrayal; Gwen Inhat of The A.V. Club lauded her “absolute possession” of Anne as well as her ability to make “fanciful language sing”, while Neil Genzlinger from The New York Times wrote McNulty’s performance was “wonderfully ebullient and eminently likable”. Her portrayal earned her the Canadian Screen Award for Best Television Actress and the ACTRA Award for Best Performance – Female.
McNulty portrayed the lead role in Maternal, the feature directorial debut of actress Megan Follows, which was released in Canada on May 9, 2020. She also starred in Black Medicine (2020), in which McNulty portrays an alcoholic and drug-addicted Irish teenager. In December 2020, McNulty was cast in director Michael McGowan’s film adaptation of All My Puny Sorrows, a novel by Canadian author Miriam Toews.
Personal life
McNulty resides outside of Letterkenny, Ireland. In June 2020, she came out as bisexual. McNulty is a vegetarian.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | A Risky Undertaking | Ariadne Pleasant | |
| 2016 | Morgan | Morgan (aged 10) | |
| 2020 | Maternal | Charlie McLeod | McNulty acts with Megan Follows, who starred as Anne Shirley on the 1985 version of Anne of Green Gables. |
| 2020 | Black Medicine | Áine | |
| TBA | All My Puny Sorrows |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Agatha Raisin | Young Agatha | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Clean Break | Jenny Rane | 4 episodes |
| The Sparticle Mystery | Sputnik | Episodes: “The Fisher Girls” and “The Raid” | |
| 2017–2019 | Anne with an E | Anne Shirley | Main role; 27 episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Lead Actress, Drama Series | Anne with an E | Won | |
| 2019 | ACTRA Toronto Awards | Outstanding Performance – Female | |||
| 2020 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Lead Actress, Drama Series | Anne With an E | Nominated |