Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
If you haven’t fallen a little in love with Hannah Conway while watching the last two seasons of House of Cards, you probably haven’t been paying enough attention. First introduced in the seventh episode of Season 4, loving, passionate couple Hannah and Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman) are presented as a stark contrast against the cold interactions of the Underwoods (Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright). When Will goes off the handle, Hannah keeps things together and puts their goals and family first. Hannah is played with grace, intelligence, and sex appeal by Irish actress Dominique McElligott, and the role acts as something of a breakthrough for her. So who exactly is this enchanting Dominique McElligott? You’ve likely seen her before.
The 31-year-old Dubliner has primarily made a name for herself starring on Irish television shows and first reached American audiences as Sam Rockwell‘s wife in 2009 sci-fi flick Moon. She also played a small role in Amy Adams rom-com Leap Year in 2010, and finally got a consistent gig in 2011 when she became a main cast member of AMC’s Hell on Wheels. After leaving the show in 2012, she starred on one-season wonder The Astronaut Wives Club opposite The Handmaid’s Tale star Yvonne Strahovski, but her big break came when she joined the Netflix family in House of Cards‘ fourth season.
McElligott brings a unique quality to Hannah Conway; while she could be portrayed as a robotic, perfect housewife (and initially seems to be that way), she soon lets her guard down and is revealed to be fiercely loyal and ambitious, perhaps just as much so as the Underwoods. She’s willing to be poised and elegant one moment, and get down and dirty in steamy scenarios the next. McElligott even holds her own opposite Wright during tense scenes, and acts as a soothing relief opposite her quick-tempered husband.
The compelling actress will next be seen on Amazon‘s The Last Tycoon opposite Matt Bomer, and we can’t wait to see what she delivers on this period drama. She’s also notoriously private on social media, and it’s hard to come by any gossip pertaining to her, so it’s safe to say she enjoys a low profile. One thing’s for sure – if her supporting role on House of Cards is any indication of what she’s capable of, this is only the beginning of McElligott’s career.
