Danika McGuigan (4 January 1986 – 23 July 2019) was a Northern Irish actress, born in Northern Ireland and raised in England. She was known for her role as Danielle Mullane in Can't Cope, Won't Cope (2016–2018). She was posthumously awarded Best Actress at the 2021 IFTA Awards for her final role in Wildfire (2020). Her previous films included Philomena (2013), Mammal (2016), and The Secret Scripture (2016).
Early life and education
McGuigan was born in Newry, Northern Ireland on 4 January 1986, the second of four children and only daughter of Barry McGuigan, a former world champion boxer, and his wife Sandra. She had three brothers, including Shane.
McGuigan spent her early childhood in Clones, County Monaghan before the family settled in rural Kent, England near Whitstable. She attended St Edmund's School Canterbury and then boarded at Benenden School. She trained in Dublin, graduating from the Gaiety School of Acting in 2006, and The Factory (now Bow Street) in 2013 before moving to London.
Death
McGuigan was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at age 11 in 1997, but recovered from the illness after two years. She was pulled out of school at the time for her treatment at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. She died from bowel cancer on 23 July 2019, aged 33.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- Nika McGuigan at IMDb
