Amybeth McNulty

Amybeth McNulty – Life, Career, and Inspiring Quotes

Dive into the life of Amybeth McNulty — Irish-Canadian actress born November 7, 2001. Learn her biography, rise to fame in Anne with an E, her roles and impact, and her memorable reflections.

Introduction

Amybeth McNulty (born November 7, 2001) is an Irish-Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Anne Shirley in the CBC/Netflix drama Anne with an E (2017–2019). Stranger Things as Vickie, expanding her presence in globally popular television.

McNulty’s journey is remarkable not just because of early visibility, but because of how she has leveraged her platform to explore identity, voice, and storytelling. She is still young, but her work already reveals depth, ambition, and meaningful perspective.

Early Life and Family

Amybeth was born in Milford / County Donegal, Ireland, on November 7, 2001.

She was homeschooled rather than attending traditional school, which allowed her a more flexible schedule and presumably time to pursue arts training. An Grianán Youth Theatre in Donegal, where she trained in acting and ballet.

Her upbringing in a rural, relatively remote location gave her a sense of close community — she has described herself as “a country bumpkin in Ireland, in Donegal” who moved between that world and larger cities in her acting work.

In 2021, McNulty’s mother passed away, a loss she has spoken about publicly.

Youth, Training & Early Aspirations

From a young age, McNulty exhibited an affinity for storytelling and performance. She took dance and acting classes locally, influenced by her parents and their encouragement.

She has said that she “began acting when I was very young, maybe 5 or so”, through taking classes and local opportunities. Morgan (2016), where she portrayed the young version of the titular character.

Her stage and youth-theater foundation gave her grounding in discipline, movement, voice — essential tools she would later bring to screen roles.

Career and Achievements

Anne with an E: Breakout Role

The role that became her breakthrough was Anne Shirley in Anne with an E, a reimagining of Anne of Green Gables.

Her portrayal was widely praised. Gwen Ihnat of The A.V. Club lauded her “absolute possession” of the character, while The New York Times called her performance “wonderfully ebullient and eminently likable.”

For her performance, McNulty earned a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2019) and also received recognition from ACTRA Toronto for Outstanding Performance (Female).

She stayed with the show from its inception through its three-season run (2017–2019).

Subsequent and Parallel Work

After Anne with an E, McNulty expanded into other roles:

• In Stranger Things (Netflix), she played Vickie, first as a recurring character in Season 4 and more prominently in Season 5.

• In film, she appeared in Black Medicine (2021), All My Puny Sorrows (2021), and the thriller She Came Back (2024).

• She has also engaged in projects beyond acting: McNulty is known to use her voice for advocacy and social issues, and she declined a role in Game of Thrones because it required using real fur (in line with her ethical views).

Though still early in her career, she shows willingness to take roles of complexity and to navigate both mainstream and independent storytelling spaces.

Historical Milestones & Context

McNulty’s ascent happens against the backdrop of streaming TV platforms, global content distribution, and growing demand for strong, young female leads. Her casting in Anne with an E came at a time when adaptation of classic literature was seeing renewed interest, and the show itself emphasized themes of identity, feminism, belonging, and outsider voices.

Her move into Stranger Things shows the fluidity of modern acting careers — from period drama lead to ensemble in large-scale genre show. It reflects how performing talent nowadays must be versatile across genres, mediums, and audience expectations.

Her personal openness (bisexual identity, vegetarianism, moral stances) also positions her in a generation of young artists who bring activism and personal values into their public presence.

Legacy and Influence (so far)

Though still early in her career, McNulty has influenced how Anne Shirley is viewed by newer audiences. Many fans praise her for bringing emotional authenticity, empathy, and subtle strength to a role that has often been idealized.

She offers a model for young actors: combining talent with sincerity, and visibility with groundedness. Her ethically driven choices (e.g. refusing fur, speaking openly about identity) contribute to her role as a socially aware public figure.

Her work, especially in her formative years, may inspire others from smaller or rural communities to pursue creative paths without needing a traditional school route.

Personality and Talents

McNulty comes across in interviews and quotes as introspective, grounded, and passionate. She values home, connection, growth, and authenticity.

She has said:

“I’ve grown not only as an actor but as a young woman. I find myself to be more confident and being more open about self-love. I’m still learning how to take up space and speak out when needed, but that’s a new thing for me and I’m loving it.”

“It’s just so lovely to be at home and in my own bed surrounded by people I’m so close to. I really appreciate the time I have at home. The support from all my family has just been so overwhelming.”

“I think it’s dependent on where life takes me. For sure, I absolutely adore acting. It has been my passion from a very young age. But at the same time I am very intrigued by the camera, and also very intrigued by props.”

These statements suggest a balance: ambition, but not at the cost of losing personal grounding.

She is also politically minded and outspoken. She has taken stances on identity, objectification, and personal ethics in how she approaches career choices.

Famous Quotes of Amybeth McNulty

Here are several quotes that reflect her views:

1. “I’ve grown not only as an actor but as a young woman. I find myself to be more confident and being more open about self-love. I’m still learning how to take up space and speak out when needed, but that’s a new thing for me and I’m loving it.”

2. “It’s just so lovely to be at home and in my own bed surrounded by people I’m so close to. I really appreciate the time I have at home. The support from all my family has just been so overwhelming.”

3. “I think it’s dependent on where life takes me. For sure, I absolutely adore acting. It has been my passion from a very young age. But at the same time I am very intrigued by the camera, and also very intrigued by props.”

4. “In the end I’m just doing my job, I’m working hard, I’m putting my best foot forward and the criticism is not going to change anything I’ve done or will do in the future.”

5. “I live in the middle of nowhere. I’m a country bumpkin in Ireland, in Donegal, and to go from that to Toronto, huge city, massive buildings just stretching so tall.”

6. “I had done quite a bit of stage when I was younger, local stuff, musicals. Then I started professionally, I suppose, when I was 11, in London, in the West End, which was already huge for me.”

Each of these gives insight into her humility, growth, and approach to craft.

Lessons from Amybeth McNulty

From McNulty’s life and path, we can glean several lessons:

• Ground ambition with authenticity
  She has pursued significant roles, yet maintains a connection to home, family, and her roots.

• Evolve and adapt
  She continues to take roles across genres (period drama, sci-fi) rather than sticking to one niche.

• Embrace growth and vulnerability
  She speaks publicly about taking up space, self-love, and handling criticism—acknowledging that growth is ongoing.

• Use platform responsibly
  Her choices (e.g. ethics about fur, activism) show that artists can decide not just what they do, but how they do it.

• Don’t be limited by geography or background
  Coming from rural Donegal and being homeschooled didn’t prevent her from reaching international audiences.

Conclusion

Amybeth McNulty is a compelling presence in contemporary acting: young yet wise, ambitious yet grounded, visible yet introspective. Her journey has already seen profound roles and thoughtful choices. As she continues to evolve, her voice—both on screen and off—promises to resonate further.