Rosie O’Donnell’s Irish Escape, Lesbian Nun Role, and Love for Cynthia Nixon – A Whole New Chapter
Rosie O’Donnell has always been the kind of star who dances to the beat of her own drum. But now? She’s dancing a little closer to the cliffs of Ireland than the streets of Hollywood. That’s right—Rosie has officially traded the spotlight of L.A. for the green hills of the Emerald Isle, and surprisingly, she’s not looking back.
“Never, for one moment since I arrived here, did I regret my choice,” Rosie shared in a candid chat with Variety. “People have been so welcoming, so accepting, and they have a different view of celebrity in the culture here.” And honestly, who wouldn’t want to swap paparazzi flashes for cozy pub chats and rolling countryside?
But don’t think for a second that Rosie’s gone off the radar. She may have physically moved across the ocean, but her heart (and talent) are still deeply tied to Hollywood. In fact, she’s now stirring up excitement on screen again—this time, in a hilariously bold role on And Just Like That… the reboot of the iconic Sex and the City series.
👉 Here’s the twist: Rosie plays a lesbian nun navigating the streets of New York City. Yep, you read that right.
And the way she landed the role? Total serendipity meets lifelong friendship.
It turns out, Rosie has been tight with Cynthia Nixon (who plays Miranda) for years. Their bond goes way back, and it’s only grown stronger with time. “My daughter was actually her assistant on set,” Rosie explained. “She put her on there, and then she said, ‘By the way, Michael [Patrick King] told me that he has a role for you. Are you up for it?’ I said, ‘Are you kidding me? In a minute!’”
Rosie didn’t hesitate. Not even for a second. The role—fun, fresh, and perfectly unconventional—was right up her alley. And let’s be honest, who else could pull off a lesbian nun discovering herself in the chaos of NYC better than Rosie?
The creator of the show, Michael Patrick King, isn’t just a familiar face—he’s an old friend. “When I was a young comedian, he was in a comedy duo called King and Mindy — Lisa Mindy and Michael King,” Rosie recalled. “I used to hang out with them at Catch a Rising Star and at the Improv. It’s been pretty amazing to see the people that began together doing so well.”
So when King created this quirky, touching, and totally unique character just for Rosie? It made total sense. “When I found out he made the character a lesbian nun, I laughed my ass off,” she said. “I thought—yep, I know exactly how to play this one.”
🌟 Spoiler alert: She nails it.
What makes the role even more personal for Rosie is that Mary, the nun she plays, is someone who comes to terms with her sexuality later in life. It’s a theme that hits close to home for Rosie—and for many women she knows.
“I know many women who only come to it in their 40s, and how hard it is when they set up a life with a man and children, and then they come to realize this basic thing about themselves,” she said. “I understand their struggle. It was a relatable character — somebody who, for all different reasons, wasn’t able to be in touch with who they were, and then came to find the beauty that awaits the rest of her life.”
The emotional honesty of that experience shines through in her performance. It’s not just comedy—it’s raw, real, and deeply human.
And working with Cynthia Nixon again? That was the cherry on top.
“I was very, very happy to be doing all my scenes with Cynthia. It was not acting for me,” Rosie admitted. “I don’t have to act in love with her, because I’ve been in love with her for many years.”
Now, before you jump to conclusions—it’s not romantic love, but a deep admiration and platonic connection that runs soul-deep. Rosie even recalled seeing Cynthia perform in Wit on Broadway. “Even though I had known her for very many years and was friends with her in a real way, when I went backstage, I was awestruck and couldn’t find my words,” she shared.
That’s the kind of love that transforms a performance—and it’s part of what makes Rosie’s scenes in And Just Like That… so damn magnetic.
Oh, and in case you missed it, Rosie also popped up this season on HBO’s Hacks. She’s been quietly building an impressive streak of memorable roles that blend comedy with unexpected emotional weight.
📌 Here’s what makes Rosie’s new chapter so fascinating:
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She’s living in Ireland and LOVING it.
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She’s playing a lesbian nun in one of HBO’s most buzz-worthy shows.
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She’s reuniting onscreen with long-time friend Cynthia Nixon.
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She’s bringing real-life emotional truth to characters finding themselves later in life.
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And she’s doing it all while staying grounded, grateful, and funny as hell.
Even with the cameras rolling again and scripts landing on her lap, Rosie’s heart seems to belong to the Irish hills these days. She’s found something in Ireland that feels more authentic, more peaceful, more her.
“They are not prioritized over other people. People are much more friendly and intimate with each other in a real way,” she said of her new home. And maybe that’s what Rosie’s been searching for all along—connection, honesty, a sense of calm in a chaotic world.
Her journey—from stand-up stages in New York to talk show fame, from Hollywood to the hills of Ireland, and now into a nun’s habit on HBO—is nothing short of extraordinary. But if you know Rosie O’Donnell, you know that extraordinary has always been her default setting.
And if And Just Like That… keeps this up, we may just get to see even more of Rosie in this next chapter of her career—quirky, heartfelt, and perfectly her.
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