The Stolen Girl star Denise Gough has opened up about her journey from childhood trauma and homelessness to becoming a familiar face on our small screens.
Hayley Anderson and Hayley Anderson TV Reporter
18:45, 25 Feb 2026
Stolen Girl star Denise Gough’s life from ‘traumatic’ childhood to homelessness(Image: DISNEY PLUS)
Gripping thriller The Stolen Girl is ready to watch on Disney+ and fans are eager to know all there is about the Irish star.
Disney+ subscribers were captivated when The Stolen Girl first dropped on the platform last year with Denise Gough taking on the role of Elisa Blix.
Her daughter is excited about her first sleepover at new friend Josie’s house, despite Elisa’s initial reservations but after meeting Josie’s mother Rebecca (played by Holliday Grainger), she feels at ease and permits her daughter to attend.
Panic quickly takes hold when she turns up to collect her daughter the following day, only to find that Josie’s entire family, along with her own child, have vanished without trace.
With The Stolen Girl now ready to stream on Disney+, fans are keen to learn more about its leading lady Denise Gough.
Actress Denise Gough has starred in Andor, Under The Banner Of Heaven, Robin Hood and Who Is Erin Carter? on Netflix.(Image: GETTY)
Large family
Raised in a bustling household in County Clare, Ireland, Denise Gough was one of 10 children living with their mother, yet despite the inevitable mayhem, their home was always immaculate.
Speaking to Annie Macmanus on the Changes podcast, Gough recalled: “I mean my mother was amazing when I think of it because, my sister and I were talking about it the other day, like the house was immaculate.
“It really was. But I think we had a system so we all had jobs to do. So I also learned really early that you work.”
Now 45, Gough continues to express admiration for her mother, recounting how she crafted all the curtains, made her own clothes, and even sewed garments for second-hand toys.
Her mum trained as a marriage counsellor but conceded: “I think we were provided for in the best way, but emotionally, it’s impossible to provide”, acknowledging she was often dismissed with “stop looking for attention”.
Abuse
During her teenage years, Gough found herself on a troubling path, admitting to her “obsession with smoking and boys”.
At just 14, she became involved with a 21 year old man who would collect her from school, lavishing her with compliments and acknowledging she was “too young for him”.
She revealed: “I was groomed. I didn’t know that that’s what happened, because I always thought I had asked him to take my virginity.
“I didn’t realise until I got a lot of help, what happens in order to make a child ask that, and that’s called grooming. So that happened when I was 14.
“So the first time that it happened, I remember afterwards I thought, oh no, I don’t like that. I don’t like what happened there. I don’t like it.
“I want to go back. And of course, you can’t go back.”
The Stolen Girl stars Jim Sturgess and Denise Gough as Felix and Elisa Blix.(Image: ITV/DISNEY PLUS)
Drugs
Gough’s life took a further turn when she started seeing a new boyfriend and tried ecstasy at a teen disco.
She told Macmanaus: “I realise now that addiction, it’s a craving for love. Craving, softness, gentleness, kindness. That’s what I was looking for.”
She also revealed how her early professional life was impacted as she was “ravaged by addiction” until achieving sobriety at 27.
Homelessness
Gough departed County Clare aged just 15, together with her boyfriend, harbouring ambitions of becoming an actor in London.
Yet, the experience was anything but straightforward; she ended up homeless in Camberwell, asking passers-by for money and breaking down in tears outside theatres.
Looking back on those difficult periods, she explained: “Yes, my family will say and they should say, like, she could have come home at any time. I couldn’t. It was impossible. I was broken. I was so full of shame.
“There’s no way I could go back, you know. I went from being a kid who wanted to go to Trinity College to study acting, to living in a tent in a field at the back of my boyfriend’s house because I didn’t want to go home. How the hell did that happen?”
Between shifts working in bars, Gough attended Saturday acting classes where one of her instructors, who also taught at Alra (Academy of Live and Recorded Arts), recognised her talent and encouraged her to audition.
Although she’d been spending her money on drugs, Gough contacted her parents to finance her auditions, and they supported her, launching her journey towards success.
Actress Denise Gough stars as Dedra Meero in Disney+’s Andor.(Image: DISNEY PLUS)
Acting Career
Currently starring on Disney+ and ITV’s The Stolen Girl, Gough has established a notable presence in theatre, receiving critical praise and numerous accolades.
Her remarkable performances have earned her the coveted Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her portrayal in 2016’s People, Places and Things, and she claimed the Supporting Actress accolade for Angels in America two years on.
Gough also secured a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress for People, Places and Things and was nominated for a Tony Award for her work in Angels in America.
Regarding her screen appearances, Gough has featured in numerous projects including Andor, Robin Hood, Who Is Erin Carter?, Too Close and Under The Banner Of Heaven.
Speaking about the importance of acting in her life during an appearance on The Tommy Tiernan Show, she revealed: “There was a lot that happened [in my childhood] and acting, the theatre specifically, I knew I could do this thing and so, in the dark, when it seemed to the outside world ‘she’s a mess’.
“I would always think, ‘I’m really good at this thing, if i could do this thing’, it kept me alive in a way, it gave me something to go towards.”
On the Changes podcast, she went on to say: “It’s [acting] saved my life. It continues to save my life. It’s my education, it’s my everything. It’s my everything.”
What’s Next
Following her triumph with The Stolen Girl on Disney+, Gough went on to star in the second series of the Star Wars spin-off Andor, reprising her role as Dedra Meero.
She is also preparing to appear on screen in the highly-awaited drama The Chain, written by Tobias Wolff, the author behind the memoir This Boy’s Life which inspired a film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Whilst no other cast members apart from Gough have been revealed at present, The Chain offers a compelling storyline: “A man’s daughter is viciously attacked by a dog, setting off a chain of events that ends in unspeakable tragedy.”
Information about The Chain remains closely guarded as the production is presently in its preliminary stages, with no confirmed plans for when viewers can anticipate its release.
The Stolen Girl is available to watch on Disney+.
