Katelyn Rose Downey: Age, Career, Movies and Remarkable Rise as an Irish Star

Katelyn Rose Downey is an Irish actress and accomplished Irish dancer whose career has quickly expanded from early screen roles to major international productions. Born in Dublin, she has appeared in The Princess, The Nun II and Clean Sweep, while her performance in the short film Clodagh brought her into an acclaimed Irish production that reached the Academy Awards shortlist.

Her career is continuing to grow. Downey is part of Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099, Netflix’s adaptation of Marian Keyes’s Grown Ups, the science-fiction thriller A Rare Breed and an upcoming A24 horror project. She was also selected for Screen International and Screen Ireland’s Rising Stars Ireland programme in 2025, strengthening her status as an emerging Irish screen talent.

Quick Bio

Detail	Information
Full Name	Katelyn Rose Downey
Profession	Actress, Irish dancer
Birth Year	2009
Birthplace	Dublin, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Known For	The Nun II, The Princess, Clean Sweep, Clodagh
Dance Background	Two-time World Irish Dancing champion
Blade Runner 2099	Recurring guest star
Grown Ups Role	Saoirse
A Rare Breed Role	Chloe
Rising Stars Ireland	Selected in 2025

Who Is Katelyn Rose Downey?

Katelyn Rose Downey is a Dublin-born performer who has built a career across film, television and Irish dance while still in her teens. Industry profiles list her as being born in 2009, and Screen International described her as 16 when she was included among its Rising Stars Ireland selections in May 2025.

Unlike many young actors whose careers develop exclusively through drama training, Downey entered screen acting with an already advanced performance background. She had competed at a high level in Irish dance and was described by Screen International as a two-time World Irish Dancing champion. That combination of acting and dance would later become especially important when she took the title role in Clodagh.

Katelyn Rose Downey’s Early Interest in Acting

Downey’s move towards acting developed during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to her Screen International profile, she began taking acting classes over Zoom during that period. What initially added another form of performance to her life soon developed into a professional career.

Her dance experience had already taught her how to perform under pressure and in front of audiences. Although acting requires a different set of skills, both disciplines demand timing, concentration, physical awareness and an ability to communicate emotion. That background helps explain why Irish dance continues to be an important part of her professional story rather than simply an unrelated childhood activity.

Breakthrough in The Princess

One of Downey’s first widely seen film roles came in the 2022 fantasy-action movie The Princess. She played Violet, the younger sister of Joey King’s central character.

The film also featured Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko, Veronica Ngo, Alex Reid and Ed Stoppard. Downey’s role placed her in a large studio production early in her acting career, giving her experience in an international film alongside established performers.

Although Violet was not the film’s main protagonist, The Princess helped introduce Downey to a much wider audience. Her appearance in the project also established a pattern that would continue in her next roles: moving between different genres rather than becoming associated with only one type of production.

Katelyn Rose Downey in The Nun II

Downey took another significant step in 2023 when she appeared as Sophie in The Nun II, part of The Conjuring horror universe.

Sophie is the daughter of Kate, played by Anna Popplewell. The character becomes closely involved in the supernatural events surrounding Maurice and the boarding school where much of the story unfolds. Downey worked alongside Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid and Bonnie Aarons in the Michael Chaves-directed film.

The role was substantially different from The Princess. Rather than a fantasy-action setting, Downey had to operate inside a supernatural horror story built around fear, suspense and emotional tension. Her professional agency now describes Sophie as a lead role among her feature-film credits.

For viewers searching for Katelyn Rose Downey movies, The Nun II remains one of the most recognizable credits of her early career.

Clean Sweep and Television Work

Downey also appeared in the 2023 crime drama Clean Sweep, playing Caitlin Mohan. The series stars Charlene McKenna as Shelly Mohan and Barry Ward as her detective husband, Jason.

Downey appeared throughout the six-episode series as one of the Mohan children. The role gave her a different kind of experience from her film work because the story is grounded in family relationships, crime and secrets rather than fantasy or horror.

Working across The Princess, The Nun II and Clean Sweep in a relatively short period demonstrated considerable genre range: action fantasy, supernatural horror and television crime drama.

Clodagh Combined Acting With Irish Dance

Clodagh became a particularly meaningful project because it allowed Downey to combine acting with the Irish dancing skills she had spent years developing.

Directed by Portia A. Buckley, the short follows a priest’s housekeeper who encounters a young Irish girl with exceptional talent. Downey plays Clodagh opposite Bríd Ní Neachtain. The film screened at festivals including Tribeca and AFI FEST.

The film later achieved important awards recognition. Clodagh won the 2025 IFTA for Best Live-Action Short Film and was included among the 15 films shortlisted for the Live Action Short Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. It is important to distinguish being Oscar-shortlisted from receiving a final Academy Award nomination; Clodagh reached the shortlist stage.

For Downey, the project connected two major parts of her life. Screen International specifically highlighted how she was able to combine storytelling and dance in the film.

Recognition as a Rising Irish Actor

In May 2025, Downey was named among Screen International and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland’s Rising Stars Ireland.

The programme spotlights emerging actors, directors, writers and producers considered to be approaching significant professional breakthroughs. Downey was selected alongside talents including Lewis Brophy, Niamh McCormack and Jeanne Ní Áinle.

The recognition arrived at an important point in her career, as she was moving from notable younger roles into increasingly ambitious international projects.

Katelyn Rose Downey in Blade Runner 2099

One of Downey’s highest-profile upcoming credits is Blade Runner 2099, Prime Video’s television continuation of the Blade Runner franchise.

The limited series stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer and takes place 50 years after Blade Runner 2049. Amazon lists Downey among the recurring guest stars alongside performers including Tom Burke, Sheila Atim, Johnny Harris and Matthew Needham. The eight-episode series is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video on November 25, 2026.

Amazon’s public announcement has not detailed Downey’s character, although her professional agency CV identifies her role as Greta. Keeping those two sources separate is useful because promotional information for unreleased productions can change before release.

Appearing in a franchise with the international profile of Blade Runner represents another major expansion of her screen career.

Grown Ups and Other Upcoming Projects

Downey is also part of Netflix’s Grown Ups, an adaptation inspired by Marian Keyes’s bestselling novel. Netflix lists her as Saoirse in an ensemble that includes Aisling Bea, Robert Sheehan, Sarah Greene, Adrian Dunbar, Sinéad Cusack and Amy-Leigh Hickman.

In an August 2026 interview with The Irish Times, Downey discussed working on the production in Dublin and described her appreciation for being able to film in her home city.

Another forthcoming film is A Rare Breed, a science-fiction thriller directed by Sam Johnson. Downey plays Chloe alongside Iain Glen, Jessie Mei Li, Danielle Galligan, Neil Maskell and Conrad Khan. The British Council’s UK Films Database listed the project as being in post-production in 2026.

She has additionally joined an untitled A24 horror film directed by The First Omen filmmaker Arkasha Stevenson. Her agency credits her as Lil, while published casting reports confirm Downey as part of the film’s expanding ensemble.

Why Katelyn Rose Downey Is an Actress to Watch

Downey’s career is notable not simply because she started young, but because of the range of projects she has already taken on.

She has moved from a 20th Century Studios fantasy adventure to a major horror franchise, Irish crime television, an award-winning short film and large international streaming productions. At the same time, her Irish dancing background gives her a performance skill that has already been incorporated directly into her acting work.

With Blade Runner 2099, Grown Ups, A Rare Breed and the A24 horror project expanding her filmography, the next stage of her career will place her alongside increasingly prominent casts and filmmakers.

Conclusion

Katelyn Rose Downey has developed from a talented Dublin Irish dancer into one of Ireland’s notable emerging young screen performers. Roles in The Princess, The Nun II and Clean Sweep gave her early international exposure, while Clodagh allowed her acting and championship-level dance background to come together in an acclaimed production.

Her selection for Rising Stars Ireland and upcoming work with Prime Video, Netflix and A24 suggest that her career is moving into a larger international phase. At 17 in 2026, Downey already has experience across horror, science fiction, drama, fantasy and television, making her future projects particularly worth watching.

Also Read: Galaxie Clear: Age, Career, Extra Geography Breakout and Adrian Mole Role

FAQ

How old is Katelyn Rose Downey?

Katelyn Rose Downey is 17 years old in 2026. She was described as 16 when selected for Rising Stars Ireland in May 2025.

What is Katelyn Rose Downey famous for?

She is best known for playing Sophie in The Nun II, Violet in The Princess, Caitlin Mohan in Clean Sweep and the title character in the acclaimed short film Clodagh.

Is Katelyn Rose Downey in Blade Runner 2099?

Yes. Prime Video lists her as a recurring guest star in Blade Runner 2099, which is scheduled to premiere on November 25, 2026.

Is Katelyn Rose Downey an Irish dancer?

Yes. Screen International describes Downey as a two-time World Irish Dancing champion. Her dance ability became an important part of her performance in Clodagh.

Who does Katelyn Rose Downey play in Grown Ups?

She plays Saoirse in Netflix’s adaptation of Marian Keyes’s Grown Ups. The ensemble also includes Aisling Bea, Robert Sheehan, Sarah Greene and Adrian Dunbar.

What are Katelyn Rose Downey’s upcoming movies and shows?

Her developing credits include Blade Runner 2099, Netflix’s Grown Ups, the science-fiction thriller A Rare Breed and an untitled A24 horror film directed by Arkasha Stevenson.