Fiona Shaw

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Fiona Shaw (born Fiona Mary Wilson; 10 July 1958) is an Irish actress in screen and stage. She did extensive work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, as well as in film and television. In 2020, she was listed at No. 29 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors. She was made an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

She won both the 1990 and 1994 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for roles in the plays Electra, As You Like It, The Good Person of Szechwan (1990), and Machinal (1994) and received a further three Olivier Award nominations for her roles in Mephisto (1986), Hedda Gabler (1992), and Happy Days (2008). She made her Broadway debut playing the title role in Medea (2002) for which she earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She returned to Broadway in the Colm Tóibín play The Testament of Mary (2013).

In film, she played Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2010). Other notable film roles include in My Left Foot (1989), Persuasion (1995), Jane Eyre (1996), The Tree of Life (2011), Colette (2018), Ammonite (2020), and Enola Holmes (2020).

Her television roles include Hedda Hopper in the HBO film RKO 281 (1999), and Marnie Stonebrook in the HBO series True Blood (2011). She played Carolyn Martens in the BBC series Killing Eve (2018–22), for which she received the 2019 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. For her role as a counselor in Fleabag (2019), she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nomination. She starred in the BBC One series Baptiste (2021), and the Disney+ series Andor (2022).

Early life

Shaw was born Fiona Mary Wilson on 10 July 1958<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in Cobh,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> County Cork, Ireland,<ref name="cork"/> the daughter of physicist Mary T. Wilson (née Flynn, born 1927)<ref name=timteeman>Template:Cite web</ref> and ophthalmic surgeon Denis Joseph Wilson (1922–2011), who wed in 1952.Template:Citation needed They maintained a home in Montenotte.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Fiona Shaw Biography at Film Reference.com</ref> Her father was of half English descent. The second of four children, she has an older brother, John, and two younger brothers, Mark and Peter, the latter of whom was killed in a car accident aged 18.<ref name=timteeman/> She attended secondary school at Scoil Mhuire in Cork, and received her degree in philosophy at University College Cork. Shaw studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating in 1982 with an Acting (RADA Diploma).<ref name="rada">Template:Cite web</ref> On joining Equity, she had to change her name because they already had a member named Fiona Wilson. She adopted the surname Shaw, which was her grandmother's maiden name, also doing so in tribute to George Bernard Shaw.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Career

Theatre

In 1983, she starred as Julia in the National Theatre production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals (1983).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her theatrical roles include Celia in As You Like It (1984), Madame de Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1985), Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew (1987), Lady Franjul in The New Inn (1987), Young Woman in Machinal (1993), for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress.

Shaw notably played the male lead in Richard II, directed by Deborah Warner in 1995. She performed T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land as a one-person show at the Liberty Theatre in New York to great acclaim in 1996, winning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show for her performance.<ref>Ben Brantly, Memory and Desire: Hearing Eliot's Passion, New York Times 18 November 1996</ref>

Winnie in Happy Days (2007), and the title roles in Electra (1988), The Good Person of Sechuan (1989), Hedda Gabler (1991), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1998) and Medea (2000).

In 2009, Shaw collaborated with Deborah Warner again, taking the lead role in Tony Kushner's translation of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. In a 2002 article for The Daily Telegraph, Rupert Christiansen described their professional relationship as "surely one of the most richly creative partnerships in theatrical history."<ref>Rupert Christiansen "Fiona Shaw's double life", The Daily Telegraph, 10 May 2002</ref> Other collaborations between the two women include productions of Brecht's The Good Woman of Szechuan and Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, the latter was adapted for television.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2010, Shaw appeared in The Waste Land at Wilton's Music Hall, and in a National Theatre revival of London Assurance.<ref name="waste">Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2010, Shaw starred in Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin alongside Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan.<ref name="abbey">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The play was also staged in New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, Shaw appeared in the National Theatre revival of Scenes from an Execution by Howard Barker. The world's largest solo theatre festival, United Solo, recognised her performance in The Testament of Mary on Broadway with the 2013 United Solo Special Award.<ref name="solo">Template:Cite web</ref>

Television and film

In 1984, Shaw played Miss Morrison in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes episode The Adventure of the Crooked Man. She appeared in My Left Foot (1989), Mountains of the Moon (1990), Three Men and a Little Lady (1990), Super Mario Bros. (1993), Undercover Blues (1993), Persuasion (1995), Jane Eyre (1996), The Butcher Boy (1997), The Avengers (1998), Gormenghast (2000), and five of the Harry Potter films in which she played Petunia Dursley, Harry Potter's repressed maternal aunt. Shaw had a brief but key role in Brian DePalma's The Black Dahlia (2006).

Shaw appeared in season four of the American TV show True Blood.<ref name="cork">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shaw's character, Marnie Stonebrook, has been described as an underachieving palm reader who is spiritually possessed by an actual witch.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Fiona Shaw in 2013

In 2013, she starred as Catherine Greenshaw in Agatha Christie's Marple episode "Greenshaw's Folly".

In 2018, Shaw began portraying Carolyn Martens, the head of MI6's Russia-focused branch, in BBC America's Killing Eve. For her performance, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Television Series.<ref name="bafta1">Template:Cite web</ref> Later the same year, she played a senior MI6 officer in Mrs Wilson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For her role as a counselor in Phoebe Waller-Bridge series Fleabag (2019) she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nomination.<ref name="emmy1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="emmy2">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2020, she was listed at No. 29 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Shaw starred in the Star Wars television series Andor as the titular character's adoptive mother, Maarva Andor.<ref name="Andor" /> For her work in Andor, Shaw was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.<ref name="bafta2" />

In October 2022, Shaw was awarded an AudioFile Magazine Earphone Award for her performance of The Bullet That Missed, the third book in Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2024, she portrayed Rose Aguineau, a woman with a mysterious past who aids the protagonists, in season 4 of True Detective.

Personal life

Shaw is gay, although she had been in two relationships with men before realising her sexual orientation, stating "it was a shock. I was full of self-hatred and thought I would come back into the fold shortly. But I just didn't."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From 2002 to 2005, Shaw was the partner of English actress Saffron Burrows.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She met Sri Lankan economist Sonali Deraniyagala after reading Deraniyagala's memoir,<ref name=hogan>Template:Cite web</ref> and they married in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shaw lives in Islington, North London, having previously lived in nearby Primrose Hill, "within earshot of London Zoo".<ref name=hogan/>

Shaw was raised Catholic, and in January 1997, she spent two weeks with the Tyburn Nuns at their convent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Template:Pending films key

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1984 The Man Who Shot Christmas Laura Short film
1985 Sacred Hearts Sister Felicity
1989 My Left Foot Dr. Eileen Cole
1990 Mountains of the Moon Isabel
Three Men and a Little Lady Miss Lomax
1991 London Kills Me Headley
1992 The Big Fish Unknown role Short film
Ridin' High: The Video Dancer Direct-to-video
1993 Super Mario Bros. Lena
Undercover Blues Novacek
1995 Persuasion Mrs Croft
The Waste Land Unknown role Short film
1996 Jane Eyre Mrs Reede
1997 Anna Karenina Lydia
The Butcher Boy Mrs Nugent
1998 The Avengers Father
1999 The Last September Marda Norton
2001 The Triumph of Love Leontine
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Petunia Dursley
2002 Close Your Eyes Catherine Lebourg
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Petunia Dursley
2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Petunia Dursley
2005 Midsummer Dream The Witches (voices) English version only
2006 The Black Dahlia Ramona Linscott
Catch and Release Mrs Douglas
2007 Fracture Judge Robinson
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Petunia Dursley
2009 Dorian Gray Agatha
2010 National Theatre Live: London Assurance Lady Gay Spanker
We Believed Emilie Ashurst
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Petunia Dursley
Tell Me Martha Short film
2011 The Tree of Life Grandmother
2013 The English Teacher Narrator
The Daisy Chain Narrator Short film
2015 Pixels Prime Minister (uncredited)
2016 The White King Kathrin Fitz
Out of Innocence Catherine Flynn
2017 The Hippopotamus Anne Logan
2018 Lizzie Abby Borden
Colette Sido
2020 Ammonite Elizabeth Philpot
Enola Holmes Miss Harrison
Kindred Margaret
2024 IF Margaret
That Christmas Miss Trapper (voice)
2025 Hot Milk<ref>From 'Megalopolis' To 'Maria', 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' To 'Joker: Folie A Deux': 63 Movies From Around The World That Could Light Up Film Festivals In 2024</ref> Rose
Echo Valley Jessie Oliver
2026 Template:Pending film Mrs. Jennings Filming
rowspan=2 Template:TBA Template:Pending film Template:TBA Post-production
Template:Pending film Template:TBA Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes Template:Tooltip
1983 All for Love Elspeth Episode: "Fireworks for Elspeth"
1984 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Miss Morrison Episode: "The Crooked Man"
1985 Love Song Young Deirdre TV movie
1990 Theatre Night Clytemnestra Episode: "Iphigenia at Aulis"
1991 For the Greater Good Gillian Savage 2 episodes
1992 Shakespeare: The Animated Tales Viola Voice; Episode: "Twelfth Night"
1992,
1995 		Screen Two Pauline Episode: "Maria's Child"
Mrs Croft Episode: "Persuasion"
1993,
1997 		Performance Hedda Gabler Episode: "Hedda Gabler"
Richard II Episode: "Richard II"
1994 Seascape Unknown role TV movie
1999 RKO 281 Hedda Hopper TV movie
2000 Gormenghast Irma Prunesquallor Miniseries (4 episodes)
2001 Mind Games Frances O'Neil TV movie
The Seventh Stream Mrs Gourdon TV movie
2005 Empire Fulvia Miniseries (3 episodes)
2005-2006 Ebb and Flo Narrator and all characters (including Flo)
2007 Trial & Retribution Jo Wilson QC Episode: "Mirror Image: Part 2"
2009 Dido and Aeneas – Didon et Énée Comédienne dans le prologue TV movie
2011 True Blood Marnie Stonebrook Recurring role (12 episodes)
2013 Marple Miss Katherine Greenshaw Episode: "Greenshaw's Folly"
2014 Masterpiece Mystery Miss Katherine Greenshaw Episode: "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple VII: Greenshaw's Folly"
2015 Lumen D'Laria TV movie
2015–17 Sarah & Duck Music Lady 2 episodes
2016 Maigret Sets a Trap Madam Moncin TV movie
Channel Zero Marla Painter Series regular (6 episodes)
2017 Emerald City Mombi 2 episodes
Inside No. 9 Jean Episode: "Private View"
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero Hedwin Voice; Episode: "Mr. Rippen"
2018 Mrs Wilson Coleman Miniseries (3 episodes)
3Below: Tales of Arcadia Birdie / Halcon Voice; Episode: "Flying the Coop"
2018–22 Killing Eve Carolyn Martens Series regular (31 episodes)
2019 Fleabag Counsellor Episode: "#2.2"
2021 Baptiste Emma Chambers Series regular (6 episodes) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022 Andor Maarva Andor Series regular (5 episodes) <ref name="Andor">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
2024 True Detective: Night Country Rose Aguineau Main role <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bad Sisters Angelica Collins Main role <ref>Template:Cite web </ref>
2025 The Simpsons Mrs. McCormick Voice, episode: "The Flandshees of Innersimpson"
Template:TBA Template:Pending series Maeve Livingstone Upcoming series

Theatre

Year Title Role(s) Venue Template:Tooltip
1982 Woyzeck Margret/Showman Epworth Hall, Edinburgh <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1983 The Rivals Julia Melville Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1985 As You Like It Celia Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Philistines Tatyana Vasilyevna The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Les Liaisons Dangereuses Mme de Volanges <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Barnes' People Performer <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Gone to Heaven (Back Soon) Performer <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As You Like It Celia Barbican Theatre, London <ref name=rsc>Template:Cite web</ref>
1986 Philistines Tatyana Vasilyevna The Pit, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Les Liaisons Dangereuses Mme de Volanges <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mephisto Erika Bruckner Barbican Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Missa Super L'Homme Arme Performer Almeida Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Blood on the Neck of the Cat Performer <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Merchant of Venice Portia UK tour <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1987 Hyde Park Mistress Carol Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon <ref name=rsc/>
The Taming of the Shrew Katherina Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The New Inn Lady Frampul Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1988 The People's Theatre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Taming of the Shrew Katherina Theatre Royal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Barbican Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hyde Park Mistress Carol The Pit, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Electra Electra <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1989 As You Like It Rosalind The Old Vic, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Good Person of Sichuan Shen Te Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1991 Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Abbey Theatre, Dublin <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
MI Group Playhouse, West End <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Electra Electra Riverside Studios, London <ref name=electra>Template:Cite web</ref>
1992 Bobigny Theatre, Paris <ref name=electra />
Templemore Sports Complex, Derry <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1993 Machinal Young Woman Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1994 Footfalls May Garrick Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Shakespeare's Language Performer The Pit, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1995 Richard II Richard II Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Way of the World Mistress Millamant <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1996 The Waste Land Performer Liberty Theatre, Off-Broadway <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1998 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Jean Brodie Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000 Medea Medea Abbey Theatre, Dublin <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2001 Queen's Theatre, West End <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2002 The Powerbook Performer Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Medea Medea Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2003 The Seagull Arkadina King's Theatre, Edinburgh <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2005 Julius Caesar Portia Barbican Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2006 Woman and Scarecrow Woman Royal Court Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2007 Happy Days Winnie Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2008 Abbey Theatre, Dublin <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Brooklyn Academy of Music <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2009 Mother Courage and Her Children Mother Courage Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2010 London Assurance Lady Gay Spanker <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
John Gabriel Borkman Gunhild Abbey Theatre, Dublin <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2011 Brooklyn Academy of Music <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2012 Scenes from an Execution Galactia Royal National Theatre, London <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2013 The Testament of Mary Performer Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Performer Brooklyn Academy of Music <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2022 The Tempest Ariel (voice) Ustinov Studio, Bath <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other projects

Awards and nominations

Year Association Award Work Category Ref
1986 Society of London Theatre Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role As You Like It / Mephisto Template:Nom
1990 Olivier Award for Best Actress Electra / As You Like It / The Good Person of Szechwan Template:Won
1992 Hedda Gabler Template:Nom
1993 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Best Actress Machinal Template:Won
1994 Society of London Theatre Olivier Award for Best Actress Template:Won
1997 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Solo Performance The Waste Land Template:Won
2001 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Best Actress Medea Template:Won
2003 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play Template:Nom
Tony Awards Best Actress in a Play Template:Nom
2008 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play Happy Days Template:Nom
Society of London Theatre Olivier Award for Best Actress Template:Nom
2017 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best TV Supporting Actress Channel Zero Template:Nom
2019 BAFTA Best Supporting Actress Killing Eve Template:Won <ref name="bafta1"/>
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Template:Nom <ref name="emmy1"/>
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Fleabag Template:Nom <ref name="emmy2"/>
2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Killing Eve Template:Nom <ref name="emmy1"/>
2022 Peabody Award Andor Template:Won <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023 Critics' Choice Awards Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series Template:Nom
British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Supporting Actress Template:Nom <ref name="bafta2">Template:Cite news</ref>
2025 Kerry International Film Festival The Maureen O'Hara Award Life's work Template:Honored <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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