Anna Friel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Friel
Anna Friel in 2015
Born	Anna Louise Friel (1976-07-12) 12 July 1976 (age 48) Rochdale, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1990–present
Partner(s)	David Thewlis (2001–2010) Rhys Ifans (2011–2014)
Children	1

Anna Louise Friel (born on 12 July 1976) is a talented English actress. She became famous early in her career for playing Beth Jordache in the TV show Brookside (1993–1995). Later, she gained international attention for her role as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles in the ABC series Pushing Daisies (2007–2009). For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

In 2017, Anna Friel won an International Emmy Award for Best Actress. This was for her main role in the mystery drama Marcella (2016–2021). She has also won a Drama Desk Award and received an honorary degree. She was also nominated for a BAFTA award.

Friel started her film career in 1998 with a main role in The Land Girls. She has appeared in many other films, including A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Limitless (2011), and Books of Blood (2020). On stage, she has performed in plays like Closer (Broadway, 1999) and Breakfast at Tiffany's (West End, 2009).

Early Life and Acting Start

Anna Louise Friel was born in Rochdale, England, on 12 July 1976. Her mother, Julie, was a special needs teacher. Her father, Desmond Friel, was a French teacher and folk guitarist. He now owns a web design company. Anna's brother, Michael, is a doctor.

Anna went to a local Catholic school and then Holy Cross College. She began learning to act at the Oldham Theatre Workshop.

Career Highlights

Early TV Roles and First Films (1991–1999)

Anna Friel started her acting career at age 13 in the TV show G.B.H. in 1991. This led to small parts in popular TV shows like Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

The next year, she was cast as Beth Jordache in the soap opera Brookside. She played this role for two years. Her character was part of some very famous storylines. One storyline involved her character's abusive father. Another famous moment was a groundbreaking scene that was shown around the world. This scene was even featured at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. Anna Friel later said this role helped her choose parts that showed strong women. In 1995, she won a National Television Award for "Most Popular Actress" for her work on Brookside.

She then starred in TV versions of classic books like Our Mutual Friend and St. Ives (both 1998). She also appeared in British films such as The Land Girls (1998) and Rogue Trader (1999).

In 1999, she played Hermia in the film A Midsummer Night's Dream. She worked with famous actors like Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer. This role helped her become more known in America.

During this time, Anna Friel also made her first appearance on Broadway in the play Closer. She won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Alice, an exotic dancer.

Stage, Film, and Pushing Daisies (2000–2009)

Anna Friel had main roles in the films An Everlasting Piece and Sunset Strip (both 2000). Her acting in Piece was especially praised. The next year, she starred in the Canadian film The War Bride and was nominated for a Genie Award. She also co-starred with Michelle Williams in Me Without You. Critics noted her ability to show both the difficult and vulnerable sides of her character.

In 2001, Friel made her West End stage debut in the play Lulu.

In 2004, she played Attorney Megan Delaney in the American TV series The Jury. A critic from The New York Times called her character "textured and persuasive." Anna found the work very challenging due to the fast pace. In 2006, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton for her contributions to acting.

In 2007, Friel was cast as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles in Pushing Daisies. This American comedy-drama aired on ABC. The show was well-liked, and critics highlighted Anna Friel's performance. She played a murder victim who comes back to life and is a passionate beekeeper. For this role, she was nominated for a 2008 Golden Globe Award. Pushing Daisies ended after its second season. After this, Anna was offered many roles in American TV, but she chose to focus on films.

In 2008, she was nominated for a Czech Lion Award for her role in the historical drama Bathory. This film was the most expensive ever made in central Europe. Her next big film was Land of the Lost (2009), where she starred with Will Ferrell. She played Holly Cantrell, a spirited paleontologist.

In 2009, Anna Friel played Holly Golightly in a stage version of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Critics praised her performance, calling her "infectious" and a "bewitching stage presence."

Marcella and Other Main Roles (2010–2019)

In 2011, Anna Friel played a fictional version of herself in the TV series Come Fly with Me. She also starred as a pirate in Neverland, a prequel to Peter Pan. She received good reviews for her performance in the mystery drama Without You.

From 2012 to 2013, she returned to the West End in a new version of Uncle Vanya. She was praised for her role as Yelena. She also appeared in the BBC crime drama Public Enemies (2012) and two British films: The Look of Love and Having You (both 2013).

In 2015, Friel played Sgt. Odelle Ballard, an American special ops soldier, in the thriller series American Odyssey. Her performance was highly praised. That same year, she starred in the Norwegian miniseries The Heavy Water War and the drama film Urban and the Shed Crew. Her later film projects included The Cleanse, I.T. (both 2016), and Tomato Red (2017).

Anna Friel began playing the main character, Marcella Backland, in the British detective series Marcella in 2016. She won an International Emmy Award for Best Actress for this role in 2017. The show's final season aired on Netflix in 2020.

In 2017, she played Erica Myles in the second season of The Girlfriend Experience. Critics called her performance "outstanding" and "fantastic." She also received a nomination for a British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the BBC drama Broken.

In the ITV drama series Butterfly (2018), Friel starred as Vicky, the parent of a transgender child. Critics called the show "important, truthful" and praised Friel's "sterling" portrayal of a mother. Anna Friel said she and the show's creators felt a big responsibility to make the story realistic. The next year, Friel starred in the miniseries Deep Water, which was described as a "dark soap opera."

Recent Work (2020–present)

In the 2020 horror film Books of Blood, Anna Friel played Mary, a grieving mother. Her acting was noted as strong. Her next project was the main role of Sharon Pici, a detective, in the psychological thriller The Box (2021). In 2022, she co-starred with Susan Sarandon in the Fox musical drama series Monarch. Friel played Nicolette "Nicky" Roman, a singer-songwriter. She performed all her character's songs herself. The series was canceled after one season.

In the period drama film Charming the Hearts of Men (2021), Friel played Grace Gordon, a woman fighting for civil rights in the 1960s. Her performance was highly praised. She then appeared as Nicky, a nurse, in the British psychological thriller Locked In (2023).

Other Work

Anna Friel has appeared in advertisements for many brands, including Reebok, Virgin Atlantic, and Marks & Spencer.

In 2010, she was in a music video for the Manic Street Preachers' song "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" with Michael Sheen.

Anna Friel is also an ambassador for the WWF wildlife charity.

Personal Life

In 2001, Anna Friel started a relationship with actor David Thewlis. They met on a flight to Cannes. Later that year, Anna had a health issue that made it difficult to have children. Despite this, she became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter, Gracie Ellen Mary Friel, on 9 July 2005. Gracie was named after Gracie Fields and Anna's grandmothers. Anna Friel and David Thewlis separated in December 2010. From 2011 to 2014, Anna Friel dated actor Rhys Ifans.

Accolades

Filmography

Film

Television

Voice Work

Music Videos

Theatre

See also

In Spanish: Anna Friel para niños