Fiona Shaw facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fiona Shaw CBE
Shaw in 2011
Born	Fiona Mary Wilson (1958-07-10) 10 July 1958 (age 66) Cobh, County Cork, Ireland
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1983–present
Spouse(s)	Sonali Deraniyagala ​ (m. 2018)​

Fiona Shaw (born Fiona Mary Wilson; 10 July 1958) is a famous Irish actress. She has starred in many films, TV shows, and plays. Fiona is known for her roles in the Harry Potter movies and the TV series Killing Eve.

She has worked with important theatre groups like the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2020, she was named one of Ireland's best film actors. She also received a special award from Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.

Fiona Shaw has won many awards for her acting. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in 1990. This was for her amazing performances in plays like Electra and As You Like It. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the play Medea.

In films, she played Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter series. She also appeared in movies like My Left Foot (1989) and Enola Holmes (2020).

On TV, she played Carolyn Martens in the BBC series Killing Eve. For this role, she won a BAFTA TV Award. She also appeared in True Blood and Andor.

About Fiona Shaw

Early Life and Education

Fiona Mary Wilson was born on 10 July 1958. Her hometown is Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. Her father, Denis Joseph Wilson, was an eye surgeon. Her mother, Mary T. Wilson, was a physicist.

Fiona went to secondary school at Scoil Mhuire in Cork. She then studied philosophy at University College Cork. After that, she moved to London to study acting. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She finished her studies there in 1982.

When she joined the actors' union, she had to change her name. There was already another actress named Fiona Wilson. So, she chose "Shaw," which was her grandmother's maiden name. It was also a way to honor the famous writer George Bernard Shaw.

Acting Career Highlights

Fiona Shaw started her acting career in theatre in 1983. She played Julia in The Rivals at the Royal National Theatre. She is known for playing many different characters on stage.

Theatre Performances

• In 1993, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role in Machinal.
• She famously played a male character, Richard II, in the play Richard II in 1995.
• She also performed T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land as a one-person show. This performance won her an award in New York in 1996.
• Fiona has worked often with director Deborah Warner. They have created many successful plays together.
• In 2013, she won a special award for her performance in The Testament of Mary on Broadway.

Film and Television Roles

Fiona Shaw has appeared in many popular films and TV shows.

• In 1989, she was in the film My Left Foot.
• She is widely recognized for playing Petunia Dursley in five of the Harry Potter movies. Petunia is Harry Potter's aunt.
• She had a small but important role in the film The Black Dahlia (2006).
• On TV, she played Marnie Stonebrook in the American show True Blood in 2011.
• From 2018 to 2022, she starred as Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve. This role earned her a BAFTA TV Award.
• She also had a guest role as a counselor in the popular series Fleabag (2019).
• In 2022, she joined the Star Wars universe. She played Maarva Andor in the TV series Andor.
• In 2024, she appeared in True Detective: Night Country.

Personal Life

Fiona Shaw is married to Sri Lankan economist Sonali Deraniyagala. They got married in 2018. Fiona lives in Islington, North London. She was raised in the Catholic faith.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Other Projects

• When Love Speaks (2002, EMI Classics): "It is thy will thy image should keep open"
• Simon Schama's John Donne: 2009

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Fiona Shaw para niños