Isla Fisher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isla Fisher
Fisher in 2013
Born	Isla Lang Fisher (1976-02-03) 3 February 1976 (age 49) Muscat, Oman
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Sacha Baron Cohen ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2024)​
Children	3

Isla Lang Fisher (born on 3 February 1976) is an Australian actress. She was born in Oman to Scottish parents. Her family moved to Australia when she was a child. She started acting in TV commercials and became well-known for playing Shannon Reed in the Australian TV show Home and Away (1994–1997). She was nominated for two Logie Awards for this role.

Isla Fisher then moved to Hollywood. She had a supporting role in the comedy horror film Scooby-Doo (2002). Since then, she has starred in many movies like Wedding Crashers (2005), Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), The Great Gatsby (2013), and Now You See Me (2013). She has also lent her voice to animated films such as Horton Hears a Who! (2008) and Rango (2011).

Fisher also had a role in the TV show Arrested Development (2013–2019). Since 2022, she has starred in the comedy-drama series Wolf Like Me. Besides acting, she has written two young adult novels and the Marge in Charge book series. She was married to English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen from 2010 to 2024, and they have three children together.

Early life

Isla Fisher was born in Muscat, Oman, on 3 February 1976. Her parents, Elspeth Reid and Brian Fisher, were from Scotland. Her father worked as a banker for the United Nations in Oman. When Isla was six, her family moved to Perth, Western Australia. Before that, they lived in their hometown of Bathgate, Scotland.

She has four brothers and remembers having a "great" childhood in Perth. She describes her upbringing as "very outdoorsy." Isla feels "very Australian" and says she has a "laid-back attitude to life." She also considers herself a feminist.

Isla attended Swanbourne Primary School and Methodist Ladies' College, Perth. She played lead roles in school plays, including Little Shop of Horrors. When she was 21, she studied acting at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. There, she learned about clowning, mime, and musical theatre.

Career

Early Acting Roles (1985–2001)

Isla Fisher first appeared in TV commercials in Australia when she was nine years old. Her first professional acting job was in 1993. She had guest roles in children's TV shows like Bay City and Paradise Beach. When she was 18, she published two teen novels with her mother's help. She once said that if she hadn't become an actress, she would likely have been a full-time writer.

From 1994 to 1997, Fisher played Shannon Reed in the Australian TV show Home and Away. Her character was a young, shy woman. Isla spoke about her experience on the show, saying it was "good experience" like an "apprenticeship." For her work, she was nominated for two Logie Awards: Most Popular New Talent in 1995 and Most Popular Actress in 1997.

After Home and Away, Fisher studied at a theatre school in Paris. She then performed in pantomime in the United Kingdom. She also toured in the musical Summer Holiday. She appeared in a London play called Così and in the German film Swimming Pool (2001).

Moving to Hollywood (2002–2004)

In 2002, Isla Fisher moved to Hollywood. She played the girlfriend of Shaggy Rogers in the live-action movie Scooby-Doo. Even though critics didn't love Scooby-Doo, it was a big hit, earning over US$275 million worldwide. Isla was lucky to get a job almost right away in Hollywood.

She then had supporting roles in the independent film Dallas 362 (2003) and the Australian comedy The Wannabes (2003). A reviewer said she "adds easy charm" to The Wannabes. In the comedy I Heart Huckabees (2004), she played a "punchy little part."

Becoming a Star (2005–2009)

Isla Fisher at the 66th Golden Globe Awards in 2009

Isla Fisher became widely known after starring in the comedy Wedding Crashers (2005). She played the wild younger daughter of a politician who falls for a wedding crasher. She said her character was "crazy and lacking in any kind of social etiquette." The movie was a big success, making US$285 million worldwide. Critics loved her performance, calling her an "unexpected, scene-stealing joy." She won the Breakthrough Performance Award at the MTV Movie Awards for this role.

Fisher also appeared in the drama London (2005). Next, she starred in the romantic comedy Wedding Daze (2006) with Jason Biggs. She played a waitress who gets engaged to a grieving young man. Even though the movie got mixed reviews, critics praised Isla's performance. In 2007, she was in the thriller The Lookout and the comedy Hot Rod.

In 2008, Fisher played a copy girl in the romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds. Reviewers found the film "refreshing," and Isla's character was described as a "changeable free spirit." The movie was a commercial success. Fisher also voiced a professor in the animated film Horton Hears a Who! (2008).

Isla Fisher got her first main role in the comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009). She played a college graduate who works as a financial journalist but has a shopping addiction. She was surprised to get her own movie. The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success, earning over US$108 million worldwide. Isla received another Teen Choice Award nomination for her role.

Major Recognition (2010–2013)

In the British comedy Burke and Hare (2010), Fisher played the love interest of one of the main characters. The film had a limited audience. Fisher then voiced a hot-tempered desert iguana named Beans in the animated Western comedy Rango (2011). The film was well-received and made US$245 million worldwide. Isla won an award for Best Animated Female for her voice work.

Isla Fisher at the premiere of The Dictator in London, May 2012

Fisher starred in the comedy Bachelorette (2012). She played a wild party girl who reunites with friends for a wedding. The movie was a commercial success, earning over US$11 million in theaters. Isla also voiced the Tooth Fairy in the animated film Rise of the Guardians (2012).

Isla Fisher became even more recognized in 2013 with two very successful films: The Great Gatsby and Now You See Me. In The Great Gatsby, she played an ambitious social climber. She loved working with director Baz Luhrmann, calling him her "dream director." The film earned US$353 million worldwide. Isla was nominated for several awards for her supporting role.

In the thriller Now You See Me, Fisher played an escapist and stage magician. Critics praised her "chutzpah" in the role. Like The Great Gatsby, this film also earned over US$350 million globally.

Also in 2013, Fisher had a role in nine episodes of the TV show Arrested Development. She also appeared in Life of Crime. Isla said working on Arrested Development was a highlight of her career. She was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award with the cast of Arrested Development.

Recent Roles and Writing (2014–present)

In Visions (2015), a horror film, Fisher played a pregnant woman who sees strange things. In 2016, she starred in two action comedy films: Grimsby and Keeping Up with the Joneses. In Grimsby, she worked with her husband Sacha Baron Cohen. In Keeping Up with the Joneses, she played half of a couple who suspect their new neighbors are secret agents.

John Hodgman, Denis Leary and Isla Fisher at the BookExpo in 2017

Fisher also appeared in the thriller Nocturnal Animals (2016). This film won an award at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival. In 2016, she published her third book and first children's novel, Marge in Charge. The book is about a fun babysitter with rainbow hair who loves to bend the rules. It was very popular. She wrote three more books in the series: Marge and the Pirate Baby (2017), Marge and the Great Train Rescue (2017), and Marge in Charge and the Stolen Treasure (2018).

In 2019, she was a guest star in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2020, Fisher starred in the Walt Disney Pictures film Godmothered, which was released on Disney+. In 2024, it was announced that she will voice a character in the upcoming film Dog Man.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Isla Fisher is involved in charity work. In 2014 and 2015, she donated her signed shoes to a special auction for the Small Steps Project. This project helps children living on rubbish dumps.

In 2015, Isla Fisher and her husband Sacha Baron Cohen donated a lot of money to help children. They gave £335,000 to Save the Children to vaccinate Syrian children against measles. They also gave another £335,000 to the International Rescue Committee to help Syrian refugees.

Personal life

Isla Fisher met English comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen in Sydney in 2001. They got engaged in 2004 and were married on 15 March 2010 in Paris. They have three children, born in 2007, 2010, and 2015. They used to live in Los Angeles and London but later resided in Sydney. On 5 April 2024, Isla announced that she and Sacha had decided to end their marriage, separating at the end of 2023.

Isla Fisher considers herself a feminist.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Isla Fisher para niños