Biography
Who is Fiona Shaw?
Early life and real name
Fiona was born as Fiona Mary Wilson in Farranree, County Cork. Her father was an ophthalmic surgeon and her mother was a physicist. She grew up in Montenotte as the second of four children. She has three brothers named John, Mark, and Peter. Peter died in a car crash when he was 18.
She went to secondary school at Scoil Mhuire in Cork. Later, Fiona earned a philosophy degree from University College Cork. She then moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She finished her acting diploma there in 1982.
Stage career and awards
Fiona Shaw began her theatre career in 1983 with the National Theatre production of The Rivals. She played Julia in that play. She later worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her roles included Celia in As You Like It and Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew.
She won Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Actress in 1990 and 1994 for her work in plays like Electra and Machinal. In 1995, she took the male lead in Richard II. She also performed a one person show of The Waste Land in New York.
Film and television roles
Fiona Shaw is recognized for playing Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2010. Other film credits include My Left Foot and Jane Eyre. She appeared in The Tree of Life in 2011 and Enola Holmes in 2020. She is set to appear in Sense and Sensibility in 2026.
Her television work is equally diverse. Fiona played Marnie Stonebrook in True Blood and Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve. Her role in Killing Eve won her a 2019 BAFTA TV Award. She also appeared in the series Fleabag, Baptiste, and Andor.
Personal life and family
Fiona Shaw is gay and has shared her experiences with her sexual orientation. She was in a relationship with actress Saffron Burrows from 2002 until 2005. She later met Sonali Deraniyagala, a Sri Lankan economist, after reading her memoir. The two married in 2018.
She was raised in the Catholic faith. In 1997, she spent two weeks living at a convent with the Tyburn Nuns. Fiona Shaw currently lives in the Islington area of North London. She previously lived in Primrose Hill.
Birthday and age
Fiona Shaw was born on July 10, 1958, which makes Fiona 68 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Fiona shares the date with 37 other famous people.
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