Fiona Shaw

Early life

Shaw was born Fiona Mary Wilson on 10 July 1958 in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland, the daughter of physicist Mary T. Wilson (née Flynn, born 1927) and ophthalmic surgeon Denis Joseph Wilson (1922–2011), who wed in 1952. They maintained a home in Montenotte. 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. 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.

Career

Theatre

In 1983, she starred as Julia in the National Theatre production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals (1983). 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.

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." 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.

In 2010, Shaw appeared in The Waste Land at Wilton's Music Hall, and in a National Theatre revival of London Assurance. In November 2010, Shaw starred in Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin alongside Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan. The play was also staged in New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2011. 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.

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. Shaw's character, Marnie Stonebrook, has been described as an underachieving palm reader who is spiritually possessed by an actual witch.

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. Later the same year, she played a senior MI6 officer in Mrs Wilson. 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.

In 2020, she was listed at No. 29 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

Shaw starred in the Star Wars television series Andor as the titular character's adoptive mother, Maarva Andor. For her work in Andor, Shaw was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.

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.

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."

From 2002 to 2005, Shaw was the partner of English actress Saffron Burrows. She met Sri Lankan economist Sonali Deraniyagala after reading Deraniyagala's memoir, and they married in 2018. Shaw lives in Islington, North London, having previously lived in nearby Primrose Hill, "within earshot of London Zoo".

Shaw was raised Catholic, and in January 1997, she spent two weeks with the Tyburn Nuns at their convent.

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

References

References

1. (30 December 2000). "Honorary CBE notice for Shaw". BBC News.
2. UPI Staff. (10 July 2018). "Famous birthdays for July 10: Sofia Vergara, Fiona Shaw". [[United Press International]].
3. (9 May 2014). "Fiona Shaw says she wanted to give her character in 'Killing Eve' an Irish accent".
4. (10 December 2009). "Tim Teeman » Fiona Shaw: 'I have enormous sadness in me'". timteeman.com.
5. "Dedicated ophthalmic surgeon with a lifelong interest in all things artistic". The Irish Times.
6. [http://www.filmreference.com/film/46/Fiona-Shaw.html Fiona Shaw Biography] at Film Reference.com
7. "RADA Student & graduate profiles – Fiona Shaw".
8. (10 September 2019). "Fiona Shaw CBE: Full Q&A at the Oxford Union".
9. "Fiona Shaw (NT 50th)".
10. Ben Brantly, ''Memory and Desire: Hearing Eliot's Passion'', [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9407E2DC123AF93BA25752C1A960958260 New York Times] 18 November 1996
11. Rupert Christiansen [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3577148/Fiona-Shaws-double-life.html "Fiona Shaw's double life"], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 10 May 2002
12. (27 March 1993). "TV REVIEWS : Visually Exciting, Powerful 'Hedda Gabler'".
13. Taylor, Paul. (18 December 2009). "Mother courage: How Fiona Shaw became the leading actress of her generation". The Independent.
14. (16 July 2011). "Events". Abbey Theatre.
15. (13 January 2011). "Memory and Desire: Hearing Eliot's Passion".
16. (14 January 2011). "Ibsen's Big Chill, With Soul Mates Frozen in Time". The New York Times.
17. "Fiona Shaw, Gordon Clapp, & Eric Roberts Among 2013 United Solo Festival Winners". BroadwayWorld.com.
18. "Fiona Shaw". The Guardian.
19. "Famous faces air their views".
20. Vozick-Levinson, Simon. (8 November 2010). "Fiona Shaw joins 'True Blood' cast".
21. (12 May 2019). "Killing Eve takes top prizes in BAFTA TV awards 2019". The Guardian.
22. (4 December 2018). "Mrs Wilson". BBC Media Centre.
23. "71st Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]].
24. "72nd Emmy Awards Complete Nomination List". [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]].
25. "The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order". The Irish Times.
26. "The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman Read by Fiona Shaw Richard Osman Steph McGovern Interview {{!}} Audiobook Review".
27. (1 July 2019). "'Killing Eve' star Fiona Shaw was full of 'self-hatred' when she realised she was gay".
28. Neligan, Orla. (2 October 2016). "Fiona Shaw: We don't know who were are and the joy is in finding out". Irish Independent.
29. Hogan, Michael. (3 March 2019). "Fiona Shaw: 'I'm delighted to be in with the young crowd!'".
30. (16 March 2017). "Fiona Shaw Married Status: Meet Her Wife, Dr Sonali Deraniyagala".
31. Cowley, Jason. (15 April 1997). "Fiona Shaw: The Silent World".
32. [https://deadline.com/2024/01/joker-folie-deux-mad-max-furiosa-magalopolis-movies-festivals-2024-1235679738/ 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]
33. Saner, Emine. (14 July 2021). "Fiona Shaw: 'I got to Hollywood at 28 and they said: You're very old'".
34. Hibberd, Jame. (10 December 2020). "Rogue One prequel series gets title: Andor".
35. (23 September 2022). "'True Detective': John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, Fiona Shaw Among Season 4 Cast of HBO Anthology Series".
36. "Fiona Shaw Was Told the Plot of 'Bad Sisters' Season 2 in '25 Seconds' over Breakfast and Was Immediately 'Delighted to Join' (Exclusive)".
37. "Woyzeck, 1981/1982".
38. "Record: The Rivals". National Theatre.
39. "RSC Performances AYL198504 - As You Like It". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
40. "RSC Performances PHL198504 - Philistines". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
41. "RSC Performances LIA198509 - Les Liaisons Dangereuses". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
42. "RSC Performances BAP198510 - Barnes' People". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
43. "RSC Performances GON198510 - Gone to Heaven (Back Soon)". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
44. "RSC Performances AYL198512 - As You Like It". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
45. "RSC Performances PHL198601 - Philistines". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
46. "RSC Performances LIA198601 - Les Liaisons Dangereuses". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
47. "RSC Performances MEP198604 - Mephisto". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
48. "RSC Performances MIU198608 - Missa Super L'Homme Arme". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
49. "RSC Performances BLO198608 - Blood on the Neck of the Cat". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
50. "RSC Performances MER198610 - The Merchant of Venice". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
51. "RSC Performances MUC198610 - Much Ado About Nothing". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
52. "RSC Performances TAM198709 - The Taming of the Shrew". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
53. "RSC Performances NEW198711 - The New Inn". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
54. "RSC Performances NEW198802 - The New Inn". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
55. "RSC Performances TAM198803 - The Taming of the Shrew". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
56. "RSC Performances TAM198809 - The Taming of the Shrew". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
57. "RSC Performances HYD198808 - Hyde Park". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
58. "RSC Performances ELE198812 - Electra". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
59. (31 December 1989). "THEATER: A Young Actress Extends Her Reach To the Stars". New York Times.
60. "Record: The Good Person of Sichuan". National Theatre.
61. "Hedda Gabler 1991 (Abbey)". Abbey Theatre.
62. "Hedda Gabler 1991 (Tour)". Abbey Theatre.
63. "RSC Performances ELE199112 - Electra". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
64. (30 April 2012). "Fiona Shaw". BBC.
65. (27 January 2014). "The Mechanics of Murder: A History of Machinal". Playbill.
66. "Record: Machinal". National Theatre.
67. (26 March 1994). "Modify Beckett? Enter, Outrage". New York Times.
68. (15 March 1994). "First Night: Presenting the pre-restaurant play: Footfalls, Garrick Theatre". The Independent.
69. "RSC Performances SHG199410 - Shakespeare's Language". Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
70. (1997). "Fiona Shaw's Richard II: The Girl as Player-King as Comic". Shakespeare Quarterly.
71. "Record: Richard II". National Theatre.
72. "Record: The Way of the World". National Theatre.
73. (28 October 1996). "Fiona Shaw, in US Debut, to Turn Liberty into Waste Land". Playbill.
74. "Record: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". National Theatre.
75. "Medea 2000 (Abbey)". Abbey Theatre.
76. (21 January 2001). "The mother of all tragedies". The Guardian.
77. "Record: The Powerbook". National Theatre.
78. "Medea (Broadway, 2002)".
79. (14 August 2003). "The Seagull, King's Theatre, Edinburgh". The Independent.
80. (21 April 2005). "Julius Caesar". The Guardian.
81. (23 June 2006). "Woman and Scarecrow". The Guardian.
82. (25 January 2007). "Happy Days". The Guardian.
83. "Happy Days 2008 (Abbey)". Abbey Theatre.
84. (11 January 2008). "Cast in Stone". The New York Times.
85. (27 September 2009). "Mother Courage and Her Children". The Guardian.
86. (15 March 2010). "What to say about ... London Assurance". The Guardian.
87. (15 October 2010). "John Gabriel Borkman – review". The Guardian.
88. (13 January 2011). "Ibsen's Big Chill, With Soul Mates Frozen in Time". The New York Times.
89. (5 October 2012). "Scenes from an Execution – review". The Guardian.
90. "The Testament of Mary (Broadway, 2013)".
91. (12 December 2013). "Shivering Timbers, And More". The New York Times.
92. (8 July 2022). "The Tempest review – Deborah Warner's grimy island engrosses and disgusts". The Guardian.
93. Orr, Deborah. (31 May 2009). "Simon Schama's John Donne, BBC2
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94. (26 May 2009). "TV review: the BBC's poetry season". The Daily Telegraph.
95. Voyles, Blake. (13 September 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Winners".
96. TV. (2023-05-14). "Bafta TV awards 2023: the full list of winners". The Guardian.
97. Murphy, Niall. (2025-07-01). "Kerry International Film Festival to honour Fiona Shaw with 2025 Maureen O'Hara Award".