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'Fiona Shaw', CBE (Hon) (born 10 July, 1955^[1] or 1958) is a leading Irish actress who regularly appears in London theatre, although to international audiences she is probably most familiar for her minor role as Petunia Dursley in the ''Harry Potter'' films. She has been regarded as one of the finest classical actresses of her generation.^[2][3] Shaw was awarded an honorary CBE in 2001.^[4]

Contents

Biography

Early life

Career

Personal life

Filmography

References

External links

Biography

Early life

Shaw was born 'Fiona Mary Wilson' in County Cork, Republic of Ireland to a mixed-religious couple and was raised Catholic.^[5][6] Her father was an eye surgeon^[7] and her mother was a physicist.^[8] She Liked to be called "Fe Fe" in Her childhood years and addented secondary school at Scoil Mhuire In Cork City. She received her degree in University College Cork. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, she received much acclaim as Julia in the National Theatre production of Richard Sheridan's ''The Rivals'' (1983), a role which demonstrated her gift for comedy. Despite her natural comic abilities, Shaw has opted more often than not for roles showcasing her extreme but unaffected emotional intensity. These performances have earned her numerous stage awards.

Career

Her notable 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), 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). 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.^[9]
She controversially played the lead in ''Richard II'', directed by Deborah Warner in 1995. Shaw has collaborated with Warner on a number of occasions, on both stage and screen. Shaw has also worked in film and television, including ''My Left Foot'', ''Jane Eyre'', ''Persuasion'', ''Gormenghast'', and a number of the ''Harry Potter'' films in which she plays the insufferable Aunt Petunia.

Personal life

For a number of years, Shaw has been romantically linked in the press with actress Saffron Burrows.^[10][11][12] Neither actress has publicly confirmed or denied the relationship, however they do live together in a London flat. The two appeared together in the National Theatre's production of ''The PowerBook'',^[13] a play based on the novel of the same name by Jeanette Winterson in which they played lovers.

Filmography

★ ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' (2007)

★ ''Fracture'' (2007)

★ ''Catch and Release'' (2007)

★ ''The Black Dahlia'' (2006)

★ ''Midsummer Dream'' (2005)

★ ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' (2004)

★ ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' (2002)

★ ''Doctor Sleep'' (2002)

★ ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (2001)

★ ''Gormenghast'' (2000) (TV)

★ ''The Avengers'' (1998)

★ ''The Butcher Boy'' (1997)

★ ''Anna Karenina'' (1997)

★ ''Jane Eyre'' (1996)

★ ''Persuasion'' (1995)

★ ''Super Mario Bros.'' (1993)

★ ''Hedda Gabler'' (1993) (TV)

★ ''Three Men and a Little Lady'' (1990)

★ ''Mountains of the Moon'' (1990)

★ ''My Left Foot'' (1989)

References

1. http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Fiona_Shaw/189442
2. [1]
3. [2].
4. [3]
5. http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/vol5no3/trans01.html
6. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20030727/ai_n12583855/pg_4
7. http://www.filmreference.com/film/46/Fiona-Shaw.html
8. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030809/ai_n12701933
9. Ben Brantly, ''Memory and Desire: Hearing Eliot's Passion,'' New York Times November 18, 1996
10. "Mad About Saffron", Sydney Morning Herald, May 15 2004
11. "Saffron Burrows Embraces Lesbian Relationships On-screen and Off", AfterEllen.com, October 2003
12. "A hint of Saffron", The Observer, May 5 2002
13. "The PowerBook" at the National Theatre

External links

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★ World Theatre - ''Working in the Theatre Seminar'' video at American Theatre Wing.org, January 2002