Fiona Mary Shaw (b. 10 July, 1958, County Cork, Ireland) is an Irish actress and theatre and opera director. She has appeared in over 40 productions in her career. She portrays Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films.[1]
Achievements[]
- She was awarded the 1989 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actress for her performances in Electra and The Good Person of Sichuan.
- She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1990 (1989 season) for Best Actress in a New Play for Electra, As You LIke It and The Good Person of Sichaun.
- She was awarded the 1991 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actress for her performance in Hedda Gabler.
- She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1994 (1993 season) for Best Actress for her performance in Machinal at the Royal National Theatre.
- She was awarded an honorary C.B.E. (Commander of the order of the British Empire) in 2001.
- She was awarded the 2001 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in Medea at the Queen's Theatre in London, England.
- Was nominated for Broadway's 2003 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for playing the title character in Medea
- Became an Associate Member of RADA.
- Graduated from RADA.
- Both she and Geraldine Somerville, who played Petunia's sister Lily Evans in the Harry Potter films, were born in Ireland.
Behind the scenes[]
- Although Petunia is a Muggle who despised and resented witchcraft and witches, Fiona Shaw ironically played a powerful witch in the vampire series True Blood, known as Marnie Stonebrook.
- In the critically panned Super Mario Bros Movie (1993), Fiona Shaw's character (Lena) says to Princess Daisy that she's got "[her] mother eyes". Ironically, this sentence is said by many characters, the few exceptions including Petunia.