Anna Friel | |
|---|---|
 Friel in 2015 | |
| Born | Anna Louise Friel (1976-07-12)12 July 1976 (age 48) Rochdale, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Partners |
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| Children | 1 |
Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. She first achieved fame asBeth Jordache in theChannel 4 soap operaBrookside (1993–1995), later coming to international prominence with her role asCharlotte "Chuck" Charles onABC'sPushing Daisies (2007–2009), for which she received a nomination for theGolden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2017, she won theInternational Emmy for Best Actress for her portrayal of the title character in theITV/Netflix mystery drama seriesMarcella (2016–2021). Her other accolades include aDrama Desk Award, anhonorary degree,[1] and aBAFTA nomination.
Friel made her feature film debut in 1998 with a leading role inThe Land Girls. Subsequent credits includeA Midsummer Night's Dream (1999),Me Without You (2001),Timeline (2003),Goal! (2005),Bathory (2008),Land of the Lost (2009),Limitless (2011),Books of Blood (2020), andCharming the Hearts of Men (2021). Her stage credits includeCloser (Broadway, 1999),Breakfast at Tiffany's (West End, 2009), andUncle Vanya (West End, 2012).
Anna Louise Friel was born on 12 July 1976 inRochdale,Greater Manchester.[2][3] Her mother, Julie Bamford Friel (born 1952), is a special needs teacher.[4] Her father, Desmond "Des" Friel (born 1951), was born inBelfast and raised inCounty Donegal, Ireland.[5] He is a former French teacher andfolk guitarist, who now owns a web design company.[4] Her brother Michael is a doctor, who in his youth did television advertising work forHovis.[6]
Friel attendedCrompton House CE Secondary School—anAnglican school—and laterHoly Cross College, a Roman Catholicsixth form.[7] She began her training as an actress atOldham Theatre Workshop.[8]
Friel made her professional debut at age 13 in the television miniseriesG.B.H., which aired in 1991 and was nominated for severalBAFTAs.[9] This led to small parts on theITV soap operasCoronation Street andEmmerdale (1991; 1992). She was cast the following year asBeth Jordache in theChannel 4 soapBrookside, a role she played for two years. The character was involved in some of the series' most famous storylines, including the murder and covert burial of her abusive father,[10] and the first ever pre-watershed lesbian kiss in British television history;[7] a moment that went on to be broadcast around the world—including 76 countries where homosexuality is outlawed—when it featured during a montage at the2012 Olympics opening ceremony.[11] She later said, "For a very long time I was defined by that kiss. And I didn't want to be. I spent years turning down other lesbian roles because it felt like going back to Beth. [But it] did also make me want to take on parts that showed extreme sides of women".[12] In 1995, Friel won aNational Television Award in the category of "Most Popular Actress" for her work onBrookside.[13]
Upon leaving the show, a decision that she initially thought to be a "terrible mistake",[14] Friel was cast in an episode ofTales from the Crypt and appeared as one of the main characters inStephen Poliakoff's television filmThe Tribe (1998), which attracted controversy for its inclusion of aménage à trois sex scene.[15] She then played leading roles in small-screen adaptations ofCharles Dickens'Our Mutual Friend andRobert Louis Stevenson'sSt. Ives (both 1998), and co-starred in several British films, such as wartime period dramaThe Land Girls (1998),[16] crime dramaRogue Trader (1999), and slapstick comedyMad Cows (1999).[17] While most were dismissive ofCow's eccentric humour, some critics felt that Friel's work as Australian expatriate Maddy was impressive.[18][19] Next, she playedHermia in the 1999 film version ofWilliam Shakespeare'sA Midsummer Night's Dream,[20] saying later of the experience, "I think that [role] sort of changed things for me, especially in America, because the cast was really great—Kevin Kline,Michelle Pfeiffer,Christian Bale—and people started to think, 'if she's working with [those people] she must be doing well'".[21]
During that same period, Friel made herBroadway debut in a production ofPatrick Marber'sCloser, which ran for 173 performances at theMusic Box Theatre in New York (March–August 1999).[22] In his review of the show forVariety,Charles Isherwood wrote:
It's the exquisitely lovely Friel who is the discovery here. Her Alice is both the nihilistic core of the play and its tender center, and the paradoxical mixture of toughness and fragility [she] brings to it are essential to the play's deepest truths. It's a star-making performance.[23]
For her work as exotic dancer Alice, Friel won that year'sDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.[24]
Friel had leading roles in the comedy-drama filmsAn Everlasting Piece andSunset Strip (both 2000), with her performance inPiece attracting particular praise.[25] The following year, she starred as the wife of aWorld War II soldier in the decently reviewed Canadian filmThe War Bride,[26][27] for which she earned aGenie Award nomination forBest Actress,[28] and co-headlined the coming-of-age dramaMe Without You oppositeMichelle Williams. In his appraisal ofYou forVariety, David Rooney said, "Of the central duo, Friel has the most difficult job, playing an essentially unsympathetic brat … But [she] continually tempers the negatives with a vulnerability and insecurity that redeem her".[29] Between March and May 2001, Friel appeared in an adaptation ofFrank Wedekind'sLulu at theAlmeida Theatre; herWest End stage debut.[30][31] Describing her portrayal of the titular Victorian sex worker, theatre criticNicholas de Jongh felt, "The appeal of Miss Friel's [performance] depends upon its restraint, guile and cool", noting that she mixes "child-like glee and naughtiness" with a "calm and callous" demeanour.[32] The play transferred to theKennedy Center inWashington, D.C. for one month following its run at the Almeida.[33]
Friel's next roles were in the Irish television filmWatermelon (2003), where she starred as a headstrongDublin girl who travels to England for an abortion,[34] and theRichard Donner fantasy adventure filmTimeline (2003), where she played the love interest of the main character. She was then cast as Attorney Megan Delaney inThe Jury, an American legal drama series that ran onFox for a single season in 2004. Writing forThe New York Times,Alessandra Stanley called the show "clever, innovative", and said of Friel, "hers is the most textured and persuasive character".[35] Friel later admitted to finding the job a challenge: "Everyone was saying, 'you will never believe how much hard work it is', and I was telling them not to worry because I'm used to it … but my God were they right … You run off the set from one scene and get changed and run back on. It is so fast and so very well organised but it is hard, hard bloody work".[21] Next, she playedGeordie nurse Roz in the British-American sports dramaGoal! (2005; a part she reprised in itssequel) and appeared as a recovering drug addict in theToronto-setNiagara Motel (2006). In a mixed review ofMotel,The Georgia Straight's Ken Eisner noted that Friel's performance carried "the most weight" in the film, while commending her "perfect local accent".[36] In November 2006, she was awarded anhonorary doctorate by theUniversity of Bolton for contributions to the performing arts.[1]
In 2007, Friel was cast asCharlotte "Chuck" Charles inPushing Daisies, an Americandramedy series created byBryan Fuller, which aired onABC from October that year until June 2009. The show was warmly reviewed during its run,[37] with television criticJohn Leonard believing it to be "at once satire, mystery, fairy tale, romance, lollipop, whimsy, and kazoo", and singling out Friel as a highlight.[38] Her portrayal of Charles, a resurrected murder victim and passionate beekeeper, won her a nomination for the 2008Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.[39]Daisies was cancelled shortly after itssecond season finale, with viewership having dropped from 13 million to 4.9 million.[40] Friel was subsequently offered a number of roles on American television, but turned them down to focus on her film career.[41]
For her portrayal of thetitle character inBathory, a 2008 historical drama directed byJuraj Jakubisko, Friel was nominated for that year'sCzech Lion Award for Best Actress.[28] With a budget of UK£9.5 million, the film was the most expensive ever made in central Europe and broke box-office records in Slovakia.[42] In her review forThe Guardian, Gwladys Fouché described the film as being "bathed in a gothic atmosphere that tops everyDracula movie you've seen", while saying of Friel, "[she] spends two-and-half hours wielding swords, torturing peasants, surviving poison plots and making love toCaravaggio (yes, the Italian painter) to protect her land", adding that "[she] rolls her r's in an interesting attempt at a local accent".[42] Her next project was the science fiction adventure filmLand of the Lost—her first lead role in a major U.S. production—where she co-starred oppositeWill Ferrell.[43] Directed byBrad Silberling and based on the 1970stelevision series of the same name,Lost was met with tepid reviews and poor box office upon its release in June 2009,[44][45] though some critics enjoyed Friel's portrayal of Holly Cantrell, a spirited palaeontologist,[46] remarking that she and Ferrell shared onscreen chemistry.[47]
Friel returned to the stage towards the end of 2009 in an adaptation ofTruman Capote'sBreakfast at Tiffany's, which played at theTheatre Royal Haymarket for four months and gained notice for its addition of nudity,[48] with increased security being implemented at the venue after naked images of Friel—taken during a preview performance—were anonymously posted online.[49] The production received mixed reviews,[50] but Friel's portrayal ofcafé society daydreamer Holly Golightly, one of her "all time favourite heroines",[51] was praised: Alice Jones ofThe Independent described her as "infectious", adding, "Gorgeously gamine and wrapped, like a treat fromTiffany's, in an array of ever more extravagantly bowed cocktail dresses, she's a bewitching stage presence, at once perilously provocative and child-like";[52] while Ray Bennett ofThe Hollywood Reporter believed she brought "confidence" and "considerable depth" to the part.[53] In November 2009, Friel won anRTS Award for "Best Performance in a Drama Series" for her work as Dee, a struggling single mother who turns to prostitution, inBBC One'sThe Street.[54]
Friel had key parts in three films released in 2010: self-destructive Iris in theWoody Allen ensemble comedyYou Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, ex-drug addict Melissa inNeil Burger's lucrative sci-fi thrillerLimitless,[55] and depressed alcoholic Briony in the gangster dramaLondon Boulevard, with her work in the latter being described as "engaging".[56][57] The following year, Friel played a fictionalised version of herself in an episode of themockumentary seriesCome Fly with Me,[58] as well as starring as a ruthless pirate inNeverland on theSyfy channel—a prequel toJ. M. Barrie'sPeter Pan—and earning strong notices for her performance in the three-part mystery drama seriesWithout You.[59][60] She then returned to the West End in a new version ofAnton Chekhov'sUncle Vanya at theVaudeville Theatre (November 2012 to February 2013),[61] receiving praise for her role as aristocratic newlywed Yelena.[62][63] Next, she appeared as a vilified probation officer in theBBC crime drama seriesPublic Enemies (2012)[64] and headlined two British films:The Look of Love, abiopic where she played the long-suffering wife of self-made millionairePaul Raymond, and theindependent comedy-dramaHaving You (both 2013). In September 2013, Friel was cast as one of the main characters in theRidley Scott-directedpilotThe Vatican,[65] though—due in part to a negative response from affiliates of theCatholic Church—Showtime decided not to proceed with a full series.[66]
Friel was cast in the lead role of Sgt. Odelle Ballard, an Americanspecial ops soldier on a secret mission inMali, West Africa, in the thriller seriesAmerican Odyssey. TheNBC show ran for a single season between April and June 2015, with some critics comparing it unfavourably toHomeland; though Friel's performance was roundly praised.[67][68][69][70] She starred that same year in the World War II-set Norwegian miniseriesThe Heavy Water War (known elsewhere asThe Saboteurs),[71] and in the drama filmUrban and the Shed Crew, based on the memoir of the same name.[72] Her next major film projects were the independent dark comedyThe Cleanse, revenge thrillerI.T. (both 2016), and the Irish-Canadian crime dramaTomato Red (2017), where her role as atrailer trash mother drew attention for beingagainst type.[73][74]
Friel began playing the eponymous Marcella Backland in the BritishNordic noir detective series,Marcella, in 2016. Speaking of her decision to take on the part—a former policewoman who returns to work to investigate an unsolved serial killer case—she told a journalist prior to the debut of thesecond season, "I nearly pulled out of [the job] after I'd accepted it [because] I just thought, 'Oh God, how can I do this? There are so many amazing female detectives that have done it so well, I don't know what I can offer differently' … so when [the first season] was received as well as it was, I thought maybe I had done something that is different and I've put my own ownership and my own stamp on it".[75] In 2019, Friel collected theInternational Emmy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Backland,[76] whichDecider felt was "extraordinary":
Friel is a master of expressions. From scene to scene the actress' face can shift from chilling hard stares to wide-eyed looks of terror. It's never completely clear what Marcella is thinking or what she's going to do next. Not only does this allow Friel to explore her wide range, but it adds to the unsettling tone of this show.[77]
Marcella's third andfinal season debuted onNetflix in 2020,[78] with Friel commenting afterwards that a fourth season was unlikely to happen.[79]
On thesecond season ofThe Girlfriend Experience (2017), ananthology drama series produced bySteven Soderbergh for theStarz network, Friel played Erica Myles, an ambitious financier engaged indom-sub partnerships with multiple women. Her performance was described as "outstanding" byThe Atlantic[80] and "fantastic" byVariety, who added, "sometimes [the camera] just focuses on her eyes, which can either well up with frustrated tears or shutter in Erica's emotions, as changeable as the sky reflected in a lake".[81] Referring to the series' intense work schedule and the explicit nature of its sex scenes, Friel said that the role was her "most challenging job to date".[82] That same year, she was nominated for theBritish Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a destitute mother in the six-part BBC dramaBroken,[83] withMetro's Sarah Deen noting, "Friel excellently [plays] Christina's frantic desperation … all wild eyes, flapping shoes and dry humour ('I went to Mass and I got the sack. What am I gonna get tomorrow? Cystitis?'). You couldn't tell if her wit was genuine or hastily developed as a defence mechanism to stop her from bursting into tears".[84]
In the ITV drama seriesButterfly, which aired over three weeks in October 2018, Friel starred as Vicky, the parent of atransgender child.Lucy Mangan ofThe Guardian called the show "important, truthful ... a wonderfully delicate drama that covers new ground carefully and features fully realised characters",[85] while theNew Statesman felt that Friel's portrayal of a mother "racked by guilt" was "sterling".[86] Friel said she and the show's creators felt a great responsibility to make it as realistic as possible: "We met all these wonderful families, who were saying, 'please tell our story and tell it properly'. I said, 'do you not feel represented?' And they said 'no'. People have so many comments and opinions, but they actually can be somewhat ill-informed".[87] The following year, Friel headlined the six-part miniseriesDeep Water, whichMetro described as a "dark soap opera", adding, "The performances, with a very human and relatable nasty streak running through each one, [elevate it] to a must-binge drama … Friel excels when it comes to playing harassed women, usually ones with a secret to keep, and the actress completely [disappears] into [her character] as she [fights] to get her marriage back".[88]
In the 2020 horror filmBooks of Blood, Friel played Mary, a grieving mother who makes contact with her late son.[89] Based on a collection of stories byClive Barker,Blood received mixed reviews,[90] though critics remarked that Friel's work was strong.[91][92] Her next project was the starring role of Sharon Pici, aKansas City detective, inViaplay's seven-part psychological thrillerThe Box (2021).[93] The following year, she co-headlined the Fox musical drama seriesMonarch oppositeSusan Sarandon. Friel played Nicolette "Nicky" Roman, a singer-songwriter trying to continue her family's legacy while forging her own path in thecountry music industry. In his review forThe A.V. Club, Max Gao said:
Friel, not Sarandon, is the show'sreal leading lady—and a pretty great one at that … She belts out song after song, delivers memorable, fast-paced one-liners in a Texas accent ("I was going to say be careful about the rats, but there's no need because… you're going to fit right in"), and plays Nicky with such steadfast conviction that it's easy to wonder why she hasn't been more successful on this side of the pond since starring in ABC'sPushing Daisies … thankfully [this is] a role that is worthy of her talents.[94]
Friel performed every song that her character sings—a mixture of covers and originals—herself.[95] It was announced in December 2022 that the series had been cancelled after one season.[96]
In the period drama filmCharming the Hearts of Men (2021), Friel played Grace Gordon, a woman fighting forcivil rights in 1960s Southern America. Her work drew acclaim,[97][98] withFilm Threat commenting that her "lived-in" performance was key toHearts' success.[99] She then appeared as Nicky, aLiverpudlian nurse helping one of her patients unravel a dark secret, in the British psychological thrillerLocked In (2023).[100]
Friel has featured in print and television advertising campaigns for brands such asReebok,Virgin Atlantic,Mulberry,Three,Pantene, andMarks & Spencer.[101][102][103][104][105][106]
In 2010, she co-starred withMichael Sheen in the music video for theManic Street Preachers' single "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love", in which their characters were absorbed in a game of chess.[107]
Friel works as an ambassador for theWWF wildlife charity.[108][109]
In 2001, Friel began a relationship with actorDavid Thewlis, after the pair met on a flight toCannes.[110] Later that year, Friel collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, needing emergency surgery and two blood transfusions for a rupturedovarian cyst.[111] It was discovered that she suffers fromendometriosis and would have difficulty conceiving.[112] Despite this, she later became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Gracie Ellen Mary Friel, on 9 July 2005 atPortland Hospital, London.[113] Gracie was named afterGracie Fields, and her mother's grandmothers, Ellen and Mary. In December 2010, Friel and Thewlis separated after almost ten years together.[114] Friel dated actorRhys Ifans from 2011 to 2014.[115][116]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Stringer | Helen | |
| The Land Girls | Prue (Prudence) | ||
| 1999 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hermia | |
| Rogue Trader | Lisa Leeson | ||
| Mad Cows | Maddy | ||
| 2000 | Sunset Strip | Tammy Franklin | |
| An Everlasting Piece | Bronagh | ||
| 2001 | The War Bride | Lily | |
| Me Without You | Marina | ||
| 2003 | Last Rumba in Rochdale | Bodney (voice) | Short |
| Timeline | Lady Claire | ||
| 2005 | Goal! | Roz Harmison | |
| Niagara Motel | Denise | ||
| 2006 | Irish Jam | Maureen Duffy | |
| 2007 | Goal II: Living the Dream | Roz Harmison | |
| Rubbish | Isobel | Short | |
| 2008 | Bathory | Countess Erzsébet Báthory | |
| 2009 | Land of the Lost | Holly Cantrell | |
| 2010 | London Boulevard | Briony | |
| You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | Iris | ||
| 2011 | Limitless | Melissa | |
| 2012 | Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 | Diana | Short |
| 2013 | The Look of Love | Jean Raymond | |
| Having You | Anna | ||
| 2014 | Good People | Sarah | |
| Advent | Helen | Short | |
| 2015 | Urban & the Shed Crew | Greta | |
| 2016 | The Cleanse | Maggie | |
| I.T. | Rose Regan | ||
| 2017 | Tomato Red | Bev Merridew | |
| 2018 | The Sea | Jenny | Short |
| 2019 | Sulphur and White | Joanne Tait | |
| 2020 | Books of Blood | Mary | |
| 2021 | Charming the Hearts of Men | Grace Gordon | |
| 2023 | Locked In | Nurse Mackenzie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | G.B.H. | Susan Nelson | Main cast |
| Coronation Street | Belinda Johnson | 2 episodes | |
| 1992 | Emmerdale | Poppy Bruce | 4 episodes |
| 1993 | Medics | Holly Jarrett | Episode #3.3 |
| In Suspicious Circumstances | Alice Rudrum | Episode #3.5 | |
| 1993–1995 | Brookside | Beth Jordache | Series regular |
| 1995 | The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show | Unknown | Episode #2.1 |
| 1996 | Tales from the Crypt | Angelica / Leah | Episode: "About Face" |
| Cadfael | Sioned | Episode: "A Morbid Taste for Bones" | |
| 1998 | Our Mutual Friend | Bella Wilfer | Main cast |
| The Tribe | Lizzie | Television film | |
| St. Ives | Flora Gilchrist | Television film | |
| 2000 | Lum the Invader Girl | Lum (voice) | Comedydub ofUrusei Yatsura forBBC Choice; 2 episodes |
| 2001 | The Fear | Storyteller | Episode: "Horror: A True Tale" |
| 2002 | Fields of Gold | Lucia Merritt | Television film |
| 2003 | Watermelon | Claire Ryan | Television film |
| 2004 | The Jury | Megan Delaney | Main cast |
| Perfect Strangers | Susie Wilding | Television film | |
| 2007–2009 | Pushing Daisies | Charlotte "Chuck" Charles | Main cast |
| 2009 | The Street | Dee Purnell | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Neverland | Elizabeth Bonny | Main cast |
| Treasure Guards [de] | Victoria Eckhart | Television film | |
| Come Fly with Me | Herself | Episode #1.5 | |
| Without You | Ellie | Main cast | |
| 2012 | Public Enemies | Paula Radnor | Main cast |
| 2013 | Playhouse Presents | Jenny | Episode: "The Pavement Psychologist" |
| The Vatican | Kayla Duffy | Unairedpilot | |
| 2014 | The Psychopath Next Door | Eve Wright | Television film |
| 2015 | American Odyssey | Sgt. Odelle Ballard | Main cast |
| The Heavy Water War | Julie Smith | Main cast | |
| 2016–2019 | Marcella | Det Sgt Marcella Backland | Main cast |
| 2017 | The Keith & Paddy Picture Show | Adrian | Episode: "Rocky" |
| Broken | Christina Fitzsimmons | Main cast | |
| The Girlfriend Experience | Erica Myles | Main cast (season 2) | |
| 2018 | Butterfly | Vicky Duffy | Main cast |
| 2019 | Deep Water | Lisa Kallisto | Main cast |
| 2022 | Monarch | Nicolette "Nicky" Roman | Main cast |
| TBA | The Dream Lands | Jas | Main cast[132] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots and Other Stories | Narrator | Audiobook(author:Beatrix Potter) |
| 2017 | Alien: River of Pain | Anne Jorden | Audiobook(author:Christopher Golden) |
| 2018 | The Perfect Girlfriend | Narrator | Audiobook(author: Karen Hamilton) |
| Year | Song | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" | Manic Street Preachers | Directed by Alex Smith |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Look, Europe! | Unknown | Almeida Theatre |
| 1999 | Closer | Alice | Music Box Theatre |
| 2001 | Lulu | Lulu | Almeida Theatre;Kennedy Center |
| 2009 | Breakfast at Tiffany's | Holly Golightly | Theatre Royal Haymarket |
| 2012–2013 | Uncle Vanya | Yelena | Vaudeville Theatre |
