Sheila McCarthy (born January 1,^[a] 1956)^[1][2][3] is a Canadian actress and singer. She has worked in film, television, and on stage. McCarthy is one of Canada's most honoured actors, having won twoGenie Awards (film), twoGemini Awards (television), anACTRA Award, and twoDora Awards (theatre), along with multiple nominations.^[4][5]

Sheila McCarthy
McCarthy at the 2012Genie Awards
Born	(1956-01-01)January 1, 1956 (age 69) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1982–present
Spouse	Peter Donaldson ​ ​ (m. 1986; died 2011)​
Children	2

McCarthy was born in Toronto, Ontario on January 1, 1956.^[2] She attendedThornlea Secondary School in Thornhill in her youth. Her first appearance on stage was at Toronto's Elgin Theatre inPeter Pan when she was age six.^[1] She later attended the University of Victoria and spent a year studying withUta Hagen at herHB Studio in New York City, and also workshopped with the Second City troupe in Toronto.^[6]

After several years of television work under her belt, McCarthy secured a role in the made-for-television movieA Nest of Singing Birds (1987), receiving early recognition for her talent with a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Dramatic Program. That year, she made her first notable impression on the Canadian movie scene as Polly, the quirky, "organizationally impaired girl" inPatricia Rozema'sI've Heard the Mermaids Singing. For this role, McCarthy won the Genie Award for Best Actress. The film became wildly popular in Canada, earning many international and domestic awards and critical acclaim.^[1][7][8]

McCarthy has since become one of Canada's more honoured actors, having won twoGenie Awards (film), twoGemini Awards (television), and twoDora Awards (theatre) along with multiple nominations.^[4][5]

She played Sarah Hamoudi in the Canadian television seriesLittle Mosque on the Prairie (2007–2012), a role for which she was nominated for a Gemini award. One of her more recognized big-screen roles is Samantha, the news reporter in the movieDie Hard 2 with Bruce Willis. Her most recent roles are Connie Hendrix, mother of the clone Alison in seriesOrphan Black and Agnes Rofa in the seriesThe Umbrella Academy.

She is also an accomplished voice-over actress, having performed characters voices inFree Willy,Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend,The Busy World of Richard Scarry,The Neverending Story,Bad Dog andMarvin the Tap-Dancing Horse.

On stage, McCarthy has appeared inLittle Shop of Horrors,Hamlet,Cabaret,Guys and Dolls,Anything Goes, andLove Letters.^[9]

From 1986 until his death in 2011, McCarthy was married to actorPeter Donaldson.^[10] They have two daughters: Drew^[2] and Mackenzie Donaldson, who is also in show business (producer ofWhatever, Linda andOrphan Black).^[11]

McCarthy is a spokesperson for The Quilt Project, a support group for families affected by breast cancer, and Canadian Feed the Children.^[1]

• 2006: "All Good Now" – from the movieCow Belles

This section needs to be expanded to include further awards and nominations.

• Sheila McCarthy atIMDb
• Sheila McCarthy onTwitter