Michelle Fairley | |
|---|---|
 Fairley in 2013 | |
| Born | 1963 or 1964 (age 61–62)[1] Coleraine,County Londonderry, Northern Ireland |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1986–present |
Michelle Fairley is an actress fromNorthern Ireland. She is best known for playingCatelyn Stark in theHBO seriesGame of Thrones (2011–2013). She has since appeared in theUSA Network seriesSuits (2013), theFox series24: Live Another Day (2014),[2] theRTÉ miniseriesRebellion (2016), the science fiction seriesThe Feed (2019), theSky Atlantic crime dramaGangs of London (2020–present), and theNetflix seriesHow to Get to Heaven from Belfast (2026).
Fairley was born in Coleraine to parents Brian and Teresa Fairley, the second eldest of six children. Her father was a popular publican, owner of Fairley's Bar and severaloff-licences, in Northern Ireland duringThe Troubles, when Fairley remembers bothCatholics andProtestants frequenting the pub.[3][4]
Fairley appeared in a number of British television shows, includingThe Bill,Holby City andCasualty. Some of her earlier roles were as Cathy Michaels onITV1'sInspector Morse in the episode titled "The Way Through the Woods", and as Nancy Phelan inLovejoy in the episode 9 of Season 3 titled "Smoke Your Nose".[5]
She took over the role of Mrs. Granger from Heather Bleasdale (who had played Mrs. Granger inChamber of Secrets) in theHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films.[6] From 2011 to 2013, Fairley starred asCatelyn Stark (née Tully) in the first three seasons of theHBO fantasy seriesGame of Thrones, replacingJennifer Ehle who played the character in the original, unaired, pilot episode.[7]
Fairley joined the cast of theUSA Network seriesSuits for its third season, playing the recurring role of Dr. Ava Hessington, achemical engineer and oil CEO accused of bribery, and after that, accused for murder.[8] She played Margot Al-Harazi in24: Live Another Day onFox. Her film roles includedThe Invisible Woman (2013) andIn the Heart of the Sea (2015).[9] In 2014, Fairley was cast as Margaret Langston in the ABC TV SeriesResurrection (2014–2015).
In 2017, it was announced Fairley would appear in a revival ofJim Cartwright's playRoad at theRoyal Court Theatre[10] In 2018, she played Cassius inJulius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre, alongsideDavid Calder,David Morrissey andBen Whishaw.[11] In 2019, Fairley led theVirgin Media andAmazon Prime science fiction seriesThe Feed as Meredith Hatfield. As of June 2020, Fairley stars as Marian Wallace in theSky Atlantic crime dramaGangs of London.[12] She starred as Millie in the 2021 filmNobody Has to Know, alongsideBouli Lanners.[13] In 2023, Fairley starred asPrincess Augusta inQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story onNetflix.[14] She also contributed toThe Gone, a TVNZ and RTÉ co-production.[15]
Fairley has been based inLondon since 1986, and keeps a low public profile. She said in an interview withThe Telegraph in 2015, that she made the decision to separate from her boyfriend of seven years, in 2012. Since then, Fairley has had no known partners. Fairley said, in the same interview, that she "missed the gene" for motherhood. She never had the desire to have children like some of her siblings did.[16]
While Fairley has worked on various American projects in the past, she has no love for Hollywood, and theWest End theatres remain her home.[17] She said that while television and movies provide a new challenge by making her "use a different muscle", theatre is where she feels her best work is done, where she started her career, and where she hopes to "end up".[18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Hidden City | Cleaner | |
| 1990 | Hidden Agenda | Teresa Doyle | |
| 1998 | A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries | Miss O'Shaunessy | |
| Hideous Kinky | Patricia | ||
| 2000 | The Second Death | Aisling | Short film |
| 2001 | The Others | Mrs. Marlish | |
| 2002 | Shearing | Yvonne | Short films |
| 2009 | Suicide Man | Woman on Cliff | |
| 2010 | Cup Cake | Annie McNabb | |
| Anton Checkov's The Duel | Marya | ||
| Chatroom | Rosie | ||
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Mrs. Granger | ||
| 2013 | The Invisible Woman | Caroline Graves | |
| Philomena | Sally Mitchell | ||
| Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart | Brigitte Helm (voice) | English version | |
| 2014 | Ironclad: Battle for Blood | Joan De Vesci | |
| Montana | DCI Rachel Jones | ||
| I Am Here | Mother | Short film | |
| 2015 | In the Heart of the Sea | Mrs. Nickerson | |
| 2016 | Edith | Sheila | Short films |
| 2019 | The Trap | Michelle | |
| 2020 | Lesson 7 | Max | |
| 2021 | Nobody Has to Know | Millie MacPherson | |
| 2022 | An Irish Goodbye | Grainne (voice) | Short film |
| 2023 | The Trap | Michelle | Longer version of 2019 short |
| 2024 | Small Things Like These | Mrs. Wilson | |
| 2026 | Whistle | Ivy Raymore | |
| TBA | No Ordinary Heist | Mags Fulton | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Teresa | Rosie | Television film |
| 1988 | Crossfire | Scanlon's Girl | Mini-series; episode 1: "Bringing It Home" |
| 1989 | Saracen | Maeve | Episode 6: "Starcross" |
| 1990 | 4 Play | Maureen | Series 1; episode 8: "Valentine Falls" |
| Theatre Night | Ruth | Series 5; episode 4: "Pentecost" | |
| 1991 | Children of the North | Kate | Episodes 1, 3 and 4 |
| Screen Two | Sharon | Series 8; episode 2: "Flea Bites" | |
| Casualty | Kathy Emerick | Series 6; episode 2: "Judgement Day" | |
| 1992 | Lovejoy | Nancy Phelan | Series 3; episode 9: "Smoke Your Nose" |
| Screenplay | Jenny | Series 7; episode 2: "Force of Duty" | |
| 1993 | Screen Two | Fiona Gibbons - Liverpool | Series 9; episode 3: "The Long Roads" |
| Comics | Nula O'Reilly | Episodes 1 & 2 | |
| Casualty | Kate Maguire | Series 8; episode 4: "No Place to Hide" | |
| 1994 | Cardiac Arrest | Casualty Sister Karen Teller | Series 1; episodes 2, 4 and 6 |
| 1995 | Screen Two | Roisin Donaghy | Series 11; episode 2: "Life After Life" |
| The Bill | Beth Spence | Series 11; episode 77: "No Choice" | |
| Inspector Morse | Cathy Michaels | Series 8; episode 1:"The Way Through the Woods" | |
| 1996 | Screen Two | Jean McBride | Series 13; episode 5: "The Precious Blood" |
| Safe and Sound | Eleanor Delaney | Main role. Episodes 1–6 | |
| A Mug's Game | Kathy Cowan | Episodes 1–4 | |
| 1997 | The Broker's Man | Gabby Rodwell | Main role. Series 1; episodes 1–6 |
| The History of Tom Jones: a Foundling | Mrs. Harriet Fitzpatrick | Mini-series; episodes 2–5 | |
| 1999 | Vicious Circle | Frances | Television film |
| Births, Marriages and Deaths | Pat | Main role. Episodes 1–4 | |
| 2000 | McCready and Daughter | Bernadette | Television film |
| 2001 | In Deep | Phoebe / Eva | Series 1; episodes 1 and 2: "Blue on Blue: Parts 1 and 2" |
| Rebus | Janice Mee | Series 1; episodes 3 and 4: "Dead Souls" and "Mortal Causes" | |
| 2003 | Holby City | Heidi Drury | Series 6; episode 6: "Keep It in the Family" |
| The Clinic | Shirley | Series 1; episode 6 | |
| 2005 | Ahead of the Class | Sonia Venning | Television film |
| The Golden Hour | Julia Harper | Mini-series; episode 4 | |
| 2006 | The Catherine Tate Show | Nurse Rosemary | Series 3; episode 1: "Mum, I'm Gay" |
| Strictly Confidential | Carol Machin | Episode 2 | |
| 2007 | Trial & Retribution | Janet Jenkins | Series 10; episodes 9 and 10: "Mirror Image: Parts 1 and 2" |
| The Street | Paul's Mum | Series 2; episode 6: "The Promise" | |
| 2009 | A Short Stay in Switzerland | Mrs. Savery | Television film |
| Lark Rise to Candleford | Mrs. Lizbeth Patterson | Series 2; episode 10 | |
| Best: His Mother's Son | Ann Best | Television film | |
| Taggart | Joan Revie | Series 25; episode 4: "So Long Baby" | |
| Misfits | Louise Young | Series 1; episodes 1 and 2 | |
| 2010 | Midsomer Murders | Iris Holman | Series 13; episode 6: "The Noble Art" |
| 2011 | Silent Witness | DI Suzy Harte | Series 14; episodes 5 and 6: "First Casualty: Parts 1 and 2" |
| 2011–2013 | Game of Thrones | Catelyn Stark | Main role. Seasons 1–3; 25 episodes |
| 2012 | Coming Up | Jen | Series 10; episode 7: "Colour" |
| 2013 | Suits | Ava Hessington | Recurring role. Season 3; 8 episodes |
| 2014 | 24: Live Another Day | Margot Al-Harazi | Mini-series; episodes 2–9 |
| Common | Shelagh Wallace | Television film | |
| 2014–2015 | Resurrection | Margaret Langston | Season 2; episodes 1–13 |
| 2015 | The Lizzie Borden Chronicles | Aideen Trotwood | Mini-series; episode 8: "Capsize" |
| Crossing Lines | Sophie Baines | Season 3; episodes 1 and 2: "Redux" and "Whistleblower" | |
| 2016 | Rebellion | Dolly Butler | Mini-series; episodes 1–5 |
| 2017 | Fortitude | Freya Lennox | Series 2; episodes 1–10 |
| The White Princess | Margaret Beaufort | Main role. Mini-series; episodes 1–8 | |
| Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Queen Igneous (voice) | Season 2; episode 5; segment: "Rockullan, Papyron, Scissorian" | |
| 2018 | To Provide All People | Intensive Care Nurse | Television film |
| 2019 | The Feed | Meredith Hatfield | Main role. Episodes 1–10 |
| Responsible Child | Kerry | Television film | |
| 2020–present | Gangs of London | Marian Wallace | Main role. Series 1–3; 25 episodes |
| 2023 | Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story | Princess Augusta | Main role. Mini-series; episodes 1–6 |
| 2023–2024 | The Gone | Judge Hannah Martin | Main role. Series 1 and 2; 11 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Oleanna | Carol | Royal Court Theatre |
| 1998 | Never Land | Elisabeth | |
| 1999 | The Weir | Valerie | Walter Kerr Theatre |
| 2003 | Scenes from the Big Picture | Helen Woods | National Theatre |
| Loyal Women | Brenda | Royal Court Theatre | |
| 2004 | Ashes to Ashes | Rebecca | Lyric Theatre |
| 2006 | The Wild Duck | Gina | Donmar Warehouse |
| Gates of Gold | Alma | Trafalgar Studios | |
| 2007 | Othello | Emilia | Donmar Warehouse |
| Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | West Yorkshire Playhouse | |
| 2009 | Dancing at Lughnasa | Kate | Old Vic |
| 2010 | Greta Garbo Came to Donegal | Paulie Hennessy | Tricycle Theatre |
| 2011 | Remembrance Day | Sveta | Royal Court Theatre |
| 2015 | Splendour | Genevieve | Donmar Warehouse |
| 2017 | Road | Helen / Marion / Brenda | Royal Court Theatre |
| 2018 | Julius Caesar | Cassius | Bridge Theatre |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Olivier Awards | Best Performance in a Supporting Role | Nominated | [19] | |
| 2011 | Irish Film & Television Award | Best Actress - Television | Game of Thrones | Nominated | [20] |
| Scream Award | Best Ensemble | Nominated | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | [21] | ||
| 2013 | Irish Film & Television Award | Best Actress - Television | Won | [22] | |
| Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress on Television | Nominated | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | [23] | ||
| 2015 | Irish Film & Television Award | Best Supporting Actress - Television | Nominated | [24] | |
| 2019 | Clarence Derwent Award | Best Female in a Supporting Role | Won | [25] | |
| WhatsOnStage Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Play | Nominated | [26] | ||
| 2021 | Chicago International Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | [27] |
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