Fenella Woolgar
 |
Fenella Woolgar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 August 1969 |
| Education | RADA |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse |
Robert Harland (m. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | fenellawoolgar |
Fenella Woolgar (born 4 August 1969) is an English film, theatre, television and radio actress. She is known for her roles in the films Bright Young Things (2003) and Judy (2019).
Early life
Woolgar was born in London, the daughter of Michael Woolgar and Maureen Woolgar (née McCann). Her mother is of Irish descent. Woolgar's early years were spent in New Canaan, Connecticut. She was educated at Mayfield School, Durham University, and then Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). At university, along with acting she directed Murder in the Cathedral in Durham Cathedral and wrote and performed comedy in The Durham Revue.
Career
Following Woolgar's graduation from RADA in 1999 she worked in rep at The Royal Exchange, Manchester, York Theatre Royal, Sheffield Crucible and for the BBC in both television and radio. In 2002 she was cast as Agatha in Stephen Fry's film Bright Young Things for which she was nominated for several awards. She subsequently went on to work with Mike Leigh in Vera Drake and Mr. Turner, Conor McPherson in The Veil at the National Theatre and Woody Allen in Scoop and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. She played Agatha Christie in Doctor Who in 2008.[1] In 2010 she voiced the character of Dr. Sofia Lamb, the main antagonist in the video game BioShock 2.
Woolgar has most recently worked in theatre at the Donmar, Royal Court, National Theatre; the Old Vic and in the West End. She won the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress in the West End in 2013 and the Sunday Times Culture Award for Stage Performance of the Year 2014 for playing Margaret Thatcher in Handbagged. She is regularly heard on the radio and was nominated for Best Actress on the radio in 2013 for An American Rose in which she played Rosemary Kennedy. She played the title role in Mrs Dalloway for BBC Radio 4 and Edith Wharton in both The Jinx Element and Ethan Frome. She stars in the BBC Radio 4 comedy Dot. She has narrated several audiobooks and was nominated for Audio Book of the Year 2013.[2]
Woolgar's recent work includes two television roles. She appeared in 2014 and 2015 as Alison Scotlock in Home Fires. She joined the cast of Call the Midwife in series 8 as Sister Hilda.[3]
Awards and award nominations
- Celebrity Portrait Artist of the Year - Sky Arts 2019
- Stage Performance of the Year – The Sunday Times Culture Awards 2014[4]
- Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress in the West End 2013.[5]
Woolgar has been nominated for several awards, including:
- Best Supporting Actress – What's On Stage Awards 2013
- Best Actress – BBC Radio Drama Awards 2013
- Best Audio Book of the Year (for Life After Life) 2013
- Best Supporting Actress – British Independent Film Awards 2003
- Best Supporting Actress – Empire Film Awards 2003
- Best Supporting Actress – London Critics Circle 2003
- Best Newcomer – Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2003
- Best Supporting Actress – Manchester Evening News Awards 2000 and 2001
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Bright Young Things | Agatha | Nominated - Empire Award for Best Newcomer Nominated - London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actress of the Year Nominated - British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer |
| Stage Beauty | Aurelia Meresvale | ||
| Vera Drake | Hester | ||
| 2004 | Wah-Wah | June Broughton | |
| 2005 | Scoop | Jane Cook | |
| 2007 | St Trinian's | Miss Cleaver | |
| 2009 | You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | Jane | |
| 2011 | Cheerful Weather for the Wedding | Nancy Dakin | |
| 2013 | Mr. Turner | Elizabeth Eastlake | |
| 2016 | Swallows and Amazons | Miss Crummock | |
| Whisky Galore! | Dolly | ||
| 2017 | Victoria & Abdul | Miss Phipps | |
| 2019 | Mr Jones | Miss Stephenson | |
| Judy | Margaret Hamilton |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Poirot | Ellis | Episode: "Lord Edgware Dies" |
| 2001 | People Like Us | Episode: "The Bank Manager" | |
| The Way We Live Now | Lady Julia Monogram | Mini-Series | |
| Mr Charity | Lady Sophie | Series Regular | |
| 2003 | Eroica | Princess Marie Lobkowitz | TV film |
| 2004 | He Knew He Was Right | Arabella French | Mini-series |
| 2006 | Mr. Loveday's Little Outing | Angela Moping | TV film |
| 2007 | Jekyll | Min | Series regular |
| 2008 | Freezing | Heidi | 1 episode |
| Doctor Who | Agatha Christie | Episode: "The Unicorn and the Wasp" | |
| 2010 | Poirot | Miss Whittaker | Episode: "Hallowe'en Party" |
| 2011 | Silk | Wendy Ford | 1 episode |
| Case Histories | Amelia Land | Episode: "Case Histories" | |
| 2013 | Spies of Warsaw | Lady Angela Hope | Mini-series |
| 2015-2016 | Home Fires | Alison Scotlock | Series regular |
| 2016 | War & Peace | Catiche Kuragina | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | The Halcyon | Lady Ashworth | 1 episode |
| Harlots | Lady Repton | 4 episodes | |
| Quacks | Lady Campbell | 2 episodes | |
| 2018-present | Call the Midwife | Sister Hilda | Series regular |
| 2018 | Inside No. 9 | June | Episode: "And the Winner Is....." |
| Midsomer Murders | Hazel Webster | Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part" | |
| 2019 | Plebs | Jocasta | Episode: "The Grumbrella" |
Theatre
- 1994: Nelly, Playboy of the Western World, Bristol Old Vic
- 1999: Varya, The Cherry Orchard, York Theatre Royal
- 2000: Lucy, Bring Me Sunshine, Royal Exchange, Manchester
- 2000: Kitty Verdun, Charley's Aunt, Sheffield Crucible
- 2000: Celia, As You Like It, Royal Exchange, Manchester
- 2001: Eleanor, The Miser, Salisbury Playhouse
- 2001: Teresa, How the Other Half Loves, Watford Palace Theatre
- 2002: Emma, Way Upstream, Derby Playhouse
- 2002: Helena, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
- 2004: Adela, Passage to India, Shared Experience Theatre Company
- 2005: Charlotte Brontë, Brontë, Shared Experience Theatre Company
- 2006: Helen, Motortown, Royal Court, London
- 2009: Madge, Time and the Conways, National Theatre, London directed by Rupert Goold
- 2010: Charlotte, The Real Thing at the Old Vic, London
- 2011: Madeleine, The Veil by Conor McPherson, National Theatre, London, directed by Conor McPherson
- 2012: Thea Elvsted in Brian Friel's adaptation of Hedda Gabler, Old Vic, London
- 2013: Theresa in Circle Mirror Transformation, Royal Court Local Theatre, Rose Lipman Building, Haggerston, London
- 2013: Margaret Thatcher (Mags) in Handbagged by Moira Buffini, Tricycle Theatre, London[6]
- 2014: Margaret Thatcher (Mags) in Handbagged, Vaudeville Theatre, London
- 2016: Valerie, Welcome Home Captain Fox, Donmar Warehouse, London
- 2017: Miss Roach, The Slaves of Solitude, Hampstead Theatre, London
Radio
Includes:
- Virginia Woolf in The Hours for BBC Radio 4, Polly Thomas and Judith Kampfner
- Poetry Please with Roger McGough for BBC Radio 4
- Book of the Week for Radio 4 including Only In Naples by Katherine Wilson and Millions Like Us by Virginia Nicholson
- Dot in 'Dot' by Ed Harris, series 1 and 2
- Blood Sex and Money – Zola, BBC Radio 4 Polly Thomas written by Dan Rebellato
- Mrs Dalloway in Mrs Dalloway, BBC Radio 4 Marc Beeby
- Rosemary Kennedy in An American Rose, BBC Radio 4 Sally Avens
- Edith Wharton in Ethan Frome and in The Jinx Element, BBC Radio 4 Sally Avens
- Before They Were Famous, Hat Trick
- Flaw in the Motor, Dust in the Blood, BBC Radio 4, Toby Swift written by Trevor Preston
Audio
Includes:
Life After Life and Transcription by Kate Atkinson and The Other Family and Daughters in Law by Joanna Trollope.
Dr. Sofia Lamb – BioShock 2 By 2K Games Writer and Concept – Ken Levine Director – Jordan Thomas
See also
References
- ^ "Who is Fenella Woolgar? Portrait Artist of the Year star played in Judy with Renée Zellweger!". Reality Titbit. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Fenella Woolgar". Audible.co.uk. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Meet the cast of Call the Midwife series 9". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Culture". The Sunday Times. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ "Fenella Woolgar and Paul Chahidi win Clarence Derwent awards". Retrieved 17 April 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ 'Handbagged' programme. Vaudeville Theatre.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1969 births
- Living people
- Audiobook narrators
- Actresses from London
- Alumni of Durham University
- Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- English film actresses
- English television actresses
- English people of Irish descent
- English radio actresses
- English stage actresses
- 21st-century English actresses
- 20th-century English actresses