Anna Friel

Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress from Rochdale, in Greater Manchester. In television, her most recent role had been starring as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, the female lead in the American television series Pushing Daisies. In her upcoming film, Land of the Lost, she plays a research assistant opposite Will Ferrell.

Early life

Friel was born on 12 July 1976 in Rochdale Lancashire. Her brother Michael starred in the Hovis television adverts. She attended Crompton House Church of England High School, in High Crompton, Shaw and Crompton. She then attended The Oldham College in Oldham. Friel became interested in acting at an early age and received frequent praise for her work at local talent shows.

Acting career

At the age of 13, she was hired for her first professional acting job in the Channel 4 drama serial G.B.H., as the daughter of Michael Palin's character. Her performance led to a series of appearances on various British television shows, including Emmerdale. In 1992, she was added to the cast on the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, where she gained greater exposure in the role of Beth Jordache. Though she only stayed on the programme for two years, Friel's lesbian kiss remains one of the most talked-about moments in British soap history. In 1995, Friel won the National Television Award for Most Popular Actress for her work on Brookside.

In 1996, Friel courted further controversy when she appeared in the television film The Tribe by Stephen Poliakoff, which included nudity and a much discussed ménage à trois sex scene between characters played by Friel, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Jeremy Northam.

In 1998 she appeared in the original Broadway run of Closer by Patrick Marber at the Music Box Theatre in Manhattan, United States winning a Drama Desk Award and a Theatre World award for her performance as Alice. In 2001, she made her West End stage debut in London in a fringe production of Lulu which also transferred to Broadway.

Friel's film credits include playing Nick Leeson's wife Lisa in Rogue Trader opposite Ewan McGregor; David Leland's The Land Girls, which also starred Rachel Weisz and Catherine McCormack; All for Love with Richard E. Grant; A Midsummer Night's Dream as Hermia, opposite Christian Bale, Dominic West and Calista Flockhart; Timeline as Gerard Butler's object of affection; Me Without You opposite Michelle Williams; and Goal! and Goal! 2: Living the Dream....

Her television work includes the short lived The Jury for the Fox and ITV1's Watermelon which was based on the novel by Marian Keyes. In 2007 she started playing Charlotte "Chuck" Charles in Pushing Daisies, a new television series from the creator of Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls, on the American network ABC. In November 2008, creator Bryan Fuller stated that it had been cancelled due to poor ratings.

In the pilot season following the cancellation of Pushing Daisies, Friel was offered six pilots but declined all six roles in favor of focusing on her movie career.

In November 2006 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bolton for contributions to the performing arts.

She has also been seen as the face of Pantene Pro-V Ice shine in the United Kingdom, appearing in both Television advertisements and print advertising. She has also appeared in adverts on television for 3 Mobile and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Personal life

In 2001, Friel began a relationship with actor David Thewlis, whom she met on a flight to Cannes. Their daughter, Gracie Ellen Mary Friel, was born on 9 July, 2005, at Portland Hospital in London.

In 2008 Friel began supporting the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign in support of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, alongside fellow celebrities, Alan Carr, Angela Griffin, Natalie Imbruglia, Edith Bowman and Twiggy.

Friel advocates the work of the Burma Campaign UK, an NGO committed to bringing about change in the deeply troubled nation.

Awards and nominations

* 2008 Golden Globe – Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical Nomination for Pushing Daisies (nominee)
* 2008 Satellite Awards – Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical Nomination for Pushing Daisies (nominee)
* 1999 Drama Desk Awards – Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for "Closer"
* 1995 TV Times Awards – Best Actress
* 1994 TV Quick Magazine – Best Newcomer

Honorary degree, awarded by University of Bolton.