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Fenella Woolgar

Fenella Justine Therese Woolgar (born 4 August 1969) is an English film, theatre, television and radio actress. She is known for her roles in various films including Bright Young Things (2003) and Victoria and Abdul (2017). She is also well known for TV shows, including Doctor Who, as crime novelist Agatha Christie, Inside Number 9, and Call the Midwife as Sister Hilda.

Early life

Woolgar was born in London. Her mother is of Irish descent and she has joint UK and Irish citizenship. Woolgar's early years were spent in New Canaan, Connecticut, USA. 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.

Woolgar has most recently worked in a new show for Apple TV (The Buccaneers) and 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 BBC 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 titular role in BBC Radio 4 comedy Dot, written by Ed Harris. She has narrated several audiobooks and was nominated for Audio Book of the Year 2013.

Woolgar's recent work includes an upcoming role in The Buccaneers for Apple TV and The Reckoning for the BBC. Between 2014 and 2016 she played Alison Scotlock in Home Fires. She joined the cast of Call the Midwife in 2018 for series 8 as Sister Hilda. She also paints portraits in oils and won Celebrity Portrait Artist of the Year in 2019.

Awards and award nominations

Celebrity Portrait Artist of the Year - Sky Arts 2019
Stage Performance of the Year – The Sunday Times Culture Awards 2014
Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress in the West End 2013.

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

Television

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
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
Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice, as part of the Jane Austen BBC Radio Drama Collection

Audio

Includes:

Life After Life and Transcription by Kate Atkinson
The Other Family and Daughters in Law by Joanna Trollope
Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery, a collection of winter-themed short stories by Agatha Christie
Dr. Sofia Lamb – BioShock 2