Anna Shaffer

Anna Maureen Barth Shaffer (born 15 March 1992) is an English actress. She gained prominence through her roles as Romilda Vane in the Harry Potter films (2009–2011) and Ruby Button in the E4 soap opera Hollyoaks (2011–2018). As of 2019, she plays Triss Merigold in the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher.

Early life Shaffer was born in North London to South African parents; her mother is of Zulu heritage and spent her childhood growing up on a Black Zulu farmland in South Africa, and her father is a Jewish South African of Sephardic and African descent whose father moved them to Israel for a year when he was a baby and was forced back to South Africa by his wife, Anna’s grandmother. She has a brother. She attended Highgate Wood School and completed her A Levels at the Camden School for Girls.

Career On 19 December 2007, Shaffer was cast in the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as Romilda Vane, the fourth year student who tried to use a love potion on Harry. She reprised this role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2010 and 2011.

In December 2010, the Liverpool Echo reported that eighteen-year-old Shaffer would be joining the cast of Hollyoaks as Ruby, the sister of Duncan Button (Dean Aspen). Shaffer originally auditioned for the role of Leanne Holiday, but she was later cast as Ruby. Shaffer relocated to Liverpool, where Hollyoaks is filmed, for the role. She began filming her scenes in late 2010. Shaffer made her first on-screen appearance as Ruby in the episode broadcast on 3 January 2011. In May 2011, it was speculated that Shaffer would be leaving Hollyoaks. Shaffer made her on screen exit from Hollyoaks as Ruby on 13 February 2014. In 2014 she appeared in one episode of Glue as "Heather", and, in 2016, played Rachel in two episodes of Class.

Shaffer plays the role of Triss Merigold in the Netflix series The Witcher.

Filmography Film

Television + Year Title Role Notes 2011–2014, 2017–2018 Hollyoaks Ruby Button Regular role 2014 Glue Heather 1 episode 2016 Class Rachel Chapman 2 episodes 2017 Fearless Leila 4 episodes 2019–present The Witcher Triss Merigold 19 episodes

Music videos

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2013 British Soap Awards Sexiest Female