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Gabrielle Anwar

b. 1970

British actress

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About Gabrielle Anwar

Born 1970. Gabrielle Anwar is a British and American actor, film producer, television actor, film actor and film director.

Gabrielle Anwar (born 4 February 1970) is an English and American actress. She is known for her television roles as Sam Black in the second series of Press Gang, as Margaret Tudor in the first season of The Tudors, as Lady Tremaine in the seventh season of Once Upon a Time, and for her starring role as Fiona Glenanne on the USA network television series Burn Notice (2007–13).

Early life and education Anwar was born in Laleham, Surrey. Her mother was Shirley Hills, an English actress, show host, and chef. Her father is Tariq Anwar, an Indian-British film producer and editor. Her paternal grandmother, Edith Reich, was an Austrian Jew, while her paternal grandfather was an Indian Muslim.

She attended Laleham C of E Primary and Middle School from 1975 to 1982; an end-of-term St Trinian's sketch in the school concert of 1982 gave an early indication of her theatrical leanings. Anwar studied drama and dance at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London.

Career Anwar's acting debut was in the 1986 British miniseries Hideaway. She also starred in the music video to Paul McCartney's "Pretty Little Head". Her feature film début was Manifesto (1988), which was followed by more British television productions including First Born, Summer's Lease, Press Gang, and . While working on films and television in London, she met American actor Craig Sheffer, and moved with him to Hollywood. Anwar and Sheffer have co-starred in a number of American films together, such as In Pursuit of Honor, The Grave, Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal, Flying Virus, Save It for Later, Water Under the Bridge, and Long Lost Son.

Her first American film was If Looks Could Kill, in which she played the daughter of a murdered British agent (played by Roger Daltrey). She also appeared in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' music video for Into the Great Wide Open. In 1992, she made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 as competitive ice skater Tricia Kinney, who has a brief romance with Brandon Walsh. She starred in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (inspired by A Girl and Five Brave Horses), and one of her most memorable moments on screen was in 1992's Scent of a Woman, when she danced a tango with Al Pacino, whose character was blind. She followed that with the films Body Snatchers, For Love or Money, and The Three Musketeers. In 1994, People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. In 1995, she starred in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead.

In 2000, Anwar played Sophie in The Guilty. She also appeared in the television series John Doe (2002–2003) and acted in The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006). In 2007, she played Princess Margaret, sister of King Henry VIII, on Showtime's The Tudors. After that, she starred as Fiona Glenanne in the television series Burn Notice from 2007 to 2013. In 2008, Anwar made an appearance as Eva Sintzel, a woman trying to get pregnant through the fictitious Hudson Cryobank in the Law & Order: SVU episode "Inconceivable". She also played a role in the seventh season of Once Upon a Time.

Personal life Anwar was in a relationship with actor Craig Sheffer, with whom she has a daughter (born 1993). From 2000 to 2005, she was married to actor John Verea, with whom she has a son and a daughter. Sheffer is godfather to Anwar's two children with Verea.

In April 2010, Anwar began dating Shareef Malnik, son of Alvin Malnik. In August 2015, they were married in Montana. They live in Palm Island, Florida.

Anwar became a naturalised American citizen in 2008.

In 2023, Anwar co-founded ReThink Baby, an organization promoting the principles of early childhood educator Emmi Pikler.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1988 Manifesto Tina 1991 If Looks Could Kill Mariska Blade Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken Sonora Webster 1992 Scent of a Woman Donna 1993 Body Snatchers Marti Malone For Love or Money Andy Hart Anne of Austria 1995 Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Dagney Innocent Lies Celia Graves 1996 Jordan 1997 Nevada Linny Sub Down Laura Dyson Direct-to-video 1998 Beach Movie Sunny 1999 The Manor Charlotte Kleiner Kimberly Kimberly 2000 If You Only Knew Kate Sophie Lennon North Beach Lu 2001 Flying Virus Ann Bauer Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal FBI Agent Kate Hayden Direct-to-video 2003 Save It for Later Catherine 2006 9/Tenths Jessica Claire HollowayLong Lost Son Kristen Sheppard Crazy Eights Beth Patterson 2008 iMurders Lindsay Jefferies 2011 A Warrior's Heart Claire Sullivan The Family Tree Nina 2019 The Last Summer Griffin's Mom

Television Year Title Role Notes 1988 Lidia Episode: "Fearnot" First Born Nell Forester Episode 1.3 1989 Summer's Lease Chrissie Kettering Episodes: "A Battlefield" and "The Urbino Trail" Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader Princess Episode 1.6 1990 Press Gang Sam Black Main role (series 2) 1992 Beverly Hills, 90210 Tricia Kinney Episode: "Fire and Ice" 1993 Fallen Angels Delia Episode: "Dead End for Delia" 2001 Katie Defoe Episode: "Dangerous Liaisons" 2002 John Doe Rachel Penbroke Episodes: "Manifest Destiny", "Tone Dead" 2007 Princess Margaret Recurring role (season 1), 6 episodes 2007–13 Burn Notice Fiona Glenanne Main role 2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Eva Sintzel Episode: "Inconceivable" 2017–18 Once Upon a Time Lady Rapunzel Tremaine / Victoria Belfrey Main role (season 7)

TV films and miniseries

Music videos Pretty Little Head (1986), by Paul McCartney Into the Great Wide Open (1991), by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, as Eddie's girlfriend

Awards and nominations Award Year Category Work ResultSaturn Award 2007 Best Supporting Actress on Television Gemini Award 2008 Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series The Tudors Teen Choice Award 2010 Choice TV Actress: Action Burn Notice 2018 Choice TV: Villain Once Upon a Time

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

Family & relationships

Partner
Craig Sheffer

People in Gabrielle Anwar's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Gabrielle Anwar's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gabrielle Anwar?

British actress

When was Gabrielle Anwar born?

Gabrielle Anwar was born on 4 February 1970 in Laleham.

What is Gabrielle Anwar's occupation?

Gabrielle Anwar is an actor, film producer, television actor, film actor and film director.

What nationality is Gabrielle Anwar?

Gabrielle Anwar is British and American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Gabrielle Anwar

· Wikidata: Q232757

· DBpedia: Gabrielle Anwar

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gabrielle Anwar. https://biography.guide/gabrielle-anwar/

MLA: "Gabrielle Anwar." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gabrielle-anwar/.

Chicago: "Gabrielle Anwar." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gabrielle-anwar/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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