Sheila McCarthy

Sheila McCarthy (born January 1, 1956) is a Canadian actress and singer. She has worked in film, television, and on stage. McCarthy is one of Canada's most honoured actors, having won two Genie Awards (film), two Gemini Awards (television), an ACTRA Award, and two Dora Awards (theatre), along with multiple nominations.

Early life McCarthy was born in Toronto, Ontario on January 1, 1956. She later attended the University of Victoria and spent a year studying with Uta Hagen at her HB Studio in New York City, and also workshopped with the Second City troupe in Toronto.

Career

After several years of television work under her belt, McCarthy secured a role in the made-for-television movie A Nest of Singing Birds (1988), receiving early recognition for her talent with a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Dramatic Program. That year, she made her first notable impression on the Canadian movie scene as Polly, the quirky, "organizationally impaired girl" in Patricia Rozema's I've Heard the Mermaids Singing. For this role, McCarthy won the Genie Award for Best Actress. The film became wildly popular in Canada, earning many international and domestic awards and critical acclaim.

McCarthy has since become one of Canada's more honoured actors, having won two Genie Awards (film), two Gemini Awards (television), and two Dora Awards (theatre) along with multiple nominations.

Personal life

McCarthy was married to actor Peter Donaldson from 1986 until his death in 2011. They have two daughters: Drew

McCarthy is a spokesperson for The Quilt Project, a support group for families affected by breast cancer, and Canadian Feed the Children. Dancing on the Elephant Nora 2026 The Voices of Our Mother Harriet TBA Love is the Monster Margaret Filming

Television

Discography 2006: "All Good Now" – from the movie Cow Belles

Awards and nominations

This section needs to be expanded to include further awards and nominations.