Sophie McShera (born 17 May 1985) is an English actress known for her roles as Ros McCain in the fifth series of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television series '' Waterloo Road'', as Daisy Mason in the ITV television series ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...

'', and as Drizella Tremaine in the 2015 Disney film '' Cinderella''.

Early life, education, and personal life

McShera was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, into a large Irish family. Her mother is a teacher and her father is a teacher turned financial adviser. At an early age, her family moved to nearby

Eccleshill, West Yorkshire Eccleshill is an area, former village, and ward (politics), ward within the City of Bradford, Bradford district, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. The ward population of Eccleshill is 17,540, increasing at the 2011 Census to 17,945. Ec ...

, also in Bradford, where she attended St Joseph's College. During high school, she attended the Footsteps Theatre School before getting her stage break at the age of twelve in the comedy '' The Goodbye Girl''. She followed this up with a stint on tour with '' Annie'', later going to Brunel University,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, where she earned a degree in

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

. McShera told '' Rachel Ray In Season'' magazine in 2019 that she was a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

Career

McShera's acting career started after university in 2007, with roles in the

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

s '' Emmerdale'' and '' Doctors'' and the drama '' Survivors'' in 2008. In 2009, she joined the regular cast of BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'', playing A-level student Ros McCain for the entirety of the fifth series. Ros' storylines revolved around her trying to fulfil her academic potential and also questioning her sexuality. Following her departure from ''Waterloo Road'', McShera became part of the cast of Julian Fellowes' ITV costume drama ''

'' as Daisy, the kitchen maid. The show attracted critical and popular success.Guinness Book of Records: Downton Abbey is most critically acclaimed show on television
''The Telegraph'', 15 September 2011 McShera, alongside Hugh Bonneville, made a personal thank you to the audience after ''Downton Abbey'' won Most Popular TV Drama at the 2012 National TV Awards. Since 2013 McShera has played Job Centre regular Bryony in ITV2 sitcom '' The Job Lot''. McShera played stepsister Drisella Tremaine in Disney's 2015 film '' Cinderella''. She displayed her singing skills as lady's maid Gwynne in the ABC musical comedy series '' Galavant''. Her stage roles include playing the eponymous role in the pantomime '' Cinderella'' at the West Yorkshire Playhouse between December 2009 and January 2010, In 1998 she appeared as '' Annie'' alongside Paul O'Grady for the show's London run and subsequent tour. In 2011 she joined the cast of Jez Butterworth's award-winning stage play ''

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

'' playing the role of ''Pea'' for the play's return to London's West End at the Apollo Theatre. She made her stage return in 2025 in the European premiere of '' Shucked'' at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in the role of Maizy.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McShera, Sophie 1985 births Living people Actresses from Bradford Alumni of Brunel University London English people of Irish descent English film actresses English musical theatre actresses English television actresses People educated at St. Joseph's Catholic College, Bradford People from Eccleshill, West Yorkshire 21st-century English actresses