Fenella Justine Therese Woolgar (born 4 August 1969) is an English film, theatre, television and radio actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''

Bright Young Things __NOTOC__ The Bright Young Things, or Bright Young People, was a nickname given by the tabloid press to a group of Bohemianism, Bohemian young Aristocracy (class), aristocrats and socialites in 1920s London. They threw flamboyant costume party, f ...

'' (2003) and '' Judy'' (2019). She is also well known for appearing in TV shows '' Doctor Who'' as

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

novelist

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

, ''

Inside Number 9 ''Inside No. 9'' is a British black comedy anthology television programme that first aired in 2014. It is written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton and produced by the BBC. Each 30-minute episode is a self-contained story with new charact ...

'', and ''

Call the Midwife ''Call the Midwife'' is a BBC period drama series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s and 1960s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, Helen George, Bryony H ...

'' as Sister Hilda.

Early life

Woolgar was born in the West

London Borough of Hillingdon The London Borough of Hillingdon () is the largest and westernmost borough in West London, England. It was formed from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the ceremonial county ...

to parents Michael and Maureen ( McCann) Woolgar. Her mother is of Irish descent. 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 The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sena ...

(RADA). At university, along with acting she directed '' Murder in the Cathedral'' in

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of ...

and wrote and performed comedy in The Durham Revue.

Career

Following Woolgar's graduation from

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sena ...

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 Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starrin ...

's film ''

'' for which she was nominated for several awards. She subsequently went on to work with

Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...

in ''

Vera Drake ''Vera Drake'' is a 2004 British period drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh and starring Imelda Staunton, Phil Davis, Daniel Mays and Eddie Marsan. It tells the story of a working-class woman in London in 1950 who performs illegal a ...

'' and '' Mr. Turner'', Conor McPherson in ''The Veil'' at the National Theatre and

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

in ''Scoop'' and ''You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger''. She played

in '' Doctor Who'' in 2008. In 2010 she voiced the character of Dr. Sofia Lamb, the main antagonist in the video game BioShock 2. Woolgar has most recently worked in theatre at the Donmar,

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

, National Theatre;

the Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal Vi ...

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 Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

in ''Handbagged''. She is regularly heard on the 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 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

and

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portra ...

in both ''The Jinx Element'' and ''

Ethan Frome ''Ethan Frome'' is a 1911 book by American author Edith Wharton. It is set in the fictitious town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. The novel has been adapted into a '' film of the same name''. Plot The novel is a framed narrative. The framing sto ...

''. She stars in the

comedy '' Dot''. She has narrated several audiobooks and was nominated for Audio Book of the Year 2013. Woolgar's recent work includes two television roles. She appeared in 2014 and 2015 as Alison Scotlock in '' Home Fires''. She joined the cast of ''

'' in series 8 as Sister Hilda.

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."Fenella Woolgar and Paul Chahidi win Clarence Derwent awards". Retrieved 17 April 2014.
/ref> 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 Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

* 1999: Varya, ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...

'', York Theatre Royal * 2000: Lucy, ''Bring Me Sunshine'', Royal Exchange, Manchester * 2000: Kitty Verdun, ''

Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...

'',

Sheffield Crucible The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's ...

* 2000: Celia, ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has ...

'', Royal Exchange, Manchester * 2001: Eleanor, ''The Miser'',

Salisbury Playhouse Salisbury Playhouse is a theatre in the English city of Salisbury, Wiltshire. It was built in 1976 and comprises the 517-seat Main House and the 149-seat Salberg, a rehearsal room and a community & education space. It is part of Arts Council E ...

* 2001: Teresa, '' How the Other Half Loves'',

Watford Palace Theatre Watford Palace Theatre, opened in 1908, is an Edwardian Grade II listed building in Watford, Hertfordshire. The 600-seat theatre on Clarendon Road was refurbished in 2004. It houses its own rehearsal room, wardrobe, cafe and bar. History The ...

* 2002: Emma, ''Way Upstream'',

Derby Playhouse Derby Playhouse was a theatre production company based in Derby, England and the former name of the theatre which it owned and operated from its opening in 1975 until 2008, when the company ceased operating after a period in administration. The ...

* 2002:

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * ...

, ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...

'', Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester * 2004: Adela, ''

Passage to India ''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English litera ...

'', Shared Experience Theatre Company * 2005:

Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature. She enlisted i ...

, '' 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 Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...

's adaptation of ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'',

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

, London * 2013: Theresa in '' Circle Mirror Transformation'', Royal Court Local Theatre, Rose Lipman Building,

Haggerston Haggerston is a locale in East London, England, centred approximately on Great Cambridge Street (now renamed Queensbridge Road). It is within the London Borough of Hackney and is considered to be a part of London's East End. It is about 3.1 miles ...

, London * 2013:

(Mags) in ''

Handbagged ''Handbagged'' is a play by the British playwright Moira Buffini, examining the relationship between Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister from 1979 to 1990. Background ''Handbagged'' originated in ...

'' by

Moira Buffini Moira Buffini (born 29 May 1965) is an English dramatist, director, and actor. Early life Buffini was born in Cheshire to Irish parents, and attended St Mary's College at Rhos-on-Sea in Wales as a day girl. She studied English and Drama at Go ...

Tricycle Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as n ...

, London *2014:

(Mags) in ''

'', 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 Life After Life may refer to: Film *''Life After Life'' (再生人), a 1981 film Hong Kong film; see 2nd Hong Kong Film Awards * ''Chances Are'' (film), a 1989 film that was known while under production as ''Life After Life'' *''Life After Life'', ...

'' and '' Transcription'' by Kate Atkinson * ''The Other Family'' and ''Daughters in Law'' by

Joanna Trollope Joanna Trollope (; born 9 December 1943) is an English writer. She has also written under the pseudonym of Caroline Harvey. Her novel ''Parson Harding's Daughter'' won in 1980 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Ass ...

* ''Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery'', a collection of winter-themed short stories by

* Dr. Sofia Lamb – '' BioShock 2''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Woolgar, Fenella Living people 1969 births 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actresses from London Alumni of St Mary's College, Durham Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Audiobook narrators English film actresses English television actresses English people of Irish descent English radio actresses English stage actresses People from the London Borough of Hillingdon People from New Canaan, Connecticut