Sarah Ruth Snook (; born 1 December 1987) is an Australian actress. Her accolades include a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

, a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

, two

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...

, and a

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

. A graduate of the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, it offers bachelor's, master's and vocational degrees in subjects including acting ...

, Snook started her career in her native Australia. She received early recognition for her roles in the films '' Sisters of War'' (2010), '' Not Suitable for Children'' (2012), '' These Final Hours'' (2013), ''

Predestination Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby Go ...

'' (2014), '' Jessabelle'' (2014), '' The Dressmaker'' (2015), ''

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc. Jobs was also the founder of NeXT and chairman and majority shareholder o ...

'' (2015), and '' The Glass Castle'' (2017). For her critically acclaimed

breakthrough role A breakthrough role, also known as a breakout role, is a term in the theatre, film and television industry to describe the performance of an actor or actress which contributed significantly to the development of their career and beginning of crit ...

as Shiv Roy in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

comedy-drama series ''

Succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...

'' (2018–2023), she won the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

. Beyond ''Succession'', Snook appeared in further films including '' An American Pickle'' (2020), '' Pieces of a Woman'' (2020), '' Run Rabbit Run'' (2023), '' The Beanie Bubble'' (2023), and '' Memoir of a Snail'' (2024). Snook performed in the West End and Broadway productions, with the latter being her Broadway debut, of ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' (2024–2025), for which she received the

and the

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality leading roles in a Broad ...

. Her other theatre credits include roles in ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' (2009), ''

The Master Builder ''The Master Builder'' () is a play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was first published in December 1892 and is regarded as one of Ibsen's more significant and revealing works. Performance The play was published by Gyldendal AS in C ...

'' (2016) and '' Saint Joan'' (2018).

Early life and education

Sarah Ruth Snook was born on 1 December 1987 in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, and grew up in the suburb of Eden Hills. She has two older sisters. Her father, a swimming-pool salesman, and her mother, an aged care provider, divorced when she was young. She attended St John's Grammar School in

Belair Belair or Bélair may refer to: People *Bianca Belair, wrestler *Sanité Bélair (1781–1802), Haitian freedom fighter *Anne Liger-Belair, Belgian writer known as Anne Duguël Places Historic locations *Belair (Nashville, Tennessee), United Sta ...

and won a drama scholarship to Scotch College in Torrens Park. Her first paying job was as a fairy at children's birthday parties. In 2008, she graduated from Sydney's

Career

20092017: Early work

While at NIDA, Snook performed in stage productions of ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'' and ''

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

''. She subsequently appeared in ''

'' with the State Theatre Company of South Australia in 2009. She garnered further success with roles in a string of Australian films, including '' Sisters of War'' (2010), '' Not Suitable for Children'' (2012), '' These Final Hours'' (2013), and ''

'' (2014). Snook won two

AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the cinema of Australia, film and ...

for her performances in ''Sisters of War'' and ''Predestination''. She also earned recognition for starring in the

supernatural horror film Supernatural horror film is a film genre that combines aspects of supernatural film and horror film. Supernatural occurrences in such films often include ghosts and demons, and many supernatural horror films have elements of religion. Common them ...

'' Jessabelle'' (2014). Snook then portrayed Andrea Cunningham in

Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on the films ''Shallow Grave (1994 film), Shallow Grave'' (1994), ''Trainspotting (film), Trainspotting'' (1996) and its sequel ''T2 Tra ...

's biopic ''

'' (2015), starring

Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (; born 2 April 1977) is a German-Irish actor. His accolades include nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was listed at number nine on ''The Irish Ti ...

and

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Primarily known for her roles as headstrong and complicated women in independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Ac ...

. That same year, she acted in

Jocelyn Moorhouse Jocelyn Denise Moorhouse (born 1960 or 1961) is an Australian screenwriter and film director. She is best known for directing films '' Proof'', '' How to Make an American Quilt'', '' A Thousand Acres'' and '' The Dressmaker''. Moorhouse has al ...

's period drama '' The Dressmaker'', also starring Winslet and

Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress. In a career spanning over four decades of both List of Judy Davis performances, screen and stage, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses ...

, for which she was nominated for the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She appeared in the biopic '' The Glass Castle'' (2017), starring

Brie Larson Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress. She played supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, and has since expanded to leading roles in independent films and Blockbuste ...

and based on the 2005 memoir of the same name. In 2016, Snook appeared in an episode of the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

science fiction anthology series ''

Black Mirror ''Black Mirror'' is a British anthology series, anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Most episodes are set in near-future dystopias containing Science fiction, sci-fi technology—a type of speculative fiction. The series i ...

'', titled " Men Against Fire", alongside Malachi Kirby, Madeline Brewer, and Michael Kelly. Also that year, she made her West End debut playing the role of Hilde Wangel in a revival of

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

's play ''

'' opposite

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ralph Fiennes, various accolades, including a British Academy Film ...

at the

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, Mai ...

. Paul Taylor from ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' hailed Snook's performance writing, "Sarah Snook, the young Australian star, is a disarmingly direct, deep-voiced and uninhibited as Hilde in an assured ndstriking performance". Snook returned to the stage in 2018, where she portrayed

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

in the

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...

's production of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's '' Saint Joan''. Her performance was hailed by John Sand of the ''

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

'', who described her performance as "beyond riveting" and said that "Snook catches the untamed bravado of a teenager fired with passion".

2018–2023: Breakthrough with ''Succession''

From 2018 to 2023, Snook gained prominence for her lead role as Siobhan "Shiv" Roy in the

drama series ''

''. The role earned her widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including the

, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and two

, the first for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film followed by a win for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. In 2020, Snook acted in the comedy film '' An American Pickle'', opposite

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...

, and in

Kornél Mundruczó Kornél Mundruczó (; born 3 April 1975) is a Hungarian film and theatre director. His 2014 film '' White God'' won the Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. While '' Tender Son: The Frankenstein Project'' (2010) and '' Jupiter's Moon'' (2 ...

's marital drama film '' Pieces of a Woman''. In December 2021, she replaced

Elisabeth Moss Elisabeth Singleton Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor and director. The recipient of several accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a nomination for a Tony Award, she was named the "Queen of P ...

as the lead in the horror-thriller film '' Run Rabbit Run'', directed by Daina Reid. The film was a critical failure with her performance receiving mixed reviews. Michael Sun of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' wrote of Snook, " he of course, is typically excellent, fresh from her turn as ''Succession''’s petulant, scheming Shiv Roy in another spiky role here – but even her performance, as it heightens towards a crazed delirium, recalls

Toni Collette Toni Collette (born Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television, blockbusters and independent films, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, wit ...

’s in ''

Hereditary Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...

''. Monica Castillo of '' Roger Ebert.com'', praised Snook's performance describing it as "marvelous departure from ''Succession''". In January 2022, Snook was cast alongside

Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis (; born October 1, 1969) is an American actor, comedian and writer. The accolades he has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Critics' Choice Movie Award. Galifianakis ...

and

Elizabeth Banks Elizabeth Irene Banks (; February 10, 1974) is an American actress, director, and producer. She is known for playing chaperone Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and an ICCA commentator in the ''Pitch Perfect'' ...

in the comedy drama film '' The Beanie Bubble'', which was co-directed by Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash. The movie was another critical failure for Snook. Wendy Idle of ''

'' described her as being "underused" in the film. Frank Scheck of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' wrote, "Snook displays a softer side than in her celebrated ''Succession'' turn with yet another portrayal revolving around a ruthless businessman." In 2022, Snook narrated the Netflix documentary film '' Kangaroo Valley''.

2024–present: Return to the stage

In 2024, Snook returned to the West End portraying all 26 roles in the

's production of ''

'' at the

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

. Arifa Akbar of ''

'' praised Snook on her performance citing the complexity of the role: "It is a juggling act of high order for Snook. She must perform in real time, react to the recorded footage and manipulate the technology herself in some scenes. She speaks in dialogue but also narrates omnisciently. Some scenes require athleticism, others sudden stillness. It demands an exacting synchronicity and she gets it pitch perfect, powering through 26 characters." Snook's performance earned further acclaim upon the play's Broadway transfer at the

Music Box Theatre The Music Box Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 239 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1921, the Music Box ...

the following year. Naveen Kumar of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' praised her "extraordinary grasp on the physics of performing for stage and screen, often simultaneously. She can explode like a firework, containing it for the camera while filling the room with sparks." Snook won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress and the

for her performance. She also voiced the protagonist in the 2024

stop-motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animation, animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appe ...

animated film '' Memoir of a Snail'' directed by Adam Elliot. Her voice performance drew praise from critics. Nate Richard of ''

Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator that brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Compared to other particle accelerators in which the moving particles collide with a stationary matter target, collid ...

'' wrote, “Snook gives one of the best voice performances of the year. Never once does she feel like she is haphazardly reading lines into a microphone. She pours so much emotion and soulfulness into Grace, and it pairs perfectly with Elliot’s stunning animation.” Manuel Betancourt of ''

The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...

'' remarked, “The filmmaker is helped by Snook’s oft-deadpan delivery. Her voice makes the many outlandish events she describes feel grounded in a reality that refuses the call to pity. There is a push instead toward empathy, toward imagining and caring for the inner worlds of those we might otherwise disregard.” For her performance, she was awarded her second

AACTA award for Best Actress in a Leading Role The AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The AACTA is a non-profit organisation, whose aim is to "identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australi ...

, marking the first time the award went to a voice performance. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 97^th Academy Awards.

Personal life

In 2020, Snook began dating Australian comedian

Dave Lawson David Alexander Webster Lawson (born 25 September 1978) is an Australian actor and TV personality. Early life Lawson grew up in the Bayside area of Melbourne and completed his secondary education at Haileybury College. He performed in the ...

, whom she married in the backyard of her

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

home in 2021. She gave birth to a daughter in May 2023. Snook is also the godmother of her ''Succession'' co-star

Kieran Culkin Kieran Kyle Culkin (born September 30, 1982) is an American actor. Known for portraying distasteful yet sympathetic characters across stage and screen, List of awards and nominations received by Kieran Culkin, his accolades include an Academy A ...

's son.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

Snook has received various accolades in her career. In her early career, she received attention and

for her performances in '' Sisters of War'' (2010) and ''

'' (2014), and additional nominations for '' Not Suitable for Children'' (2012), '' The Dressmaker'' (2015), ''

The Secret River ''The Secret River'' is a 2005 historical novel by Kate Grenville about an early 19th-century Englishman transported to Australia for theft. The story explores what might have happened when Europeans colonised land already inhabited by Aborigi ...

'' (2015), and '' The Beautiful Lie'' (2015). Snook's

as Shiv Roy in the

television series ''

'' (20182023) earned her two

Critics' Choice Television Awards The Critics' Choice Television Awards were accolades that were presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fou ...

( Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

and Best Actress in a Drama Series in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

), two

( Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film in

and Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama in

), a

(after two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series), and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in

and

(also nominated both years for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series). She won a third and fourth AACTA Award for ''Succession'' and '' Memoir of a Snail'' (2024); the latter win made her the first to receive the Best Actress prize for a

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...

role. Snook appeared on West End and Broadway as multiple characters in the play ''

'', winning respectively the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress and

. As of 2025, she is only the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

for which she is yet to be nominatedaway from achieving the Triple Crown of Acting.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Snook, Sarah 1987 births 21st-century Australian actresses Actresses from Adelaide Australian expatriate actresses in the United States Australian film actresses Australian television actresses Australian voice actresses Best Actress AACTA Award winners Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Laurence Olivier Award winners Living people National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners People educated at Scotch College, Adelaide Theatre World Award winners Tony Award winners