Anna Friel

Anna Friel

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Biography

Anna Friel (12.7.1976)
Anna Friel is a British actress. She rose to fame working on the UK soap opera Brookside but has more recently found fame in the US.

Childhood: Anna Friel was born in Rochdale, near Manchester, in England. Her mother, Julie Friel, teaches students with special needs and her father, Des Friel, is a former French teacher and owns a web design company. Des is Irish and used to perform as a folk guitarist. Anna's brother Michael once starred in TV adverts for Hovis.

Anna Friel attended Crompton House Church of England High School in High Crompton, followed by Holy Cross College, a Catholic Sixth form in Bury.

Friel became interested in acting at an early age and was often praised for performances in local talent shows.

Acting Career: When Anna Friel was 13, she landed her first professional acting role in the Channel 4 drama series G.B.H. She played the daughter of Michael Palin's character and the series also starred Robert Lindsay, Lindsay Duncan and Julie Walters, with music from Elvis Costello and Richard Harvey.

Anna's performance led to a number of small performances on British TV shows, including Emmerdale.

In 1992, Anna Friel was cast in another soap opera, Brookside, set in Liverpool, playing the role of Beth Jordache. The cast included the likes of Claire Sweeney, Ricky Tomlinson, Lisa Faulkner and Jennifer Ellison. Despite being on the programme for only two years, her character became one of the soap's most notorious, largely due to the much-publicised lesbian kiss featuring Beth Jordache. In 1995, Anna Friel won the 'Most Popular Actress' award at the National Television Awards for her role on Brookside.

When Anna Friel appeared in Stephen Poliakoff's film The Tribe, she courted even more controversy. The film included some stark nudity, as well as a ménage a trois sex scene between Friel's character and those played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Jeremy Northam.

1998 saw Anna Friel performing in a Broadway run of Patrick Marber's play Closer. She won a drama Desk award for her performance. Amongst Friel's other stage performances, she made her West End stage debut in a fringe production of Lulu.

In November 2006, Anna Friel was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for performing arts by the University of Bolton.

Anna Friel has made appearances in a number of movies. She played the wife of Nick Leeson's character in Rogue Trader, which also starred Ewan McGregor. In The Land Girls, she worked alongside Catherine McCormack and Rachel Weisz. In 1998, she appeared in St Ives, also known as All For Love, with Richard E. Grant and Miranda Richardson.

Friel also appeared as Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, opposite Calista Flockheart, Dominic West and Christian Bale. In Timeline, she played the object of Gerard Butler's affection and in Me Without You, she stars opposite Michelle Williams (the ex-partner of the late Heath Ledger).

In 2007, Anna Friel was cast as Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles in Pushing Daisies, an American TV series that airs on the ABC network. The series also stars Lee Pace, Chi McBride and Field Cate. The following year, however, the show was cancelled after only two seasons, due to poor ratings, despite being popular with critics.

In September 2009, Friel starred in a West End run of a stage adaptation of Breakfast At Tiffany's, opposite Joseph Cross. The film (itself an adaptation of a Truman Capote novel) stars Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. It was also announced that she would appear in a film the following year entitled London Boulevard, starring David Thewlis (her partner), Keira Knightley, Colin Farrell and Ray Winstone.

Personal Life: Anna Friel began dating David Thewlis in 2001, after meeting on a flight to Cannes. They have a daughter together, Gracie Ellen Mary Friel, born in July 2005.

Friel is an advocate of the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer appeal, along with Natalie Imbruglia, Edith Bowman, Twiggy, Alan Carr and Angela Griffin. She is also a supporter of Burma Campaign UK, which aims to bring about change in the troubled nation.



Biography by Contactmusic.com

Anna Friel seen at the 2016 British Independent Film Awards - London, United Kingdom - Sunday 4th December 2016

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Anna Friel at a special performance of Letters Live hosted by Porter Magazine in celebration of their Incredible Women of 2016 edition held at The V&A - London, United Kingdom - Tuesday 29th November 2016

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Anna Friel seen arriving at the 2016 ITV Gala held at the London Palladium Theatre - London, United Kingdom - Thursday 24th November 2016

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Anna Friel at The ITV Gala held at the London Palladium, London, United Kingdom - Thursday 24th November 2016

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Anna Friel seen entering the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party at Kensington Gardens, London, United Kingdom - Wednesday 6th July 2016

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Anna Friel And Laura Carmichael To Star In ITV Crime Drama 'Marcella'


Anna Friel Laura Carmichael

Anna Friel and Laura Carmichael have been revealed as the two stars of a new ITV crime drama, entitled ‘Marcella’, the first English language original series to be written by acclaimed Swedish screenwriter Hans Rosenfeldt.

The eight-part noir thriller will begin shooting in and around London later this month, and is due to hit screens at an undisclosed date in 2016. The female stars will be joined by a supporting cast that includes former soap actors Ian Puleston-Davies (‘Coronation Street’) and Ray Panthaki (‘EastEnders’), plus ‘Fortitude’s Nicholas Pinnock.

Anna FrielAnna Friel will play the lead in 'Marcella', an ITV original crime drama

Continue reading: Anna Friel And Laura Carmichael To Star In ITV Crime Drama 'Marcella'

Good People - Trailer Trailer


Tom and Anna Reed are a young married couple who have moved all the way to London with the intention of restoring the house that Anna grew up in and subsequently starting a family. However, it isn't long before the pair fall on hard times and they are faced with losing the house they have been so desperate for. One day, they fail to get a response from their basement tenant Ben and go down to his apartment to check on him, only to be faced with a brutal murder scene. Their luck seems to change, however, when they discover a bag of £220,000 in bank notes stashed in the ceiling tiles. They take the money, agreeing to only use what is needed to cover their mortgage and credit card bills. Unfortunately, there are people after the money. People who Ben made a mistake to cross. People intent on hunting down the Reeds.

Continue: Good People - Trailer Trailer

The Look Of Love Review


Very Good

Michael Winterbottom vividly recreates swinging 1960s London in this biopic about one of Soho's most notorious figures. It's a lively and attention-grabbing film, but the cast and filmmakers never create a character we can identify with or care about, which leaves the film feeling a bit meaningless. And even if we're interested in the history, we are never able to feel the emotions.

As he did for Winterbottom in 24 Hour Party People, Steve Coogan plays a colourful real-life figure, this time Paul Raymond, also known as the King of Soho. Raymond made his fortune through strip clubs and lap-dancing venues, then expanded into publishing men's magazines before purchasing large swathes of property in London's artiest district. But his marriage to Jean (Friel) was strained by his rampant womanising, including a long-term relationship with actress-model Fiona Richmond (Egerton). And the main woman in Paul's life was his daughter Debbie (Poots), who was in line to inherit his fortune when she died of a heroin overdose in 1992.

The film is framed with Debbie's funeral, showing Raymond at his lowest point. But then, even when he was living the high life, his self-obsession casts a heavy shadow. Everyone in this story is just as lost in their own addictions. And it's sad to see Raymond himself never able to move on from his own early years, amassing a £1 billion fortune, which he left to Debbie's children when he died in 2008. Coogan bravely never tries to get us to sympathise with Raymond, delivering a focussed performance that's darkly bittersweet. Poots adeptly captures Debbie's inability to see her own talents as she falls into a whirlwind of drug abuse. And Friel and Egerton get the most engaging roles as woman thrown aside along the way.

Continue reading: The Look Of Love Review

To Close To Home? Ann Friel Reveals Fear Over Aging Role


Anna Friel Pierce Brosnan

Anna Friel takes on a role in The Look of Love who ages between the ages of 22 and 58. This scares the northern actress, who stars alongside Pierce Brosnan in the movie.

She told Grazia magazine: ''They used a technique called stippling to make me look older. It glues all of the creases around your eyes together and it takes hours for it to go back to normal." This frightened Friel into thinking she’d never look the same again. ''I would age years in a day and think it was going to stay that way forever.'' She added to the magazine: ''I loved my outfits. I loved the 70s costumes because I really like that whole Jane Berkin look. In one scene I went blonde so I wore a wig. We modeled the look on Marilyn Monroe, which was fine until Steve told me I looked like Moors murderer Myra Hindley. Steve looked great in costume though, it's funny seeing him in anything.'' The Look of Love has received mixed reviews so far. The Hollywood Reporter said, in their review, “Steve Coogan's performance is consistently amusing, but the poignant dimensions the director appears to be seeking don't quite come together.”

An overall rating of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes means it won’t be setting any award ceremonies alight, but could make an enjoyable watch this weekend.

Continue reading: To Close To Home? Ann Friel Reveals Fear Over Aging Role

Fashion Battle: Anna Friel's Look Of Love Premiere Dress And Afterparty Gown [Pictures]


Anna Friel Steve Coogan Michael Winterbottom

Anna Friel was among the 'Look of Love' stars turning out for the movie's premiere in London last night (April 15, 2013). The actress wore a suitable seventies-style outfit to promote Michael Winterbottom's film about legendary porn mogul Paul Raymond. Friel, who plays the wife of the 'King of Soho' wore a banana yellow gown as she lined up alongside co-stars Steve Coogan and Timsin Egerton.

Anna FrielAnna Friel Wore A Banana Yellow Gown To The Look Of Love Premiere in Soho, London

Friel's dress, a vintage number by Trager Delaney, featured velvet and satin panels and a cut-out panel at the back. Her co-star Tamsin went for a simplistic white dress, while Coogan opted for a black suit and floral shirt. Elsewhere at The Curzon cinema in Soho, several burlesque girls added a touch of glamour to the occasion, carrying giant feathers while wearing flowers in their hair.

Continue reading: Fashion Battle: Anna Friel's Look Of Love Premiere Dress And Afterparty Gown [Pictures]

Steve Coogan, Anna Friel And Tamsin Egerton Glam Up Soho Premiere Of 'The Look Of Love' (Photos)


Steve Coogan Anna Friel Tamsin Egerton Chris Addison James Lance Michael Winterbottom

Steve Coogan, Chris Addison and Imogen Poots party hard in 'The Look of Love'
Steve Coogan, Chris Addison and Imogen Poots party hard in 'The Look of Love'

Upcoming biopic 'The Look of Love' based on the life of glamour entrepreneur Paul Raymond hit London yesterday (April 15th 2013) in its premiere with all the pizazz that Soho could offer.

'Alan Partridge' star Steve Coogan still seemed a little in character, shunning a tie and opting for an eye-catching shirt with several top buttons undone when he hit the red carpet at the Curzon Soho in London alongside his glamorous co-stars Anna Friel and Tamsin Egerton who play his onscreen wife and daughter respectively. While Anna was positively glowing in her ankle length yellow and gold dress that certainly matched up to the glorious English Springtime, Tamsin opted for a white, long-sleeved, floor-length number that flattered her elegant frame.  Former 'Mock The Week' host Chris Addison and current host Dara O'Briain also made appearances on the red carpet having both featured in the biographical comedy, as well as 'Boy Meets Girl' star James Lance who played Raymond's business associate Carl Snitcher in the movie.

Continue reading: Steve Coogan, Anna Friel And Tamsin Egerton Glam Up Soho Premiere Of 'The Look Of Love' (Photos)

Steve Coogan Stuns As Porn Mogul Paul Raymond In 'The Look Of Love' (Trailer)


Steve Coogan Stephen Fry Chris Addison Anna Friel

'The Look of Love' trailer appears to suggest Steve Coogan turns in one of his very best performances, as Paul Raymond, the porn mogul and once the UK's wealthiest man. Michael Winterbottom's new movie, which won acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in January, follows Raymond's rise from mind-reader on Clacton Pier to the 'King of Soho.' Whilst his empire grew, his family life began to suffer, and the trailer for 'The Look of Love' hints at turmoil, scandal and lies.

Winterbottom's movie follows Raymond as he opens new clubs across the entertainment district of London and publishes men's magazines 'Razzle' 'Mayfair' and 'Men's Only,' though things begin to unravel when he embarks on a whirlwind affair with a young star despite being married to Jean, one of his strippers. 

Continue reading: Steve Coogan Stuns As Porn Mogul Paul Raymond In 'The Look Of Love' (Trailer)

Look Of Love Trailer


Paul Raymond became the wealthiest man in the UK when he opened the country's first strip club, the Raymond Revue bar, after starting out his nightlife career as a mind-reader cabaret performer. When the bar became highly successful among gentlemen everywhere, his risqué empire only grew into various men's magazines including 'Men's Only', 'Razzle' and 'Mayfair' not to mention spawning various new clubs across the entertainment district of London, Soho, earning him the nickname 'King of Soho'. Though, while loved and admired by thousands, he was also scorned in other circles and even his family began to suffer from the effects of his billion pound industry. His marriage to one of his strippers, Jean, did not meet an amicable end as he embarked on a whirlwind affair with a younger star, and his previously close bond with his daughter Debbie whom he loved more than anything in the world, was broken after her sudden death at the tender age of 36. This is the story of the triumphs and turmoil of Britain's richest man.

Continue: Look Of Love Trailer

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger Trailer


After years of marriage, Alfie and Helena are getting divorced, this is mainly due to Alfie's midlife crisis and lust for a much younger woman called Charmaine. Whilst Helena seeks guidance from a fortune teller her daughter is also facing troubles of her own. Sally works in an art gallery work whilst her husband stays at home hoping to write a novel that repeats the success of his first.

Continue: You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger Trailer

A Midsummer Night's Dream Review


OK

I've always seen "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as one of Shakespeare's daffier comedies -- what with the fairies and all -- so this film version, adapted by director Michael Hoffman ("One Fine Day," "Restoration"), came as something of a surprise because it takes itself so seriously.

Hoffman seems to hold the Bard's less jestful observations on amour ("The course of true love never did run smooth") in higher regard than his saucy slapstick of miscommunication.

The laughs are definitely present, but they're subdued as two pairs of young sweethearts steal away into the forest (of 19th Century Tuscany in this adaptation) trying to escape the consequences of an arranged marriage, and rush headlong and unknowingly into the domain of impishly interfering immortals.

Continue reading: A Midsummer Night's Dream Review

Anna Friel

Anna Friel Quick Links

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Anna Friel

Date of birth

12th July, 1976

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Female

Height

1.57


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Anna Friel Movies

Good People - Trailer Trailer

Good People - Trailer Trailer

Tom and Anna Reed are a young married couple who have moved all the way...

The Look of Love Movie Review

The Look of Love Movie Review

Michael Winterbottom vividly recreates swinging 1960s London in this biopic about one of Soho's most...

Look Of Love Trailer

Look Of Love Trailer

Paul Raymond became the wealthiest man in the UK when he opened the country's first...

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger Trailer

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger Trailer

After years of marriage, Alfie and Helena are getting divorced, this is mainly due to...

Limitless Trailer

Limitless Trailer

Eddie Mora is a wanna-be writer who lacks direction in his life. A former drug...

Land Of The Lost Trailer

Land Of The Lost Trailer

Watch the trailer for Land Of The LostDr. Rick Marshall is somewhat of a failed...

A Midsummer Night's Dream Movie Review

A Midsummer Night's Dream Movie Review

I've always seen "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as one of Shakespeare's daffier comedies -- what...

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