Sophie McShera
Encyclopedia
Sophie McShera is a British
actress. At an early age she moved to Eccleshill, also in Bradford, where she attended St Joseph's College. Out of school she attended the Footsteps Theatre School before getting her stage break at the age of twelve in comedy The Goodbye Girl
. She followed this up with a stint on tour with Annie
before completing her GCSEs and A-levels and going to Brunel University
, London
, where she achieved a degree in drama
.
McShera's television career started after university in 2007 with very minor roles in the soap opera
s Emmerdale
and Doctors and the drama Survivors
in 2008. In 2009 she gained her next part, a more substantial one, on the BBC
school drama Waterloo Road
. She played intelligent A-level student Ros McCain for the entirety of the fifth series before leaving the show due to Ros leaving the school. This was followed up a year later by a spot on the regular cast of the costume drama
Downton Abbey
as Daisy the kitchen maid
. Her agents, London based Curtis Brown
, describe her voice quality as 'bright' and her voice character as 'natural'. She is 5 ft 2in (157 cm) tall and weighs around 7.5 stone (48 kg).
, especially popular during Valentines Day. McShera's interests outside of acting include swimming
and rollerskating and she sings soprano
to a high standard.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress. At an early age she moved to Eccleshill, also in Bradford, where she attended St Joseph's College. Out of school she attended the Footsteps Theatre School before getting her stage break at the age of twelve in comedy The Goodbye Girl
The Goodbye Girl
The Goodbye Girl is a 1977 American romantic comedy-drama film. Directed by Herbert Ross, the film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings, and Paul Benedict...
. She followed this up with a stint on tour with Annie
Annie (film)
Annie is a 1982 American musical film directed by John Huston and choreographed by Arlene Phillips. The film is an adaption of the 1977 stage musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the 1924 Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray. The movie features music by Charles Strouse,...
before completing her GCSEs and A-levels and going to Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where she achieved a degree in drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
.
McShera's television career started after university in 2007 with very minor roles in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
and Doctors and the drama Survivors
Survivors (2008 TV Series)
Survivors is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC. It depicts the lives of a group of people who survived a virulent strain of heretofore unknown influenza which has wiped out most of the human race...
in 2008. In 2009 she gained her next part, a more substantial one, on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
school drama Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
. She played intelligent A-level student Ros McCain for the entirety of the fifth series before leaving the show due to Ros leaving the school. This was followed up a year later by a spot on the regular cast of the costume drama
Costume drama
A costume drama or period drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambiance of a particular era.The term is usually used in the context of film and television...
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by NBC Universal-owned British media company Carnival Films for the ITV network. The series is set during the late Edwardian era and the First World War on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, and features an...
as Daisy the kitchen maid
Kitchen maid
-Great house kitchen maid:A kitchen maid is a young maid, or junior female servant. In the hierarchy of a great house she ranked below a cook and above a scullery maid...
. Her agents, London based Curtis Brown
Curtis Brown (literary agents)
Curtis Brown is a literary and talent agency based in London, UK. It was founded in 1899 by Albert Curtis Brown.-History:...
, describe her voice quality as 'bright' and her voice character as 'natural'. She is 5 ft 2in (157 cm) tall and weighs around 7.5 stone (48 kg).
Personal life
Whilst at university in 2004 McShera and her ex-boyfriend Tom Hatley won £100 in a competition run by Barclays bank for students with innovative business ideas. Their business, mainly run by Tom, That Sweet Feeling, specialises in jars of romance themed confectioneryConfectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
, especially popular during Valentines Day. McShera's interests outside of acting include swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and rollerskating and she sings soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
to a high standard.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Emmerdale Emmerdale Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972... |
Danielle Hollywell | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2008 | Doctors | Mandy Fairfield | TV series (1 episode: "One Dog Day") |
| Survivors Survivors (2008 TV Series) Survivors is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC. It depicts the lives of a group of people who survived a virulent strain of heretofore unknown influenza which has wiped out most of the human race... |
Cathy | TV series (1 episode: "#1.1") | |
| 2009-2010 | Waterloo Road Waterloo Road (TV series) Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social... |
Ros McCain | TV series (19 episodes) |
| 2010 - present | Downton Abbey Downton Abbey Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by NBC Universal-owned British media company Carnival Films for the ITV network. The series is set during the late Edwardian era and the First World War on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, and features an... |
Daisy | TV series (15 episodes) |
| 2011 - present | Jerusalem Jerusalem (play) Jerusalem is a play by Jez Butterworth that opened at the downstairs theatre of the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2009. The production starred Mark Rylance as Johnny 'Rooster' Byron and Mackenzie Crook as Ginger. After receiving rave reviews its run was extended. In January 2010 it transferred... |
Pea | West End West End theatre West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking... play |