Gabrielle Anwar aka Gabrielle biography

Real biography: Early life

Anwar was born in Laleham, Middlesex, England. Her mother, Shirley, is an English actress, and her father, Tariq Anwar, is Iranian (ethnically Persian) award-winning British film producer and editor. She is also of part Austrian descent. Anwar attended Laleham C. of E. Primary and Middle School from 1975 to 1982; an end-of-term St. Trinians sketch in the school concert of 1982 gave an early indication of her theatrical leanings. She studied at a London drama and dance school.

Career

Anwar's acting debut was in the British miniseries Hideaway. She made her film debut in Manifesto, which was followed by more British television productions including First Born, Summer's Lease, Press Gang, and The Mysteries of the Dark Jungle. While working on movies and television in London, she met American actor Craig Sheffer, and moved with him to Hollywood. Anwar and Sheffer have co-starred in a number of American movies together, such as In Pursuit of Honor, The Grave, Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal, Flying Virus, Save It for Later, Water Under the Bridge, and Long Lost Son.

Her first American film was If Looks Could Kill. She followed that with the acclaimed films Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Scent of a Woman, Body Snatchers, For Love or Money, and The Three Musketeers. In 1993, People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.

One of her most memorable moments on screen came in 1992's Scent of a Woman when she danced a tango with Al Pacino, whose character was blind.

Anwar has appeared in the TV series John Doe and recently acted in The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines. Anwar plays Princess Margaret, sister of Henry VIII of England, on Showtime's The Tudors, which debuted in April 2007.

Also starting mid-2007, Anwar co-stars as Fiona Glenanne in the USA Network series Burn Notice. Though she performed the character with an apparently Irish accent in the pilot episode, in the second installment Fiona speaks with an American accent (This is explained by the character by saying that the Irish accent gives away her cover).

Personal life

Anwar has a daughter, Willow, born in 1993, with whom she appeared in the film Daddy Who?. Willow's father is American actor Craig Sheffer with whom Anwar had a lengthy relationship in the late 1980s and 1990s. Anwar was later married to actor John Verea; they had a son and daughter before divorcing.

In June 2007, Anwar announced during an interview regarding Burn Notice that she was a pagan.