Sharon Rooney
Sharon Rooney | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1988-10-22) October 22, 1988 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Alma mater | University of Hull |
| Occupations | Actress, stand up comedian |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Notable work | My Mad Fat Diary (2013–15) Two Doors Down (2013–17) |
Sharon Rooney (born 22 October 1988[1]) is a Scottish actress. Her breakthrough role as Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary earned her critical acclaim,[2][3] and led to her casting as Sophie in Two Doors Down (2013; 2016–2017), Dawn in Brief Encounters, Miss Atlantis in the 2019 remake of Dumbo and Lawyer Barbie in the 2023 film Barbie. In 2024, she had recurring roles in both Daddy Issues and Nightsleeper, playing the roles of Catherine and Yasmin (Yas) Brown respectively.
In 2013, she was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland award in the Best Actor/Actress (Television) Category for her performance in My Mad Fat Diary. She has subsequently been nominated for a Royal Television Society Award, Broadcasting Press Guild Award and Young Scot Awards. In 2015, she won the Best Actor/Actress (Television) Award at the 2015 ceremony of BAFTA Scotland for My Mad Fat Diary, and in 2021 won a British Short Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Do No Harm.
Early life
Rooney was born in Glasgow on 22 October 1988, and educated at Knightswood Secondary School.[4] In an interview with Ayrshire Magazine, Rooney recalled "seeing a pantomime with her aunt" when she was young, and being "captivated by the people on stage".[5] She described acting as something she "always spoke about" since then, and that when she was at school it "was all I talked about doing".[5] During her time at school, Rooney claimed she treated every class as a performance, saying "school was a show for me" and that she "was always chatting, always the one to make people laugh, talking too much, being disruptive".[5]
She left school at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting, and enrolled on a three-year performing arts course followed by a degree in drama at Hull University.[6]
Career
Breakthrough (2013–2023)
Rooney began performing stand-up comedy,[7] and toured with a play in various schools across Britain.[8] Her first television role came when she was cast as Rae Earl, a young woman who is released from a psychiatric facility after four months, in the E4 teen comedy-drama series My Mad Fat Diary (2013–2015).[9] The show was a success and earned Rooney a BAFTA nomination at the BAFTA Scotland awards.[10][11]The Guardian's Sam Wollaston called Rooney's performance "natural, effortless and utterly believable".[12] Rooney claimed she was "surprised" to be nominated for a BAFTA Scotland award, and claimed she was "dreading" attending the ceremony but confirmed it was not for the fear of not winning the award, claiming that by being nominated she felt she had "already won".[11] The role also saw her nominated for a Royal Television Society award in 2014.[13] She was also nominated in the Entertainment category at the 2014 Young Scot Awards.[14]
In 2013, Rooney was cast to play the role of Sophie, the daughter of Christine O'Neal (played by Elaine C. Smith), in the BBC Scotland sitcom Two Doors Down.[15] The pilot episode aired in December 2013, but was not picked up for full series until 2016, with Rooney returned to the role of Sophie.[16] Rooney said that working with Elaine C. Smith was "a dream come true", saying that she "grew up watching people like Elaine, Johnnie and Alex on the television", claiming that you would "see them on the telly all the time, so to be in a room with them and hear all their stories was just brilliant".[17] In 2017, after two series on Two Doors Down, Rooney announced her departure from the show, with her character Sophie being written out of the show to move to Wales with her recently born daughter Madison.[18]
Rooney played a small part in the Sherlock episode "The Empty Hearse" in 2014.[19] In July 2016, she appeared in the ITV drama series Brief Encounters, set in 1982 and revolving around four women who become involved in Ann Summers party planning.[20] She played Miss Atlantis in the 2019 film Dumbo,[21] in which she performed the song "Baby Mine".[22] She played Nicola Walsh in Finding Alice in 2021.[23] In 2021, she played the role of Shauna in the short film Do No Harm, a role which earned her a British Short Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.[24]
Barbie and television (2023–)
In 2023, Rooney was cast in the movie Barbie, playing the role of Lawyer Barbie alongside a cast including Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Rhea Perlman and Ncuti Gatwa. It quickly became the highest grossing film worldwide following its release, taking in $1.5 billion at the box office. Rooney said that her casting in Barbie was "a dream", whilst acknowledging that the statement was "somewhat a cliché". She said that growing up, she "played with one of those doll houses when I was a little girl and now I am in one".[25]Glamour described the role as a "stark departure" from Rooney's previous roles.[26] In 2024, she was cast as Yasmin "Yas" Brown in the BBC One drama series Nightsleeper.[27] She described the role as "one of the hardest jobs" she has had, but claimed she was interested in the role due to her interest in trains.[27]
In August 2024, she was cast as Catherine in Daddy Issues, also on BBC One.[28] She was appointed to be one of the judges at the 2024 Glasgow Comedy Festival alongside Janey Godley and Tony Curran, with the three judges being selected to decide on a recipient to present to comedian Billy Connolly to award the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award.[29] Rooney said she was "excited" to be selected as a judge, and said "the Glasgow comedy scene is one of the best, and as a proud Glaswegian it's a joy to watch it get bigger and better each year".[29]
Personal life
Despite her acting success, Rooney describes herself as a "shy person".[5] She lives in Glasgow, saying she "loves being home", and describes herself as "such a home bird". She describes her situation as "the best part for me about going away is the coming home. The minute I’m done, I’m on the train and I’m straight home".[5] Following the success of My Mad Fat Diary, Rooney said she "felt too much responsibility" regarding "anyone who has mental health issues, an eating disorder, or any problem" and claimed that she often had to think before speaking and posting things publicly.[30]
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Under the Skin | Party Girl | |
| 2015 | Hector | Young Mother | |
| 2019 | Dumbo | Miss Atlantis | |
| 2021 | The Electrical Life of Louis Wain | Josephine Wain | |
| 2021 | Do No Harm | Shauna | Short film British Short Film Award – Won (Best Supporting Actress) |
| 2023 | Barbie | Lawyer Barbie[31] | |
| 2025 | Grow | Sharon[32] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–2015 | My Mad Fat Diary | Rae Earl | 16 episodes BAFTA Scotland – Nominated for Best Actor/Actress (Television) Royal Television Society – Nominated for Best Actress Broadcasting Press Guild – Nominated for Breakthrough Award Young Scot Awards – Nominated for Entertainment Award BAFTA Scotland – Won Best Actor/Actress (Television) |
| 2014 | Sherlock | Laura | Episode: "The Empty Hearse" |
| 2014–2015 | Mountain Goats | Jules | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Brief Encounters | Dawn | 6 episodes |
| Stag | Brodie | Miniseries | |
| 2013, 2016–2017 | Two Doors Down | Sophie | Main role 13 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Zapped | Barbara | 15 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | The Tunnel | Kiki Stokes | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | No Offence | Faye Caddy | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | The Capture | Becky | 6 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | Jerk | Ruth | 8 episodes[33] |
| 2021 | Finding Alice | Nicola | 6 episodes |
| McDonald & Dodds | Doreen Warren | Episode: "We Need To Talk About Doreen"[34] | |
| 2022 | The Teacher | Nina | 4 episodes |
| The Control Room | Breck | 3 episodes | |
| 2024– present | Daddy Issues | Catherine | Recurring role; 12 episodes |
| 2024 | Nightsleeper | Yasmin (Yas) Brown | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| The Cleaner[35] | Sue, Mrs Barton, Tippy, Cook, Jibbers, John Church, Lady Rice Phillips | Episode "The Housekeeper" | |
| 2025 | The Revenge Club | Rachel Koffman | Main cast[36] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | British Academy Scotland Awards | Best New Scottish Actor/Actress | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| 2013 | Scottish Variety Awards[37] | Best Actor/Actress (Television) | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| 2014 | British Academy Scotland Awards | Best Actor/Actress (Television) | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| Royal Television Society | Best Actress | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated | |
| Broadcasting Press Guild | Breakthrough Award | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated | |
| Young Scot Awards | Entertainment Award | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated | |
| 2015 | British Academy Scotland Awards | Best Actor/Actress (Television) | My Mad Fat Diary | Won |
| 2021 | British Short Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Do No Harm[38][39] | Won |
References
- ^"Sharon Rooney". amazon.com. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^"My Mad Fat Diary". Channel 4. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^Davies, Sophie (21 January 2013). "Rae Earl on My Mad Fat Diary". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^"People of Knightswood: 7 famous faces who were pupils at Knightswood Secondary School". GlasgowWorld. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ abcde"Sharon Rooney - Ayrshire Magazine". Ayrshire Magazine. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^Orr, Gillian (31 January 2014). "Unexpected agony aunt: How My Mad Fat Diary star Sharon Rooney transformed teen TV". The Independent. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^"Interview: Sharon Rooney on 'My Mad Fat Diary". Time Out London. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^"Sharon Rooney up for actress award". Native Monster. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^"'Sherlock' Series Three To Feature 'My Mad Fat Diary' Star Sharon Rooney?". Huffington Post. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ^"Tom Holland and Sharon Rooney among BAFTA's Breakthrough Brits". IndieLondon. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ abChristie, Janet (16 November 2014). "Sharon Rooney has 'won already' with Bafta nod". The Scotsman.
- ^Wollaston, Sam (14 January 2013). "TV review: My Mad Fat Diary; Girls". The Guardian.
- ^"Scottish My Mad Fat Diary Star Sharon Rooney nominated for RTS award". STV Shows. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- ^Greenaway, Heather (13 April 2014). "Video: Young Scots 2014 Roll of Honour". Daily Record. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^Buchan, Sophie (30 July 2023). "Actress Sharon Rooney's journey to Hollywood from Two Doors Down to Barbie". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^"Hit comedy Two Doors Down is back after winning fans on both sides of the Border". The National. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^"Interview with Sharon Rooney". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^Guide, British Comedy (19 October 2017). "Two Doors Down to return with cast changes". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^Pook, Lizzie. "Girl meets world: Sharon Rooney". Stylist. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^Durrant, Sabine (11 July 2016). "Brief Encounters: the thief, his mistress and the birth of Ann Summers". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^Sanchez, Omar (27 June 2018). "'Dumbo': Everything to Know About Disney's Live-Action Remake Directed by Tim Burton". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^"Dumbo Press Kit"(PDF). 11 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^Bley Griffiths, Eleanor (17 January 2021). "Meet the cast of ITV's Finding Alice". Radio Times. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^Williams, Tom (10 December 2021). "British Short Film Award winners announced". British Cinematographer. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^Lawler, Danielle (14 September 2023). "Living in a Barbie world: Sharon Rooney on what went on behind-the-scenes of this year's breakout hit". Tatler. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^Morgan, Lucy (17 July 2023). "'If I can be Barbie, I can be anything': Sharon Rooney talks beauty standards and why this is her most empowering role yet". Glamour UK. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ abAron, Isabelle (23 September 2024). "Sharon Rooney on Nightsleeper: 'It was one of the hardest jobs I've ever done'". The i Paper. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^"First look images for Daddy Issues series 2 starring Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey revealed". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ ab"Barbie star Rooney among judges for Glasgow comedy festival prize". BBC News. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^"Girl meets world: Sharon Rooney". www.stylist.co.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^McStay, Kirsten (19 July 2023). "Scots Barbie star Sharon Rooney cancels Glasgow Film Theatre appearance due to writer's strike". Daily Record. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^Scotland, Screen (15 May 2024). "Golda Rosheuvel, Nick Frost, Jeremy Swift, Tim McInnerny, and Jane Horrocks to star in upcoming Sky Original film Grow". Screen Scotland. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
- ^"Lorraine Bracco joins Tim Renkow in new BBC Three comedy, Jerk". BBC Media Centre. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^Fear, Helen (7 March 2021). "Who plays Doreen in McDonald & Dodds? Actress Sharon Rooney found fame on My Mad Fat Diary". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^"BBC unveils star-studded cast for The Cleaner Series 3 with exclusive first look images". BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^Cormack, Morgan. "Line of Duty and Slow Horses stars join new thriller The Revenge Club". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^"Glasgow hosts Scottish Variety Awards". Glasgow Times. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^"British Short Film Awards 2021 - Winners". thebritishshortfilmawards.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^"Do No Harm". douglaskingfilm.com. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
External links
