Detailed Biography

Gabrielle Anwar is an English actress, known for her roles in the 1990s films Scent of a Woman, The Three Musketeers, and Body Snatchers. Notable television roles include the fashion-conscious graphic designer Sam Black in the second series of the Children's ITV series Press Gang and Margaret Tudor on The Tudors. Since 2007, she has starred as Fiona Glenanne opposite Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell on the USA Network television series Burn Notice.

Biography

Early life

Anwar was born in Laleham, Middlesex, England. Her mother, Shirley, is an English actress, and her father, Tariq Anwar, is an Indian-born 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 movie was If Looks Could Kill where she played the daughter of a murdered British Agent . In 1992 she made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Tricia Kinney. She followed that with the 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 played Princess Margaret, sister of Henry VIII of England, on Showtime's The Tudors in 2007. She is currently playing Fiona Glenanne in the TV series Burn Notice. In 2008, Anwar made an appearance as Eva Sintzel, a woman trying to get pregnant throuugh the fictitious Hudson Cryobank in the Law & Order: SVU episode "Inconceivable".

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; she and Verea had a son and a daughter before divorcing.