Michelle Fairley, famously known as Mrs Granger in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” fantasy film, is an award-winning Irish film, TV, and theatre actress, who has featured in several other successful TV series, such as “Game of Thrones” and “Suits.”
Age, Early Life Education Background
Born into a middle-class Catholic family in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 17 January 1964, under the zodiac sign of Capricorn, Michelle Fairley is 57 years old as of 2021. She is the second-born child in her family of six children, to parents Teresa Fairley, who ended her career for motherhood, and Brian Fairley who was a famous County Antrim-based publican during The Troubles ethno-nationalist conflicts – he owned a few off-licences and Fairley Bar.
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Michelle was raised alongside her sister Simone and other siblings in her hometown, Coleraine. She revealed during an interview that her parents raised them with astounding moral attributes, and instilled strong values into them including fairness, strong work ethics, and honesty.
Michelle went to a Ballycastle-based Roman Catholic grammar educational institution, before she enrolled into Ulster Youth Theatre as a teenager. After graduation, she relocated to Belfast, and showcased her skills at Fringe Benefits repertory firm, alongside Conleth Hill who also graduated from Ulster Youth Theatre. After a few years, she moved to Manchester, England, and became part of Manchester Polytechnic, which is currently called Manchester Metropolitan University, and made her first professional stage appearance there.
She studied together with Stephen John Coogan, who is a famed British actor.
Career and Awards
Career Beginnings and Rise to Stardom
Michelle made her on-screen debut with the role of a cleaner in Stephen Poliakoff’s 1987 “Hidden City” mystery film, in which she appeared alongside Charles Dance, Richard E. Grant and several others. In 1990, she was seen in the film “Hidden Agenda”, before switching her focus to TV series. She featured in 1991’s “Children of the North,” before being cast in “Casualty” by the BBC (1991-1993). Her appearance in the BAFTA Award-winning series “Screen Two” made her famous, and in 1996 she made her career breakthrough for her appearance in “Safe and Sound.”
She was next seen in five episodes of the series “The Broker’s Man” in 1997, before she portrayed Mrs. Fitzpatrick in 1997’s “The History of Tom Johns, a Foundling.” Before the decade ended, she was seen in “A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries” (1998) and “Births, Marriages and Deaths” in the year that followed.
The 2000s
In 2001, Fairley featured as Mrs Marlish in “The Others” horror movie, which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. 2005 saw her appear in the film “Ahead of the Class’,’ before ending the decade with her appearance in 2009 “Misfits”, and in 2010 appearing in the Oscar-nominated film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” before she played one of her biggest roles in her career in the TV series “Game of Thrones” – she portrayed Catelyn Stark for 25 episodes and attracted considerable fame for her performance.
“Suits” and Other Recent Works
Michelle assumed the role of Ava Hessington in close to 10 episodes of “Suits” in 2013, and later in the same year appeared in the Oscar-nominated movie “The Invisible Woman,” created by Stephen Frears. She was seen in nine episodes of “24: Live Another Day” (2014-2015), before performing in 13 episodes of the “Resurrection” series. The Londonderry-born star and Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy and Chris Hemsworth starred in “In the Heart of the Sea” in 2015. She appeared in 2016’s “Rebellion,” 2017’s “Fortitude,” “The White Princess” in the same year, and several others. Her most recent projects are “Gangs of London” (2020), and the Campbell Scott-directed upcoming film “The Book of Common Prayer.”
Awards and Nominations
Michelle has been honoured with several award nominations, including 2011’s Screen Actors/Actresses Guild Award, Scream Award, and Irish Television and Film Award for her praised role in the “Game of Thrones” TV Series. In 2013, she bagged the Irish Television and Film Award for the Best Television Actress, and was also nominated for Screen Actors/Actresses Guild Award, and a Saturn Award in the same year. Her appearance in the movie “Rebellion” saw her nominated for 2016’s Irish Television and Film Award.
Personal Life
Michelle has kept her personal life under the wraps, and hasn’t revealed any names of men she’s dated in the past.
During an interview, Fairly was asked whether she previously lived with a partner, and she said yes clarifying that, ‘There is a time when you have to face the truth, you have to face reality in your life and go in with someone or you go “No, I want a change, I need a change. It’s my life.” It is a voice in your head that you can’t fail to listen to even though you ignore it for a long time…’ She was previously dating a guy whom she had moved in with for around seven years. The couple parted ways in 2012.
In 2016, Fairley was rumoured to be romantically linked with a mysterious man, however, these she dismissed, and added that she hadn’t been dating anyone during that time.
There has also been an allegation that Michelle might be lesbian, since she openly states that she doesn’t want to live with any man, and has no intention of getting married or having children – she told The Telegraph that due to demanding parenthood responsibility, she has chosen to abstain from motherhood. She also added that she is a little bit remorseful for quitting her Christian (Catholic) religion. She currently lives in Kensal Rise, London.
Physical Appearance, Weight, and Height
Michelle is of Irish ethnicity, and has a set of blue eyes and long red hair. She is slim and is 5ft 5ins tall (1.65m), weighing approximately 123lbs (56kg) with vital statistics of 34B-24-32. The “Game of Thrones” star wears dress size 6 (US).
Net Worth
Michelle has landed several major roles in many successful films and TV series, creating a name for herself in Hollywood as well as amassing a modest fortune. Through her acting career, she has earned a net worth of approximately $3 million as of late 2021 and is allegedly living a luxurious lifestyle.
