New Hollywood 2011

Gabrielle Anwar was born on February 4, 1970, in Laleham, Middlesex, England. Gabrielle’s father, Tariq Anwar, is an Oscar-nominated film editor, while her mother, Shirley, is an actress. Gabrielle attended Laleham Church of England Primary and Middle School starting at age 5, and as early as 1982, she was performing in school productions. Originally, Gabrielle planned to be a dancer and she was trained at ballet school.

At 15, an injury forced Gabrielle to transfer to the drama department of her school. Gabrielle’s parents didn’t want her going into show business, she later quipped, “because they’re smart.” But within months of her switch to acting, Gabrielle was getting professional work. Gabrielle had already been kicked out of one school for fighting, and the competition for drama school was fierce, so she made up her mind to start acting professionally. Gabrielle debuted in Hideaway, a British miniseries, in 1986, and appeared in several other British TV shows while continuing her education with a private tutor.

While working in London, Gabrielle met American actor Craig Sheffer, with whom she would have a lengthy relationship through to the mid-'90s. In 1989, Gabrielle relocated with Sheffer to Los Angeles. She appeared in If Looks Could Kill (1991) and Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (1991), and she guest-starred on a 1992 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. But it was Gabrielle’s seven-minute tango lesson with Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman (1992) that really got the young actress noticed in Hollywood.

Bigger roles in more prominent movies followed: Gabrielle starred in the Body Snatchers remake the following year, and appeared alongside Michael J. Fox in For Love or Money. Also in 1993, Gabrielle played Queen Anne in Disney’s version of The Three Musketeers, with Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland. Gabrielle was nearly replaced for her Disney role as she was a few months pregnant with her first child, Willow, during filming. A few costume adjustments and careful filming hid her condition, although Gabrielle’s custody dispute with Willow’s father, actor Reyn Hubbard, was harder to cover up.

Gabrielle continued to work steadily as the '90s progressed. After an unsatisfying role in Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995) with Andy Garcia, Gabrielle spent the next decade on the B-list. She appeared in a number of movies with ex-boyfriend Craig Sheffer, including In Pursuit of Honor (1995), The Grave (1996), Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal (2001), Flying Virus (2001), Save It for Later (2003), Water Under the Bridge (2003), and Long Lost Son (2006). In the meantime, Gabrielle married actor John Verea, had two children with him, and subsequently got divorced.

Gabrielle’s star has risen once again, but this time it’s on cable television. In 2006, she co-starred with Noah Wyle in The Librarian 2 on TNT, and she starred as Henry VIII’s sister, Princess Margaret, on Showtime’s hit historical drama The Tudors in early 2007. Gabrielle followed that up as a regular on the USA Network’s comedy series Burn Notice, playing Fiona Glenanne, the IRA-connected ex-girlfriend of series star Jeffrey Donovan. Between acting gigs, raising her three children and taking care of her dog, Gabrielle likes to write screenplays and children’s books.

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