Sharon Small
British actress
Sharon Small is a Scottish actress known for her work in film, radio, theatre, and television. Perhaps best known for her portrayal of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers in the BBC television adaptation of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries by Elizabeth George, she is also recognised for her lead roles in Mistresses (as Trudi Malloy), London Kills (as DS Vivienne Cole) and Trust Me (as Dr Brigitte Rayne). She was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance in a 2022 revival of Good.
01Early life
Small is the eldest of five children. She was educated at Kinghorn Primary School in Fife, where she was the Kinghorn Gala Queen in her final year, and at Balwearie High School in Kirkcaldy. Small then studied drama at Kirkcaldy College of Technology (now Fife College), and continued her study at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London from which she graduated in 1989.
02Personal life
Small lives in London. She has two sons with her photographer husband Dan Bridge.
03Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Production | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Bumping the Odds | Terry | , | Best Actress Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival |
| 1997 | Bite | Alison | , | , |
| 1998 | Driven | Caroline Hall | Dandelion Films | , |
| 2002 | About a Boy | Christine | Universal Pictures | , |
| 2004 | Dear Frankie | Marie | Universal | , |
| 2004 | Belly Button | Kika | Satellite Pictures | , |
| 2008 | Last Chance Harvey | Nurse | Overture Films | , |
| 2008 | Pop Art short film | Mrs. Gannon | Forward Films |
| Year | Title | Role | Production | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Taggart | Michelle Gibson | SMG Productions | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Roughnecks | Bernadette | , | 1 episode |
| 1995 | An Independent Man | Nicola | , | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Doctor Finlay | Irene Gallagher | , | 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Bill | Gina Nash | ITV | , |
| 1997 | Hamish Macbeth | WPC Anne Patterson | , | 1 episode |
| 1997 | No Child of Mine | Linda | ITV | , |
| 1999-2000 | Sunburn | Carol Simpson | , | 14 episodes |
| 2000 | Glasgow Kiss | Cara Rossi | , | 6 episodes |
| 2003 | Cutting It | Boo Wiberley | , | , |
| 2001-2007 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | DS Barbara Havers | BBC | 24 episodes, nominated for Most Popular Actress and the Golden Satellite Award |
| 2005 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Titania | BBC's Shakespeare Retold season | , |
| 2006 | Rebus | Miranda Masterson | , | , |
| 2007-2015 | Nina and the Neurons | Bud the Taste Neuron | , | 11 seasons |
| 2009 | Murderland | Dr Laura Maitland | ITV | 3 episodes |
| 2008-2010 | Mistresses | Trudi Malloy | BBC | 16 episodes |
| 2010 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Mary Pritchard | ITV adaptation of "Miss Marple: The Blue Geranium", aired in the US on PBS | , |
| 2011 | Downton Abbey | Marigold Shore | , | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Kidnap and Ransom | Beth Cooper | ITV | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | New Tricks | Minnie/Annabel Tilson | BBC | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Silent Witness | Geraldine Briggs | BBC | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Call the Midwife | Nora Harding | BBC | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Death in Paradise | Dorothy Foster | BBC | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Midsomer Murders | Ruth Cameron | ITV “Wild Harvest” | 1 episode |
| 2014 | Law & Order: UK | Inspector Elisabeth Flynn | ITV | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Stonemouth | Connie Murston | BBC | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Born to Kill | Cathy | World Productions | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Trust Me | Dr Brigitte Rayne | BBC | 4 episodes |
| 2019, | London Kills | DS Vivienne Cole | Acorn TV | Main role, 4 series, 20 episodes |
| 2020 | Flesh and Blood | Stella | ITV | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | The Bay | Rose Marshbrook | ITV1 | 6 Episodes |
| 2024 | Nightsleeper | Liz Draycott | BBC | 6 Episodes |
| Title | Role |
|---|---|
| At The Foot of the Cross | Narrator |
| High Table, Lower Orders | Zoe |
| "Dr. Finlay, The Adventures of a Black Bag" | Nurse Angus |
| Angel | Lorraine |
| The Order of Release | Effie Ruskin |
04Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht | Polly Peachum | Donmar Warehouse |
| 1996 | The Nun | , | Greenwich Studio Theatre |
| 1998 | London Cuckolds by Edward Ravencroft | , | Royal National Theatre |
| 2004 | When Harry Met Sally... | Marie Fisher | Theatre Royal Haymarket |
| 2005 | Lear by Edward Bond | Fortanelle | Sheffield Crucible Theatre |
| 2009 | Life Is A Dream | Estrella | Donmar Warehouse |
| 2010 | Spur of the Moment by Anya Reiss | Vicky Evans | Royal Court Theatre |
| 2010 | Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart | Maggie Morrison | National Theatre |
| 2014 | Arden of Faversham by Anonymous | Alice Arden | Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 2015 | Carmen Disruption | The Singer | Almeida Theatre |
| 2015 | Luna Gale by Rebecca Gilman | Caroline | Hampstead Theatre |
| 2016 | The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht | Jenny Diver | Royal National Theatre |
| 2018 | Still Alice | Alice Howland | West Yorkshire Playhouse |
| 2022 | The Trials by Dawn King | Defendant Three | Donmar Warehouse |
| 2022 | Good by C.P. Taylor | Helen | Harold Pinter Theatre |
| 2024 | Nye by Tim Price | Jennie Lee | Royal National Theatre |
05Awards and honours
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Edinburgh Film Festival | Best Actress Award | Bumping the Odds | Won |
| 2007 | Golden Satellite Awards | Best Award | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Nominated |
| 2023 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Good | Nominated |
Sources and credits
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