Anne-Marie Duff

Birthday: 8 October 1970, Southall, London, England, UK

Height: 170 cm

Anne-Marie Duff is an English actress, born on 8 October 1970 in Southall, London. Her parents, Brendan and Mary (née Doherty), are from Donegal, Ireland. Her father worked as a painter and decorator and her mother worked in a shoe shop.She first came to the attention of the British public for her role as Margaret in The Magdalene Sisters (2002) and as Fiona Gallagher in the successful TV series Shameless (2004), where she met her future husband, James McAvoy. She went on to play Queen Elizabeth I opposite Tom Hardy's Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in the four-part miniseries The Virgin Queen (2005).In Nowhere Boy (2009), Duff played John Lennon's mother, Julia, a role for which she won British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played Violet Miller in Suffragette (2015), a working-class woman who introduces Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) to the fight for women's rights in east London. "Violet is extraordinary, she's a firebrand - a tornado that comes into Maud's life and changes it forever. I found her thrilling," says Duff. In 2017, she will appear as Hyzenthlay in a new BBC animated miniseries of Watership Down.Duff has also taken on many theatre roles, including Joan of Arc in George Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan" in 2007 and Alma Rattenbury in Terence Rattigan's "Cause Célèbre" at The Old Vic, London in 2011.She has been married to McAvoy since 11 November 2006. They have one child, a son named Brendan after Duff's father. On 13 May 2016, Duff and McAvoy announced their decision to divorce. Show less «

[on what attracted her to the role of Alma Rattenbury in Terence Rattigan's play "Cause Célèbre"] ...Show more »

[on what attracted her to the role of Alma Rattenbury in Terence Rattigan's play "Cause Célèbre"] Well the fact that it was the centenary [of Rattigan's birth] was interesting. The overt sexual language of the play is surprising and Rattigan writes brilliantly for women, he just does. Show less «

I knew if I wanted to do this [acting] for a living, I really had to pursue it. When I was auditioni...Show more »

I knew if I wanted to do this [acting] for a living, I really had to pursue it. When I was auditioning for drama schools, the girls around me were from very different backgrounds. I remember thinking, "Should I lie about my family?" Show less «

My husband [the actor, James McAvoy] has an extraordinary ability to receive a lot of exposure and s...Show more »

My husband [the actor, James McAvoy] has an extraordinary ability to receive a lot of exposure and still maintain a sense of self without giving anything away. I think it's very powerful. Show less «

I was bloody minded, but no one took me seriously at all; at school everyone thought I was an arse. ...Show more »

I was bloody minded, but no one took me seriously at all; at school everyone thought I was an arse. It was a real Thatcherite hell, and I was clinging on by my fingernails: just getting into drama school, not having enough money to live on. Show less «

How on earth do you teach your child not to be spiteful in the playground when online you can say wh...Show more »

How on earth do you teach your child not to be spiteful in the playground when online you can say whatever you like? Show less «

[on her time at the Drama Centre in north London] I lost my virginity. I fell in love. I thought, "T...Show more »

[on her time at the Drama Centre in north London] I lost my virginity. I fell in love. I thought, "This is great. It fits." Show less «

[on being shy] If you'd asked me to talk to a boy I'd have shat myself. Boys, friends, I didn't have...Show more »

[on being shy] If you'd asked me to talk to a boy I'd have shat myself. Boys, friends, I didn't have any of that. Show less «

When I was with Dawn French in Wild West (2002), I had a scene where I had to do this thing where my...Show more »

When I was with Dawn French in Wild West (2002), I had a scene where I had to do this thing where my dress was accidentally tucked in my knickers. Being the method actor I am, I did it really accurately. Dawn was like: no! And tucked them in massively. I was like, oh sorry, I wanted it to be realistic. She said: when Monica in Friends (1994) came out with a turkey on her head, was that funny? Show less «

[on the disciplined atmosphere at the Drama Centre] There were all these rules you had to obey, ofte...Show more »

[on the disciplined atmosphere at the Drama Centre] There were all these rules you had to obey, often for intangible reasons. I was always receiving these letters saying that if I didn't get my s--- together I'd be out. We used to call Central [School of Arts and Drama] Butlin's and they used to call us "the Trauma Centre". It was very tough on women. Show less «

I am a sanguine individual. Most people are having a difficult time at the moment but still get up i...Show more »

I am a sanguine individual. Most people are having a difficult time at the moment but still get up in the morning... As a species, we thrive. And I am interested in that ability to thrive. Things have to be about hope. On stage you need to convey hope or you'll lose an audience. Show less «

[on avoiding reviews] It is better not to look at them; it is like reading someone's diary. What you...Show more »

[on avoiding reviews] It is better not to look at them; it is like reading someone's diary. What you think about me is none of my business. It's important to keep faith in the project you are working on. Show less «

[on how she saw herself in her youth] A tomboy - androgynous until I was 19. Desperately shy. The on...Show more »

[on how she saw herself in her youth] A tomboy - androgynous until I was 19. Desperately shy. The only confidence I had was in drama. Show less «

[on upcoming actors] It's a curious time for young women. There's this obsession with physical perfe...Show more »

[on upcoming actors] It's a curious time for young women. There's this obsession with physical perfection. Jesus wept, what teenagers are putting themselves through! That's a terrifying development that luckily I didn't have to confront because one's so self-conscious anyway. Show less «

In theatre, there's the director, the writer, and below them the actor. In film, it's the actors who...Show more »

In theatre, there's the director, the writer, and below them the actor. In film, it's the actors who are most important. That goes against the grain for me. It's been amazing for me to see the self-confidence of actors who insist on having control, because it's going to be their faces 20ft high in the posters. I've been shocked by film actors - 25 and under - having such confidence and cockiness to rewrite a scene. My background is more about the director being in control. It's all about yielding. It's an oddly submissive relationship in which you're moulded, Pygmalion-style. Show less «

[on her ideal holiday] Right now, as a working mum: Four Seasons, Bali! No, actually, my favourite w...Show more »

[on her ideal holiday] Right now, as a working mum: Four Seasons, Bali! No, actually, my favourite would always be a muddy tent holiday. Don't get me wrong: there is nothing more delightful than a dirty martini by the pool but I like being in nature. Show less «

Where I grew up, I suspect the idea of sitting in the Almeida rehearsal room would feel so much furt...Show more »

Where I grew up, I suspect the idea of sitting in the Almeida rehearsal room would feel so much further away today. People just don't feel entitled to have aspirations. I don't know how you fix that in young people - it's about making them feel capable. Show less «

[while appearing in George Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan" at the National in 2007, when she tried to ba...Show more »

[while appearing in George Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan" at the National in 2007, when she tried to banish reviews] I thought, no, I love this, and it's about what we've been through as a company. Then I got in one night and put the telly on and the Late Review was on, and just at that moment Tim Lott and Jeanette Winterson were saying, "Well, she's... all right." My husband was filming away abroad - people are never there when you need them. And I called him and he said, "OK, I'm going to have to tell you about a couple of nice reviews, just to cheer you up." Show less «

I was conscious that I didn't fit in with all that Thatcherite crap. Suddenly in the 80s it was all ...Show more »

I was conscious that I didn't fit in with all that Thatcherite crap. Suddenly in the 80s it was all about going to get a job in Barclays and I remember thinking I can't even swallow that, it tastes so foul. You're so self-righteous when you're young. Show less «

[on her return to the final episode of Shameless (2004)] I made a drunken promise as I was leaving t...Show more »

[on her return to the final episode of Shameless (2004)] I made a drunken promise as I was leaving that I'd come back to play Fiona Gallagher for the very last episode - never thinking it would happen! It was extraordinary: same grim and grubby kitchen, same props... It was lovely. Show less «

[on her son] I am very lucky. I have known wonderful romantic love in my life but to actually see th...Show more »

[on her son] I am very lucky. I have known wonderful romantic love in my life but to actually see this little creature and find him to be the most beautiful creature in the world. I know all mothers and fathers feel that way. Yes, he's just gorgeous. Show less «

It's never enjoyable watching yourself because you're never as good looking as you hope you are. You...Show more »

It's never enjoyable watching yourself because you're never as good looking as you hope you are. You're not expecting to be Penelope Cruz... but I'm a female of the species. I have my hang-ups and all of that. Show less «

[on a conversation with actor Robert Carlyle, also from a working-class background] We were laughing...Show more »

[on a conversation with actor Robert Carlyle, also from a working-class background] We were laughing, the two of us, saying, "Just think: our children know what Parma ham is." Show less «

[on which male role Anne-Marie would most like to play] Frank Underwood from House of Cards (2013). ...Show more »

[on which male role Anne-Marie would most like to play] Frank Underwood from House of Cards (2013). Let's have a bash at that. There's not enough female Machiavellis! Show less «

I am not precious about the way I look. Never having been defined as a great beauty makes that easie...Show more »

I am not precious about the way I look. Never having been defined as a great beauty makes that easier. Show less «

[on the birth of her son] We thought we were going to have girl, so we had 15 girls' names lined up ...Show more »

[on the birth of her son] We thought we were going to have girl, so we had 15 girls' names lined up and a little boy popped out. We had no idea and we had hardly any boys' names. He's a Brendan and it suits him really, really well. I do feel my life's completely expanded since he arrived. When my baby was born, I felt like somebody had spiked my drink and I suddenly was so full of love that it was a little bit as if I was drugged. I didn't think that anyone could feel that way. Show less «

[about her parents] They taught me many things. Most of all that it is vital in life just to turn up...Show more »

[about her parents] They taught me many things. Most of all that it is vital in life just to turn up. To turn up for people, to be present, to have the conversation. This has emboldened me, given me greater empathy. Show less «

I didn't really inhabit myself until I was in my 30s. And motherhood is an epic event. You can't hel...Show more »

I didn't really inhabit myself until I was in my 30s. And motherhood is an epic event. You can't help but be altered by it - and it is important to be. Show less «

[on her time at The Drama Centre] It put me through my paces. I toughened up. I was by no means the ...Show more »

[on her time at The Drama Centre] It put me through my paces. I toughened up. I was by no means the star of the year. It taught me to be resourceful, to go away and do the work myself. Invaluable. Show less «

[on the influence of Shameless (2004) in career] It was the first time I'd been in anything that was...Show more »

[on the influence of Shameless (2004) in career] It was the first time I'd been in anything that was a commercial success. I'd worked very happily on projects up until then, but in terms of commercial profile, it changed things. Ironically, all the classical theatre work I did didn't get me The Virgin Queen (2005). Shameless did. Show less «

I don't tend to get asked to do the same thing. I thought after I played Fiona [in Shameless (2004)]...Show more »

I don't tend to get asked to do the same thing. I thought after I played Fiona [in Shameless (2004)], "Here we go..." But it's like a fruit machine, I never know what's going to come out. Show less «

[on working on Shameless (2004)] We were living with the young 'uns, in the same block of flats, and...Show more »

[on working on Shameless (2004)] We were living with the young 'uns, in the same block of flats, and because I was playing someone younger, I felt a bit frothy... Manchester's a great city to be in, and none of us were married with kids, so we all had a ball. Show less «

I'm always dancing in my kitchen. And I love to sing. I've always sung. My father was a lovely singe...Show more »

I'm always dancing in my kitchen. And I love to sing. I've always sung. My father was a lovely singer. Always sang Jim Reeves at parties. I sing to my boy and he sings too. Show less «

Anne-Marie Duff

Anne-Marie Duff's FILMOGRAPHY

Anne-Marie Duff'S roles

Feedback about this page?