Michelle Fairley

Acting

Michelle Fairley

Born July 11, 1963Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK78 credits

Michelle Fairley (born 11 July 1963) is an actress from Northern Ireland. She is best known for playing Catelyn Stark in the HBO series Game of Thrones (2011–2013). She has since appeared in the USA Network series Suits (2013), the Fox series 24: Live Another Day (2014), the RTÉ miniseries Rebellion (2016), the science fiction series The Feed (2019), and the Sky Atlantic crime drama Gangs of London (2020–). Fairley was born in Coleraine to parents Brian and Teresa Fairley, the second eldest of six children. Her father was a popular publican, owner of Fairley's Bar and several off-licences, in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, but Fairley remembers both Catholics and Protestants frequenting the pub. Fairley appeared in a number of British television shows, including The Bill, Holby City and Casualty. Some of her earlier roles were as Cathy Michaels on ITV1's Inspector Morse in the episode titled "The Way Through The Woods" and as Nancy Phelan in Lovejoy in the episode 9 of Season 3 titled "Smoke Your Nose". She took over the role of Mrs. Granger from Heather Bleasdale (who had played Mrs. Granger in Chamber of Secrets) in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films. From 2011 to 2013, Fairley starred as Catelyn Stark (née Tully) in the first three seasons of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, replacing Jennifer Ehle who played the character in the original, unaired, pilot episode. Fairley joined the cast of the USA Network series Suits for its third season, playing the recurring role of Dr. Ava Hessington, a chemical engineer and oil CEO accused of bribery, and after that, accused for murder. She played Margot Al-Harazi in 24: Live Another Day on Fox. Her film roles included The Invisible Woman (2013) and In the Heart of the Sea (2015). In 2014, Fairley was cast as Margaret Langston in the ABC TV Series Resurrection (2014-2015). In 2017, it was announced Fairley would appear in a revival of Jim Cartwright's play Road at the Royal Court Theatre In 2018, she played Cassius in Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre, alongside David Calder, David Morrissey and Ben Whishaw. In 2019, Fairley led the Virgin Media and Amazon Prime science fiction series The Feed as Meredith Hatfield. As of June 2020, Fairley stars as Marian Wallace in the Sky Atlantic crime drama Gangs of London. She starred as Millie in the 2021 film Nobody Has To Know alongside Bouli Lanners. In 2023, Fairley starred as Princess Augusta in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix. She also contributed to The Gone a TVNZ and RTE coproduction.

Known For

Filmography

No Ordinary Heist
2026No Ordinary Heist
as Mags FultonMovie
Whistle
2026Whistle
as Ivy RaymoreMovie
Small Things Like These
2024Small Things Like These
as Mrs. WilsonMovie
The Trap
2023The Trap
as MichelleMovie
The Gone
2023The Gone
as Judge Hannah MartinTV
Untameable
2023Untameable
as SelfMovie
An Irish Goodbye
2022An Irish Goodbye
as Grainne (voice)Movie
Lesson 7
2020Lesson 7
as MaxMovie
Gangs of London
2020Gangs of London
as Marian WallaceTV
Lost Lives
2019Lost Lives
as Self (voice)Movie
The Feed
2019The Feed
as Meredith HatfieldTV
The Trap
2019The Trap
as MichelleMovie
T
2018To Provide All People
as Intensive Care NurseMovie
The White Princess
2017The White Princess
as Margaret BeaufortTV
Edith
2016Edith
as SheliaMovie
Rebellion
2016Rebellion
as Dolly ButlerTV
In the Heart of the Sea
2015In the Heart of the Sea
as Mrs. NickersonMovie
Fortitude
2015Fortitude
as Freya LennoxTV
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
2014Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
as Queen Igneous (voice)TV
Montana
2014Montana
as DCI Rachel JonesMovie
Common
2014Common
as ShelaghMovie
Resurrection
2014Resurrection
as Margaret LangstonTV
The Invisible Woman
2013The Invisible Woman
as Caroline GravesMovie
Philomena
2013Philomena
as Sally MitchellMovie
Crossing Lines
2013Crossing Lines
as Sophie BainesTV
Suits
2011Suits
as Ava HessingtonTV
Game of Thrones
2011Game of Thrones
as Catelyn StarkTV
Chatroom
2010Chatroom
as RosieMovie
Cup Cake
2010Cup Cake
as Annie McNabbMovie
Misfits
2009Misfits
as Louise YoungTV
The Golden Hour
2005The Golden Hour
as Julia HarperTV
Ahead of the Class
2005Ahead of the Class
as Sonia VenningMovie
24
200124
as Margot Al-HaraziTV
The Others
2001The Others
as Mrs. MarlishMovie
In Deep
2001In Deep
as PhoebeTV
Rebus
2000Rebus
as Janice MeeTV
The Second Death
2000The Second Death
as AislingMovie
Vicious Circle
1999Vicious Circle
as FrancesMovie
Hideous Kinky
1999Hideous Kinky
as PatriciaMovie
A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries
1998A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries
as Miss O'ShaunessyMovie
Midsomer Murders
1997Midsomer Murders
as Iris HolmanTV
S
1996Safe And Sound
as Eleanor DelaneyTV
The Precious Blood
1996The Precious Blood
as Jean McBrideMovie
A
1996A Mug's Game
as Kathy CowanTV
Life After Life
1995Life After Life
as Roisin DonaghyMovie
Cardiac Arrest
1994Cardiac Arrest
as Casualty Sister Karen TellerTV
Comics
1993Comics
as Nula O'ReillyTV
The Long Roads
1993The Long Roads
as Fiona GibbonsMovie
F
1992Flea Bites
as SharonMovie
Force of Duty
1991Force of Duty
as JennyMovie
Hidden Agenda
1990Hidden Agenda
as Teresa DoyleMovie
Saracen
1989Saracen
as MaeveTV
Crossfire
1988Crossfire
as Scanlon's GirlMovie
Hidden City
1987Hidden City
as CleanerMovie
Casualty
1986Casualty
as Kathy EmerickTV
Lovejoy
1986Lovejoy
as Nancy PhelanTV
Screen Two
1985Screen Two
as Jean McBrideTV