Sheila McCarthy

Acting

Sheila McCarthy

Born January 1, 1956Toronto, Ontario, Canada108 credits

Sheila McCarthy (born January 1, 1956) is a Canadian stage, film and television actress, singer and dancer, best known for playing Polly Vandersma in the feature film I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, as well as supporting character Sarah Hamoudi (Cunningham) in the television series Little Mosque on the Prairie. She's a graduate in Theatre and Art History from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In her career, she's won 2 Genie Awards (film), 2 Gemini Awards (television), and 2 Dora Awards (theater), along with multiple nominations.

Known For

The Well
4.0

The Well

Movie

2026

Love Is the Monster
10.0

Love Is the Monster

Movie

2025

Dancing on the Elephant

Dancing on the Elephant

Movie

2025

All the Lost Ones
4.8

All the Lost Ones

Movie

2025

Women Talking
6.8

Women Talking

Movie

2022

Christmas in Rockwell
5.0

Christmas in Rockwell

Movie

2022

Filmography

The Well
2026The Wellas GabrielMovie
Love Is the Monster
2025Love Is the MonsterMovie
Dancing on the Elephant
2025Dancing on the Elephantas NoraMovie
All the Lost Ones
2025All the Lost Onesas DawnMovie
Women Talking
2022Women Talkingas GretaMovie
Christmas in Rockwell
2022Christmas in Rockwellas JuniperMovie
Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3
2022Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3as Hologram Alien ScoutMovie
The Middle Man
2021The Middle Manas Mrs. StoutMovie
Stroke of Fate
2021Stroke of Fateas ShirleyMovie
Like a House on Fire
2021Like a House on Fireas KatherineMovie
Happy Place
2020Happy Placeas JoyceMovie
The Broken Hearts Gallery
2020The Broken Hearts Galleryas Cheryl GulliverMovie
Anything for Jackson
2020Anything for Jacksonas Audrey WalshMovie
Nurses
2020Nursesas Phillis BrunerTV
The Christmas Club
2019The Christmas Clubas Miss MaggieMovie
Christmas 9 to 5
2019Christmas 9 to 5as Rose StarkMovie
An Assortment of Christmas Tales in No Particular Order
2019An Assortment of Christmas Tales in No Particular Orderas EllenMovie
Isabelle
2019Isabelleas Ann PelwayMovie
The Umbrella Academy
2019The Umbrella Academyas AgnesTV
The Detail
2018The Detailas Helen MailerTV
Level 16
2018Level 16as Mrs. DenisonMovie
Still/Born
2018Still/Bornas SheilaMovie
Considering Love and Other Magic
2017Considering Love and Other Magicas VeronicaMovie
The Good Doctor
2017The Good Doctoras Rose BabcockTV
Star Trek: Discovery
2017Star Trek: Discoveryas All-MotherTV
Cardinals
2017Cardinalsas Valerie WalkerMovie
The Definites
2017The DefinitesExecutive ProducerMovie
Conviction
2016Convictionas Dr. Jane SotoTV
Milton's Secret
2016Milton's Secretas LuzMovie
Private Eyes
2016Private Eyesas Shirl GlinskiTV
Brace for Impact
2016Brace for Impactas Faradee GilchristMovie
Ice Girls
2016Ice Girlsas Aunt GingerMovie
W
2015Whatever, Lindaas Sheila HardyTV
A Fighting Man
2014A Fighting Manas Rose O'ConnorMovie
Algonquin
2014Algonquinas RitaMovie
Dear Viola
2014Dear Violaas PeggyMovie
Orphan Black
2013Orphan Blackas Connie HendrixTV
Antiviral
2012Antiviralas Dev HarveyMovie
Saving Hope
2012Saving Hopeas Violet DevonshireTV
Rookie Blue
2010Rookie Blueas Leigh SenettTV
Year of the Carnivore
2009Year of the Carnivoreas Mrs. SmallsMovie
Breakfast with Scot
2007Breakfast with Scotas Miss Patterson (uncredited)Movie
The Stone Angel
2007The Stone Angelas DorisMovie
Little Mosque on the Prairie
2007Little Mosque on the Prairieas Sarah HamoudiTV
Cow Belles
2006Cow Bellesas Fran WalkerMovie
Bailey's Billion$
2005Bailey's Billion$as Peggy DelaneyMovie
Geraldine's Fortune
2004Geraldine's Fortuneas Tina LaroseMovie
Being Julia
2004Being Juliaas Grace DexterMovie
The Day After Tomorrow
2004The Day After Tomorrowas JudithMovie
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
2004Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queenas Mrs. GerardMovie
This Is Wonderland
2004This Is WonderlandTV
Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche
2004Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psycheas Polly Vandersma (archive footage)Movie
Full-Court Miracle
2003Full-Court Miracleas Mrs. KleinMovie
Puppets Who Kill
2002Puppets Who KillTV
The Rats
2002The Ratsas Miss PaigeMovie
Lathe of Heaven
2002Lathe of Heavenas PennyMovie
Duct Tape Forever
2002Duct Tape Foreveras Easterbrook (uncredited)Movie
I Was a Rat
2001I Was a Ratas Mrs. TapscrewMovie
Rare Birds
2001Rare Birdsas ClaireMovie
Haven
2001Havenas EvaMovie
Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse
2000Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horseas Elizabeth the Emotional Pig (voice)TV
Custody of the Heart
2000Custody of the Heartas AliceMovie
Virtual Mom
2000Virtual Momas HollyMovie
You Know My Name
1999You Know My Nameas Mrs. LynnMovie
Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke
1999Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Dukeas TammyTV
Dead Husbands
1998Dead Husbandsas Jane ArmitageMovie
Bad Dog
1998Bad Dogas (voice)TV
More Tales of the City
1998More Tales of the Cityas MildredTV
Emily of New Moon
1998Emily of New Moonas Laura MurrayTV
Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
1997Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homeworkas Jesse's MomMovie
The Care and Handling of Roses
1996The Care and Handling of Rosesas Carol DosterMovie
House Arrest
1996House Arrestas Gwenna KruppMovie
The Awakening
1995The Awakeningas NancyMovie
The Possession of Michael D.
1995The Possession of Michael D.as JennyMovie
A Woman of Independent Means
1995A Woman of Independent Meansas TotsieTV
Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills
1994Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hillsas Jill LansingMovie
The Biggest Little Ticket
1994The Biggest Little Ticketas The TrollMovie
The Lotus Eaters
1993The Lotus Eatersas Diana KingswoodMovie
J
1993Journey to the Planetsas Oracle (voice)Movie
Liza Minnelli - Live from Radio City Music Hall
1992Liza Minnelli - Live from Radio City Music Hallas SelfMovie
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
1992Beethoven Lives Upstairsas SophieMovie
Picket Fences
1992Picket Fencesas Sue WalshTV
A Private Matter
1992A Private Matteras Diane CallaghanMovie
Montreal Stories
1991Montreal Storiesas Ann StuartMovie
Stepping Out
1991Stepping Outas AndyMovie
Paradise
1991Paradiseas Sally PikeMovie
The Hidden Room
1991The Hidden RoomTV
T
1991The Soulmates in the Gift of Lightas (voice)Movie
B
1990Back to the Beanstalkas GarbanzaMovie
Bright Angel
1990Bright Angelas NinaMovie
Pacific Heights
1990Pacific Heightsas Liz HamiltonMovie
White Room
1990White Roomas ZeldaMovie
Die Hard 2
1990Die Hard 2as Samantha 'Sam' ColemanMovie
Beautiful Dreamers
1990Beautiful Dreamersas Molly JessopMovie
Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics
1989Friends, Lovers, & Lunaticsas KathyMovie
George's Island
1989George's Islandas Miss BirdwoodMovie
Much Ado About Nothing
1988Much Ado About Nothingas MargaretMovie
I've Heard the Mermaids Singing
1987I've Heard the Mermaids Singingas Polly VandersmaMovie
The Marriage Bed
1986The Marriage Bedas Lynn ReaillyMovie
Really Weird Tales
1986Really Weird Talesas Ellie Hutchins (segment "Cursed With Charisma")Movie
9B
19869Bas HeatherMovie
Four on the Floor
1986Four on the FloorTV
Love & Larceny
1985Love & Larcenyas Mary BigleyMovie
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1985The New Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Debra (Sarah) HollisterTV
The Ray Bradbury Theater
1985The Ray Bradbury Theateras FrancineTV
T
—The Voices of Our Motheras HarrietMovie
Surfacing
—Surfacingas DawnMovie
R
—Russet SeasonDirectorMovie