Shirley Henderson
Known for
A distinctive Scottish actress with a gift for offbeat, memorable characters, Shirley Henderson has enriched British cinema for decades. Forres-born and instantly recognisable by her light, girlish voice, she played Moaning Myrtle in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' (2002), Gail in 'Trainspotting' (1996) and Bridget's friend Jude in 'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001). She has worked repeatedly with Michael Winterbottom and appeared in 'I Swear' (2025). Equally at home in comedy and bleak drama, often cast far from her real age, she is a Scottish character actress prized for singular, finely observed performances.
Shirley Henderson
58 Movies
32 Series
A distinctive Scottish actress with a gift for offbeat, memorable characters, Shirley Henderson has enriched British cinema for decades. Forres-born and instantly recognisable by her light, girlish voice, she played Moaning Myrtle in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' (2002), Gail in 'Trainspotting' (1996) and Bridget's friend Jude in 'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001). She has worked repeatedly with Michael Winterbottom and appeared in 'I Swear' (2025). Equally at home in comedy and bleak drama, often cast far from her real age, she is a Scottish character actress prized for singular, finely observed performances.
Movies
Plays The Anzellans (voice)
The Mandalorian and Grogu
2026
Plays Moaning Myrtle
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002
Plays Moaning Myrtle
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2005
Plays Babu Frik (voice)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019
Plays Heather
I Swear
2025
Plays Ooooo (voice)
Elio
2025
Plays Jude
Bridget Jones's Diary
2001
Plays Gail
Trainspotting
1996
Plays Jude
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
2025
Plays Jude
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
2004
Plays Jude
Bridget Jones's Baby
2016
Plays Aunt Sophie
Marie Antoinette
2006
Plays Matron
Wild Child
2008
Plays Gail
T2 Trainspotting
2017
Plays Suzanne
In Secret
2014
Plays Agatha Christie
See How They Run
2022
Plays Opera House Wife
Anna Karenina
2012
Plays Jennifer
Okja
2017
Plays Bunty
Filth
2013
Plays Jess
Glenrothan
2026
Plays Lucille Hardy
Stan & Ollie
2018
Plays Imma
Tale of Tales
2015
Plays Morag
Rob Roy
1995
Plays The Nutcracker (voice)
The Nutcracker
2010
Plays Margaret
Greed
2019
Plays Glory White
Meek's Cutoff
2011
Plays Leonora Braham (Yum-Yum)
Topsy-Turvy
1999
Plays Lindsay
24 Hour Party People
2002
Plays Edythe Dubarry
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
2008
Plays Susannah / Shirley Henderson
A Cock and Bull Story
2005
Plays Rusty Humphries
The Look of Love
2013
Plays Annie
The Claim
2000
Plays Janet Losey
Doctor Sleep
2002
Plays Sarah
The Trouble with Jessica
2024
Plays Debbie
Wonderland
1999
Plays Sally
Intermission
2003
Plays Kath
Frozen
2005
Plays Alice
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
2002
Plays Joy Jordan
Life During Wartime
2010
Plays Shirley
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands
2002
Plays Kate Linton
Urban Hymn
2015
Plays Mary
Salt on Our Skin
1992
Plays Cleaner
Yes
2005
Plays Charlotte
Dirty Filthy Love
2005
Plays Shirley
Set Fire to the Stars
2014
Plays Alice
I Really Hate My Job
2007
Plays Karen
Everyday
2012
Plays Alice
American Cousins
2003
Plays Ella
Villa Des Roses
2002
Plays Judy
Never Steady, Never Still
2017
TV Shows
Plays Isobel Sutherland
Hamish Macbeth
1995
Plays Quackety Duck Duck (voice)
Lovely Little Farm
2022
Plays Frances Drummond
Happy Valley
2014
Plays Annie
Summerwater
2025
Plays Elizabeth Finlay
Shadow of the Stone
1987
Plays Siobhan
The Nest
2020
Plays Claire Marsh
Dept. Q
2025
Plays Sylvie Schneider
Wish Me Luck
1988
Plays Marie Melmotte
The Way We Live Now
2001
Plays Mrs Emmeline Fox
The Crimson Petal and the White
2011
Plays Claire Salter
Southcliffe
2013
Plays Aunt Western
Tom Jones
2023
Plays Claudia
The House Across the Street
2022
Plays Anzellan Crew (voice)
The Mandalorian
2019
Plays Catharine of Braganza
Charles II: The Power and The Passion
2003
Plays Sally
Clarissa
1991
Plays Mum (voice)
Summer Camp Island
2018
Plays Andrea
The Advocates
1991
Plays Rose Marbury
The ABC Murders
2018
Plays Hannah Davey
Jamaica Inn
2014
Plays Meg Hawkins
Treasure Island
2012
Plays Honoria Waynflete
Agatha Christie's Marple
2004
Plays Kate Minola
ShakespeaRe-Told
2005
Plays Ursula Blake
Doctor Who
2005
Plays Anne Marie
In a Land of Plenty
2001
Plays DS Angela Young
Death in Paradise
2011
Plays Ivy
Snatches: Moments from Women's Lives
2018
Plays Roo (voice)
Kiff
2023
Plays Pauline McPherson
Screen Two
1985
Plays Kelly Rogers
The Bill
1984
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Full Filmography
The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Anzellans (voice)
2026
Film
Glenrothan
Jess
2026
Film
Summerwater
Annie · 6 episodes
2025–
TV
I Swear
Heather
2025
Film
Elio
Ooooo (voice)
2025
Film
Dept. Q
Claire Marsh · 5 episodes
2025–
TV
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Jude
2025
Film
The Trouble with Jessica
Sarah
2024
Film
Blue
Performer of the songs
2024
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Shirley Henderson and where are they from?
Shirley Henderson is 60 years old, born on November 24, 1965 in Forres, Morayshire, Scotland.
What are the most famous roles of Shirley Henderson?
Shirley Henderson is best known for roles in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
How many movies has Shirley Henderson been in?
Over a 35-year career (since 1991), Shirley Henderson has appeared in 57 movies and 32 TV shows.
What was Shirley Henderson's first movie?
The career of Shirley Henderson began with Dreaming (1991).
What is Shirley Henderson's most recent movie or series?
Shirley Henderson's most recent release is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which premiered on May 20, 2026.
What TV shows has Shirley Henderson appeared in?
On television, Shirley Henderson has appeared in The Mandalorian, Doctor Who, Dept. Q, Happy Valley.
Shirley Henderson
1965-11-24 · Forres, Morayshire, Scotland
Shirley Henderson (born 24 November 1965) is a Scottish actress. Her accolades include two Scottish BAFTAs, a VFCC Award and an Olivier Award, and BAFTA, BIFA, London Critics' Circle, Chlotrudis, Gotham, and Canadian Screen Award nominations.
Henderson's film roles include Gail in Trainspotting (1996) and its 2017 sequel, Jude in the Bridget Jones films (2001–2025), and Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). Her other notable credits include Rob Roy (1995), Wonderland (1999), Topsy-Turvy (1999), 24 Hour Party People (2002), Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002), Intermission (2003), American Cousins (2003), Frozen (2005), Marie Antoinette (2006), Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008), Life During Wartime (2009), Meek's Cutoff (2010), Anna Karenina (2012), Filth (2013), Okja (2017), Never Steady, Never Still (2017), and Stan & Ollie (2018).
Henderson starred as Isobel Sutherland in the BBC series Hamish Macbeth (1995–97) and played Frances Drummond in the BBC drama Happy Valley (2016). She was nominated for RTS Awards for the BBC miniseries The Way We Live Now (2001) and the ITV television film Dirty Filthy Love (2004), and received a BAFTA nomination for her portrayal of Claire Salter in the Channel 4 miniseries Southcliffe (2013). She won the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Elizabeth in the original Old Vic production of Girl from the North Country.Shirley Henderson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.