Sharon Morgan

Sharon Morgan
Sharon Morgan
Born	Sharon Haf Morgan; 29 August 1949 (age 75); Llandyfaelog, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Nationality	Welsh
Alma mater	Cardiff University
Occupation(s)	Film, television and stage actress
Years active	1977–present
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Children	2

Sharon Morgan (born 29 August 1949) is a Welsh actress of stage and screen, currently based in Cardiff. She was brought up in the village of Llandyfaelog.^[1] She is best known for her work within the Welsh film and television industries and has been the recipient of three BAFTA Cymru awards.

Personal life

Morgan grew up in Glanamman, Carmarthenshire, the daughter of a headmaster and a drama teacher. In her youth she didn't believe she could succeed as an actress, but states that her parents always supported her career choice. As a back up to her desired acting career, Morgan studied an undergraduate history course at Cardiff University in the 1960s, before training to be a stage actress. Morgan has two children, Stephan (born 1979/1980) and Saran (born 1995/1996) and spent the largest part of her acting career juggling her work and life as a single parent. Speaking of her difficult home/work balance Morgan elaborates that "You manage with the help of friends. You find a way". A Welsh language campaigner, Morgan was arrested in 1988 for daubing paint on the Welsh Office. The actress was afraid that this criminal conviction may have precluded her from gaining a US Visa to film Torchwood in Los Angeles.^[2]

Morgan is trilingual, speaking Welsh – her mother tongue – English and French.^[3] Morgan is an advocate for remaining active in old age, and cites fellow actress Helen Mirren as an inspiration to older women.^[1]

Career

Since beginning her acting career in the 1970s, Morgan has appeared in a variety of TV series, films and stage productions in both the English and Welsh languages. Welsh Newspaper the Western Mail referred to her as "one of the most respected actors of her generation."^[2] Notable roles include her portrayal of Professor Margaret Edwards in A Mind to Kill between 1994 and 2002, and portraying Stella Craven in Mine All Mine, (2004) written by Russell T Davies.

Amongst Morgan's other screen credits are a regular lead role in the BBC drama series Belonging, as well as a semi-regular role in Doctors and appearances in other UK television shows such as Midsomer Murders, Casualty, Coronation Street, Caerdydd, Pobol y Cwm and Alys. In 2002 Morgan appeared as Kath, a frustrated middle-aged housewife in the Cardiff-shot comedy short Pleasure Pill. She played the lead role of Martha in the 2008 S4C drama Martha, Jac a Sianco which she describes as a "culturally important film" that serves as "a strong and sensitive portrayal of agricultural life in Wales".^[4] Morgan's portrayal of Martha won her her second BAFTA Cymru award for best actress^[5] (having previously won one for her performance in Tair Chwaer [1998]).^[6]

Morgan has also achieved prominence through her role in Torchwood as Mary Cooper, the mother of principal character Gwen Cooper. Morgan first appeared in the episode "Something Borrowed" in the second series (2008), and returned for six episodes of the show's fourth series, Torchwood: Miracle Day (2011).^[2] Later in 2011, Morgan starred as Maggie Jones in Resistance, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Owen Sheers.^[2] Morgan's work on Resistance earned her a further best actress nomination at the 21st BAFTA Cymru awards;^[7] she went on to win the award in a ceremony held on 30 September 2012.^[8]^[9] In September 2012 Morgan joined the cast of the fifth series of Hollyoaks Later, playing Nana Flo.^[10] She will also star in the upcoming U.S drama series Da Vinci's Demons as Sister Albina.^[3]

In addition to her screen career, Morgan is also an established stage actress and dramatist who has also translated plays, including the Vagina Monologues, into the Welsh language.^[2] Her stage acting roles include the National Theatre Wales production A Good night out in the Valleys which was first performed in 2010.

Selected filmography

Year(s)	Title	Role	More information
2023	Kestav	Jenna Gwennap	A short film in Kernewek (with her daughter Saran)
2018–2021	Pobol y Cwm	Brenda Parri	Series regular
2018	Apostle	"Her"	Feature Film
2014	Evermoor	Esmerelda Dwyer	Recurring Character
2012	Da Vinci's Demons	Sister Albina
2012	Hollyoaks Later	Nana Flo	Series five
2011	Resistance	Maggie Jones	Won - Bafta Cymru award for Best Actress
2011	Alys (TV series)	Lisabeth	Three episodes: Pennod Five; Pennod Six; Pennod Seven
2008–2011	Torchwood	Mary Cooper	7 episodes
2008	Martha, Jac a Sianco	Martha	Won Bafta Cymru award for Best Actress
2008	After You've Gone	Beryl	TV episode: "Going Solo"
2007	Midsomer Murders	Delyth Mostyn	TV episode: "Death and Dust"
2006	Caerdydd	Anne Davies	Two episodes
	High Hopes	Professor Blunt	Two episodes
	Calon Gaeth	Aunt Hetty	Welsh TV film
2005–2007	Doctors	Gwyneth Powis	Recurring character
2005	Mabel	Janice	Film short
2005	Down to Earth	Rita Powell	TV episode: "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye"
2004	Mine All Mine	Stella Craven	Lead Role
2004	Pobol y Cwm	Sylvia Bevan	One-off appearance
2002	Pleasure Pill	Kath	Comedy Short; Lead Role
1994	Gadael Lenin	Eileen	feature Film
1994–2002	A Mind to Kill	Professor Margaret Edwards, pathologist	Series regular
1992	Casualty	Jean Collins	TV episode: "Cascade"
1986	No Place Like Home	Daphne Davies	TV episode: "Trevor's Last Stand"
1986	That Uncertain Feeling	Dentist's mistress	4 episodes
1984–1987	Pobol y Cwm	Sylvia Bevan	Series regular
1984	The Magnificent Evans	Rachel Harris	Leading role (six episodes)
1983	The Gentle Touch	Carrie Harrison	TV episode: "Private Views"
1982	Giro City	Social Worker	Feature film
1979	Coronation Street	Mrs Ellis	One off appearance
1979	Thomas & Sarah	Alice Williams	TV episode: "Made in Heaven"
1978	Pobol y Cwm	Sian Jones	7 episodes
1978	Grand Slam	Odette	Television film