Sheila McCarthy
Biography
Sheila McCarthy 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.
Gallery
Known For
Acting History
2025
Love Is the Monster
2025The Well as Gabriel
2025All the Lost Ones as Dawn
2022Women Talking as Greta
2022Christmas in Rockwell as Juniper
2022Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 as Hologram Alien Scout
2021The Middle Man as Mrs. Stout
2021Stroke of Fate as Shirley
2021Like a House on Fire as Katherine
2020Happy Place as Joyce
2020The Broken Hearts Gallery as Cheryl Gulliver
2020Anything for Jackson as Audrey Walsh
2020Nurses as Phillis Bruner
2019The Christmas Club as Miss Maggie
2019Christmas 9 to 5 as Rose Stark
2019An Assortment of Christmas Tales in No Particular Order as Ellen
2019Isabelle as Ann Pelway
2019The Umbrella Academy as Agnes
2018The Detail as Helen Mailer
2018Level 16 as Mrs. Denison
2018Still/Born as Sheila
2017Considering Love and Other Magic as Veronica
2017The Good Doctor as Rose Babcock
2017Star Trek: Discovery as All-Mother
2017Cardinals as Valerie Walker
2016Conviction as Dr. Jane Soto
2016Milton's Secret as Luz
2016Private Eyes as Shirl Glinski
2016Brace for Impact as Faradee Gilchrist
2016Ice Girls as Aunt Ginger
2015Whatever, Linda as Sheila Hardy
2014A Fighting Man as Rose O'Connor
2014Algonquin as Rita
2014Dear Viola as Peggy
2013Orphan Black as Connie Hendrix
2013Orphan Black as Connie Hendrix (voice)
2012Antiviral as Dev Harvey
2012Saving Hope as Violet Devonshire
2010Rookie Blue as Leigh Senett
2009Year of the Carnivore as Mrs. Smalls
2007Breakfast with Scot as Miss Patterson (uncredited)
2007The Stone Angel as Doris
2007Little Mosque on the Prairie as Sarah Hamoudi
2006Cow Belles as Fran Walker
2005Bailey's Billion$ as Peggy Delaney
2004Geraldine's Fortune as Tina Larose
2004Being Julia as Grace Dexter
2004The Day After Tomorrow as Judith
2004Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen as Mrs. Gerard
2004This Is Wonderland
2004Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche as Polly Vandersma (archive footage)
2003Full-Court Miracle as Mrs. Klein
2002Puppets Who Kill
2002The Rats as Miss Paige
2002Lathe of Heaven as Penny
2002Duct Tape Forever as Easterbrook (uncredited)
2001I Was a Rat as Mrs. Tapscrew
2001Rare Birds as Claire
2001Haven as Eva
2000Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse as Elizabeth the Emotional Pig (voice)
2000Custody of the Heart as Alice
2000Virtual Mom as Holly
1999You Know My Name as Mrs. Lynn
1999Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke as Tammy
1998Dead Husbands as Jane Armitage
1998Bad Dog as (voice)
1998More Tales of the City as Mildred
1998Emily of New Moon as Laura Murray
1997Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework as Jesse's Mom
1996The Care and Handling of Roses as Carol Doster
1996House Arrest as Gwenna Krupp
1995The Awakening as Nancy
1995The Possession of Michael D. as Jenny
1995A Woman of Independent Means as Totsie
1994Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills as Jill Lansing
1994The Biggest Little Ticket as The Troll
1993The Lotus Eaters as Diana Kingswood
1993Journey to the Planets as Oracle (voice)
1992Liza Minnelli - Live from Radio City Music Hall as Self
1992Beethoven Lives Upstairs as Sophie
1992Picket Fences as Sue Walsh
1992A Private Matter as Diane Callaghan
1991Montreal Stories as Ann Stuart
1991Stepping Out as Andy
1991Paradise as Sally Pike
1991The Soulmates in the Gift of Light as (voice)
1990Back to the Beanstalk as Garbanza
1990Bright Angel as Nina
1990Pacific Heights as Liz Hamilton
1990White Room as Zelda
1990Die Hard 2 as Samantha 'Sam' Coleman
1990Beautiful Dreamers as Molly Jessop
1989Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics as Kathy
1989George's Island as Miss Birdwood
1988Much Ado About Nothing as Margaret
1987Gandahar as Council Spokeswoman (voice: English version)
1987I've Heard the Mermaids Singing as Polly Vandersma
1986The Marriage Bed as Lynn Reailly
1986Really Weird Tales as Ellie Hutchins (segment "Cursed With Charisma")
19869B as Heather
1986Four on the Floor
1985Love & Larceny as Mary Bigley
1985The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Debra (Sarah) Hollister
1985The Ray Bradbury Theater as Francine
—The Voices of Our Mother as Harriet
—Dancing on the Elephant as Nora
—Surfacing as Dawn