Acting
Sheila McCarthy
Born 1956-01-01
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Department: Acting
Biography
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
Prominent works featuring Sheila McCarthy
TV
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The Good Doctor
2017
TMDB4.3
TV
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The Umbrella Academy
2019
TMDB4.3
Movie
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The Day After Tomorrow
2004
TMDB3.3
Movie
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Die Hard 2
1990
TMDB3.5
TV
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Star Trek: Discovery
2017
TMDB3.5
TV
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Orphan Black
2013
TMDB3.9
Movie
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Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
2004
TMDB2.9
Movie
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Women Talking
2022
TMDB3.4
Movie
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Level 16
2018
TMDB3.4
TV
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Rookie Blue
2010
TMDB3.9
Filmography & Credits
Complete career catalog (116 titles)
| Poster | Title | Character / Role | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Voices of Our Mother | Harriet | Movie | 2026 |
 | The Miniature Wife | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2026 |
 | Surfacing | Dawn | Movie | 2026 |
 | The Well | Gabriel | Movie | 2026 |
 | Love Is the Monster | Margaret | Movie | 2025 |
 | Dancing on the Elephant | Nora | Movie | 2025 |
 | All the Lost Ones | Dawn | Movie | 2025 |
 | Women Talking | Greta | Movie | 2022 |
 | Christmas in Rockwell | Juniper | Movie | 2022 |
 | Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 | Hologram Alien Scout | Movie | 2022 |
 | The Middle Man | Mrs. Stout | Movie | 2021 |
 | Stroke of Fate | Shirley | Movie | 2021 |
 | Like a House on Fire | Katherine | Movie | 2021 |
 | Happy Place | Joyce | Movie | 2020 |
 | The Broken Hearts Gallery | Cheryl Gulliver | Movie | 2020 |
 | Anything for Jackson | Audrey Walsh | Movie | 2020 |
 | Nurses | Phillis Bruner | TV Series | 2020 |
 | The Christmas Club | Miss Maggie | Movie | 2019 |
 | Christmas 9 to 5 | Rose Stark | Movie | 2019 |
 | An Assortment of Christmas Tales in No Particular Order | Ellen | Movie | 2019 |
 | Isabelle | Ann Pelway | Movie | 2019 |
 | The Umbrella Academy | Agnes | TV Series | 2019 |
 | The Detail | Helen Mailer | TV Series | 2018 |
 | Level 16 | Mrs. Denison | Movie | 2018 |
 | Still/Born | Sheila | Movie | 2018 |
 | Considering Love and Other Magic | Veronica | Movie | 2017 |
 | The Good Doctor | Rose Babcock | TV Series | 2017 |
 | Star Trek: Discovery | All-Mother | TV Series | 2017 |
 | Cardinals | Valerie Walker | Movie | 2017 |
 | The Definites | Executive Producer | Movie | 2017 |
 | Russet Season | Director | Movie | 2017 |
 | Conviction | Dr. Jane Soto | TV Series | 2016 |
 | Milton's Secret | Luz | Movie | 2016 |
 | Private Eyes | Shirl Glinski | TV Series | 2016 |
 | Brace for Impact | Faradee Gilchrist | Movie | 2016 |
 | Ice Girls | Aunt Ginger | Movie | 2016 |
 | The Curse of Clara: A Holiday Tale | Narrator (voice) | Movie | 2015 |
| Whatever, Linda | Sheila Hardy | TV Series | 2015 | |
 | A Fighting Man | Rose O'Connor | Movie | 2014 |
 | Algonquin | Rita | Movie | 2014 |
 | Dear Viola | Peggy | Movie | 2014 |
 | Orphan Black | Connie Hendrix | TV Series | 2013 |
| Orphan Black | Connie Hendrix (voice) | TV Series | 2013 |
 | Antiviral | Dev Harvey | Movie | 2012 |
 | Saving Hope | Violet Devonshire | TV Series | 2012 |
 | Rookie Blue | Leigh Senett | TV Series | 2010 |
 | Year of the Carnivore | Mrs. Smalls | Movie | 2009 |
 | Breakfast with Scot | Miss Patterson (uncredited) | Movie | 2007 |
 | The Stone Angel | Doris | Movie | 2007 |
 | Little Mosque on the Prairie | Sarah Hamoudi | TV Series | 2007 |
 | Cow Belles | Fran Walker | Movie | 2006 |
 | Bailey's Billion$ | Peggy Delaney | Movie | 2005 |
 | Geraldine's Fortune | Tina Larose | Movie | 2004 |
 | Being Julia | Grace Dexter | Movie | 2004 |
 | The Day After Tomorrow | Judith | Movie | 2004 |
 | Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen | Mrs. Gerard | Movie | 2004 |
 | This Is Wonderland | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2004 |
 | Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche | Polly Vandersma (archive footage) | Movie | 2004 |
 | Full-Court Miracle | Mrs. Klein | Movie | 2003 |
 | Puppets Who Kill | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2002 |
 | The Rats | Miss Paige | Movie | 2002 |
 | Lathe of Heaven | Penny | Movie | 2002 |
 | Duct Tape Forever | Easterbrook (uncredited) | Movie | 2002 |
 | I Was a Rat | Mrs. Tapscrew | Movie | 2001 |
 | Rare Birds | Claire | Movie | 2001 |
 | Haven | Eva | Movie | 2001 |
 | Haven | Eva | TV Series | 2001 |
 | Super Rupert | Aunt Rhonda | TV Series | 2001 |
 | Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse | Elizabeth the Emotional Pig (voice) | TV Series | 2000 |
 | Custody of the Heart | Alice | Movie | 2000 |
 | Virtual Mom | Holly | Movie | 2000 |
| Virtual Mom | Teleplay | Movie | 2000 |
| Virtual Mom | Executive Producer | Movie | 2000 |
 | You Know My Name | Mrs. Lynn | Movie | 1999 |
 | Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke | Tammy | TV Series | 1999 |
 | Dead Husbands | Jane Armitage | Movie | 1998 |
 | Bad Dog | (voice) | TV Series | 1998 |
 | More Tales of the City | Mildred | TV Series | 1998 |
 | Emily of New Moon | Laura Murray | TV Series | 1998 |
 | Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework | Jesse's Mom | Movie | 1997 |
 | The Care and Handling of Roses | Carol Doster | Movie | 1996 |
 | House Arrest | Gwenna Krupp | Movie | 1996 |
 | The Awakening | Nancy | Movie | 1995 |
 | The Possession of Michael D. | Jenny | Movie | 1995 |
 | A Woman of Independent Means | Totsie | TV Series | 1995 |
 | Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills | Jill Lansing | Movie | 1994 |
 | The Biggest Little Ticket | The Troll | Movie | 1994 |
 | The Lotus Eaters | Diana Kingswood | Movie | 1993 |
| Journey to the Planets | Oracle (voice) | Movie | 1993 | |
 | Liza Minnelli - Live from Radio City Music Hall | Self | Movie | 1992 |
 | Beethoven Lives Upstairs | Sophie | Movie | 1992 |
 | Picket Fences | Sue Walsh | TV Series | 1992 |
 | A Private Matter | Diane Callaghan | Movie | 1992 |
 | Montreal Stories | Ann Stuart | Movie | 1991 |
 | Stepping Out | Andy | Movie | 1991 |
 | Paradise | Sally Pike | Movie | 1991 |
 | The Hidden Room | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1991 |
 | The Soulmates in the Gift of Light | (voice) | Movie | 1991 |
| Back to the Beanstalk | Garbanza | Movie | 1990 | |
 | Bright Angel | Nina | Movie | 1990 |
 | Pacific Heights | Liz Hamilton | Movie | 1990 |
 | White Room | Zelda | Movie | 1990 |
 | Die Hard 2 | Samantha 'Sam' Coleman | Movie | 1990 |
 | Beautiful Dreamers | Molly Jessop | Movie | 1990 |
 | Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics | Kathy | Movie | 1989 |
 | George's Island | Miss Birdwood | Movie | 1989 |
 | Much Ado About Nothing | Margaret | Movie | 1988 |
 | I've Heard the Mermaids Singing | Polly Vandersma | Movie | 1987 |
 | A Nest of Singing Birds | Anna | Movie | 1987 |
 | The Marriage Bed | Lynn Reailly | Movie | 1986 |
 | Really Weird Tales | Ellie Hutchins (segment "Cursed With Charisma") | Movie | 1986 |
 | 9B | Heather | Movie | 1986 |
 | Four on the Floor | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1986 |
 | Love & Larceny | Mary Bigley | Movie | 1985 |
 | The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Debra (Sarah) Hollister | TV Series | 1985 |
 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Francine | TV Series | 1985 |