Sharon Maguire
Encyclopedia
Sharon Maguire made her name as a film director when she landed the job of directing Bridget Jones's Diary
. The film was based on the book by her close friend Helen Fielding
, and one of the main characters - Shazzer - is actually based on Maguire.
Raised as a Roman Catholic, Maguire studied English and Drama at the University of Wales Aberystwyth from 1979–1983 and graduated with a 2:2 degree before going on to do the PGCE teaching qualification. She's quoted as saying: "It always breaks the ice at parties when I'm with Oxbridge types and I brag: 'I went to Aberystwyth!'"
After leaving Aberystwyth, she did a year's postgraduate course in journalism at City University
in London
and worked as a researcher then a director on The Media Show. In 1991, she got a job with the BBC
as producer/director of The Late Show. She also made several documentaries - including Omnibus
- before leaving the Corporation to make advertisements. Bridget Jones' Diary marked Maguire's feature directorial debut.
Other projects in development for Maguire include Mail with Film Four, The Vicious Circle with Oxford Films, and Mother's Boy, for which she has also been commissioned to write a script for BBC Films
. The film Incendiary
, which was written and directed by Maguire, was released in 2008.
Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 British romantic comedy film based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy...
. The film was based on the book by her close friend Helen Fielding
Helen Fielding
Helen Fielding is an English novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the fictional character Bridget Jones, a sequence of novels and films that chronicle the life of a thirtysomething single woman in London as she tries to make sense of life and love.Her novels Bridget Jones's...
, and one of the main characters - Shazzer - is actually based on Maguire.
Raised as a Roman Catholic, Maguire studied English and Drama at the University of Wales Aberystwyth from 1979–1983 and graduated with a 2:2 degree before going on to do the PGCE teaching qualification. She's quoted as saying: "It always breaks the ice at parties when I'm with Oxbridge types and I brag: 'I went to Aberystwyth!'"
After leaving Aberystwyth, she did a year's postgraduate course in journalism at City University
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and worked as a researcher then a director on The Media Show. In 1991, she got a job with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as producer/director of The Late Show. She also made several documentaries - including Omnibus
Omnibus (TV series)
Omnibus was an arts-based BBC television documentary series, broadcast on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. It ran from 1967 until 2003, usually being transmitted on Sunday evenings....
- before leaving the Corporation to make advertisements. Bridget Jones' Diary marked Maguire's feature directorial debut.
Other projects in development for Maguire include Mail with Film Four, The Vicious Circle with Oxford Films, and Mother's Boy, for which she has also been commissioned to write a script for BBC Films
BBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
. The film Incendiary
Incendiary (film)
Incendiary is a 2008 British drama film portraying the aftermath of a terrorist attack at a football match. It is directed by Sharon Maguire and stars Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor, and Matthew Macfadyen. It is about an adulterous woman's life that is torn apart when her husband and...
, which was written and directed by Maguire, was released in 2008.
Filmography
- The Thing is... Babies (1991)
- The Thing is... Hotels (1991)
- The Godfather (1993)
- In at Number Ten (1994)
- Yo Picasso (1994)
- Rumer Godden: An Indian Affair (1995)
- H.G. Wells: Bromley Boy (1996)
- H.G. Wells: The Panther and the Jaguar (1996)
- Dame Henrietta's Dream (1997)
- Bridget Jones's DiaryBridget Jones's Diary (film)Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 British romantic comedy film based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy...
(2001) - IncendiaryIncendiary (film)Incendiary is a 2008 British drama film portraying the aftermath of a terrorist attack at a football match. It is directed by Sharon Maguire and stars Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor, and Matthew Macfadyen. It is about an adulterous woman's life that is torn apart when her husband and...
(2008)