Anne-Marie Duff biography. English actress (2025)

Anne-Marie Duff biography. English actress (1)English actress

Date of Birth: 08.10.1970
Country: Anne-Marie Duff biography. English actress (2) Great Britain

Content:

  1. Biography of Anne-Marie Duff
  2. Theater and Film
  3. Personal Life
  4. Anne-Marie Duff Now
  5. Anne-Marie Duff in the series "Bad Sisters"

Biography of Anne-Marie Duff

Childhood and Youth

English actress Anne-Marie Duff is a critically acclaimed star of both theater and film. Born on October 8, 1970, in London, she grew up with her elder brother Eddie. The Duff family moved to the British capital from Ireland, where her father worked as an artist and decorator, while her mother sold shoes. From a young age, Anne-Marie sang in a choir and took private vocal lessons. Although she dreamed of becoming a singer, her music teacher believed she had the soul of an actress. To overcome her shyness, Duff began performing in a local amateur theater and soon could not imagine her life without the stage. After finishing school, she attempted to enter drama school but became too nervous during the audition and failed. At the age of 19, Anne-Marie started attending the London Drama Centre with her friend Paul Bettany. At the institute, the aspiring British actress was considered short and was only predicted small roles. Fearing not to succeed in her profession, Duff sent out over a thousand resumes during her final year, which resulted in her getting a job immediately after graduation. The experience taught her valuable lessons and made her tougher and more resourceful.

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Theater and Film

Anne-Marie's career began on the theatrical stage. In her youth, she performed in plays such as "Peter Pan," "War and Peace," "King Lear," and other classic productions. She mostly appeared at the Royal National Theatre in her hometown of London and made her Broadway debut in 2013 with the lead role in William Shakespeare's play "Macbeth." Additionally, the actress delighted her fans with radio dramas and audiobooks, including adaptations of "Jane Eyre," "Othello," "A Streetcar Named Desire," and others. Her theatrical achievements were recognized with a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award.

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In 1997, Anne-Marie made her first foray into film with a small role in the series "Trial & Retribution." However, her breakthrough came after the release of the comedy-drama series "Shameless," which aired from 2004 to 2013. The show centered around the Gallagher family living in a working-class neighborhood. Duff received multiple nominations and awards for her talent in this project. Her creative breakthrough was further solidified by her critically acclaimed portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the historical miniseries "The Virgin Queen," which premiered in 2005. The actress acknowledged that, even with extensive experience in theater, she would not have been able to audition for such a high-profile role without gaining recognition from "Shameless." In subsequent years, the British actress continued to star in films based on real-life biographies. For example, in the drama "The Last Station," Anne-Marie portrayed Alexandra Tolstoy, the youngest daughter of Leo Tolstoy. Additionally, in the film "Nowhere Boy," she played the mother of English musician John Lennon, named Julia.

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Personal Life

Anne-Marie's personal life was intertwined with her colleague James McAvoy, whom she met on the set of "Shameless." The actors married in 2006, and four years later, they welcomed their son Brendan when Duff was 39 years old. The family carefully guarded their newborn from prying eyes, never revealing his name or sharing photos of the child with the press. Anne-Marie broke her silence only a year later when she revealed that she had not known the gender in advance and had prepared 15 names for a baby girl. The couple was surprised by the arrival of a boy and named him after the actress's father.

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After being married for 10 years, the couple filed for divorce. To protect their child, the celebrities continued living together for some time. Following their separation, Duff admitted that she had been a hopeless romantic but had only become close to her husband after he became her ex. McAvoy, on the other hand, stated that thanks to his wife, he began to like himself much more and entered the next stage of his life with respect and love for Anne-Marie.

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The former spouses not only co-parented their child but also continued to work together. For example, they provided voice-over work for the animated mini-series "Watership Down" and later reunited onscreen for the fantasy film "His Dark Materials."

Anne-Marie Duff Now

In 2021, Anne-Marie joined the main cast of the black comedy series "Bad Sisters," which follows the Garvey sisters taking care of each other after the death of their parents. The debut season premiered on Apple TV+ in the summer of 2022.

Anne-Marie Duff in the series "Bad Sisters"

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Anne-Marie Duff biography. English actress (2025)
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