Line #13 Creator/SharonSmall


1	[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sharon_small_5417.jpg]]
2	->''"I was asked 'How do you fancy playing a fat, ugly woman from London?'"''[[note]]On being tapped for the part of Barbara Havers in ''Series/TheInspectorLynleyMysteries''[[/note]]
3
4	Sharon Small (b. 31 March 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Scottish]] actress most famous for her starring roles as Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers on ''Series/TheInspectorLynleyMysteries'' (opposite Creator/NathanielParker) and Trudi Malloy on ''Mistresses''. Subsequently she guest-starred on ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', was featured on ''Kidnap & Ransom'''s second series, and co-starred opposite Creator/JodieWhittaker in ''Trust Me''.
5
6	Her lesser-known roles include Cara Rossi on ''[[Series/GlasgowKiss Glasgow Kiss]]'', Titania the Faery Queen in the ''[=ShakespeareRe=]-told'' episode "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and Dr Laura Maitland on ''Murderland''. Guest credits include ''Series/TheBill'', ''Series/NewTricks'', ''Series/SilentWitness'', ''Series/CallTheMidwife'' and a trifecta of Scottish classics in ''Series/HamishMacbeth'', ''Doctor Finlay'', and ''Series/{{Rebus}}''.
7
8	She has also done work on film (''Film/AboutABoy'', ''Dear Frankie'') and, much more notably, the stage (''Lear'', ''When Harry Met Sally'', ''Men Should Weep''), including work at the prestigious Donmar Warehouse and the Royal National Theatre. A talented actress who is always convincing no matter the role, fortunately after ''Series/{{Mistresses}}'' and ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', her star seems to be on the rise.
9
10	Her early drama training took place at Adam Smith College in Kircaldy, whose alumni include Ewan [=MacGregor=] and Dougray Scott; after completing that, she packed up and moved to London, graduating from the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 1989. Fittingly for a native Scot, she made her television debut on ''Series/{{Taggart}}''.
11
12	A classically trained lyric soprano, she has also performed in, among others, ''Theatre/TheThreepennyOpera.''
13	-----
14	!!Applicable Tropes Include:
15
16	* AbilityOverAppearance: Sharon was supposedly too pretty to play the plain Barbara Havers, but absolutely nailed the character in the pilot and won author Elizabeth George completely over. Small's performance is to this day lauded as one of the best aspects of the series.
17	* TheCastShowoff: She got to show off her gorgeous voice [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=292ILCeC9ro when she performed "Carrickfergus"]] at the end of her guest spot on ''Doctor Finlay''.
18	* FakeBrit: Well, fake ''Englishwoman'' anyway, as Barbara Havers. Her natural Glaswegian accent is quite different.
19	* LikeBrotherAndSister: Creator/NathanielParker has outright said that [[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/lynley/parker.html he sees Sharon as his little sister.]]
20	* ObliviousToLove: Apparently, it took her awhile to clue in to the fact that her now-partner was in love with her; when she finally did wise up, she relates that she emailed him with, "Here's my number. Give me a call."
21	* PlayingAgainstType: Sharon's most famous roles are all sympathetic characters - since even if you do sort of want to punch Barbara Havers a lot for being so bitchy, it's easily understandable where she's coming from. So when she portrays an abusive mother in ''No Child of Mine'', she does it so believably the result is ''horrifying''.
22	* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: See TrueLoveIsExceptional, below.
23	* UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}: Glaswegian, but not, to our knowledge, [[ViolentGlaswegian violent]].
24	* ShrinkingViolet: Although she's apparently quite energetic and "chatty" at home, she is terribly shy in interviews and with the public and avoids the spotlight as much as she can. She says that this is part of the reason she became an actor - she's able to escape into the character.
25	* TrueLoveIsExceptional: "Artistic types" were her thing. It... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7vyCJbBamA didn't quite work out that way.]]

Context Creator / SharonSmall