Actor profile

Sheila McCarthy

1st January 1956 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Acting

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.

79 Movies 28 TV Shows 111 Credits

Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

The Voices of Our Mother poster

The Voices of Our Mother 5th June 2026 as Harriet

Surfacing poster

Surfacing 12th February 2026 as Dawn

The Well poster

The Well 23rd January 2026 as Gabriel

Love Is the Monster poster

Love Is the Monster 13th October 2025 as Margaret

Dancing on the Elephant poster

Dancing on the Elephant 13th September 2025 as Nora

All the Lost Ones poster

All the Lost Ones 18th April 2025 as Dawn

Women Talking poster

Women Talking 23rd December 2022 as Greta

Christmas in Rockwell poster

Christmas in Rockwell 11th December 2022 as Juniper

Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 poster

Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 9th July 2022 as Hologram Alien Scout

The Middle Man poster

The Middle Man 17th September 2021 as Mrs. Stout

Stroke of Fate poster

Stroke of Fate 15th July 2021 as Shirley

Like a House on Fire poster

Like a House on Fire 26th March 2021 as Katherine

Happy Place poster

Happy Place 27th September 2020 as Joyce

The Broken Hearts Gallery poster

The Broken Hearts Gallery 11th September 2020 as Cheryl Gulliver

Anything for Jackson poster

Anything for Jackson 4th April 2020 as Audrey Walsh

The Christmas Club poster

The Christmas Club 27th November 2019 as Miss Maggie

Christmas 9 to 5 poster

Christmas 9 to 5 24th November 2019 as Rose Stark

An Assortment of Christmas Tales in No Particular Order poster

An Assortment of Christmas Tales in No Particular Order 1st November 2019 as Ellen

Isabelle poster

Isabelle 24th May 2019 as Ann Pelway

Level 16 poster

Level 16 20th February 2018 as Mrs. Denison

Still/Born poster

Still/Born 9th February 2018 as Sheila

Considering Love and Other Magic poster

Considering Love and Other Magic 17th November 2017 as Veronica

Cardinals poster

Cardinals 7th September 2017 as Valerie Walker

Milton's Secret poster

Milton's Secret 30th September 2016 as Luz

Brace for Impact poster

Brace for Impact 3rd April 2016 as Faradee Gilchrist

Ice Girls poster

Ice Girls 11th March 2016 as Aunt Ginger

A Fighting Man poster

A Fighting Man 24th April 2014 as Rose O'Connor

Algonquin poster

Algonquin 11th April 2014 as Rita

Dear Viola poster

Dear Viola 16th March 2014 as Peggy

Antiviral poster

Antiviral 19th September 2012 as Dev Harvey

Year of the Carnivore poster

Year of the Carnivore 1st May 2009 as Mrs. Smalls

Breakfast with Scot poster

Breakfast with Scot 16th November 2007 as Miss Patterson (uncredited)

The Stone Angel poster

The Stone Angel 12th September 2007 as Doris

Cow Belles poster

Cow Belles 24th March 2006 as Fran Walker

Bailey's Billion$ poster

Bailey's Billion$ 5th August 2005 as Peggy Delaney

Geraldine's Fortune poster

Geraldine's Fortune 22nd October 2004 as Tina Larose

Being Julia poster

Being Julia 3rd September 2004 as Grace Dexter

The Day After Tomorrow poster

The Day After Tomorrow 26th May 2004 as Judith

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen poster

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen 17th February 2004 as Mrs. Gerard

Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche poster

Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche 1st January 2004 as Polly Vandersma (archive footage)

Full-Court Miracle poster

Full-Court Miracle 21st November 2003 as Mrs. Klein

The Rats poster

The Rats 17th September 2002 as Miss Paige

Lathe of Heaven poster

Lathe of Heaven 8th September 2002 as Penny

Duct Tape Forever poster

Duct Tape Forever 12th April 2002 as Easterbrook (uncredited)

I Was a Rat poster

I Was a Rat 9th December 2001 as Mrs. Tapscrew

Rare Birds poster

Rare Birds 9th September 2001 as Claire

Haven poster

Haven 11th February 2001 as Eva

Custody of the Heart poster

Custody of the Heart 28th August 2000 as Alice

Virtual Mom poster

Virtual Mom 1st January 2000 as Holly

You Know My Name poster

You Know My Name 22nd August 1999 as Mrs. Lynn

Dead Husbands poster

Dead Husbands 2nd December 1998 as Jane Armitage

Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework poster

Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework 1st January 1997 as Jesse's Mom

The Care and Handling of Roses poster

The Care and Handling of Roses 8th October 1996 as Carol Doster

House Arrest poster

House Arrest 14th August 1996 as Gwenna Krupp

The Awakening poster

The Awakening 4th November 1995 as Nancy

The Possession of Michael D. poster

The Possession of Michael D. 2nd May 1995 as Jenny

Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills poster

Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills 22nd May 1994 as Jill Lansing

The Biggest Little Ticket poster

The Biggest Little Ticket 1st April 1994 as The Troll

The Lotus Eaters poster

The Lotus Eaters 12th September 1993 as Diana Kingswood

Liza Minnelli - Live from Radio City Music Hall poster

Liza Minnelli - Live from Radio City Music Hall 6th December 1992 as Self

Beethoven Lives Upstairs poster

Beethoven Lives Upstairs 30th September 1992 as Sophie

A Private Matter poster

A Private Matter 20th June 1992 as Diane Callaghan

Montreal Stories poster

Montreal Stories 8th November 1991 as Ann Stuart

Stepping Out poster

Stepping Out 11th October 1991 as Andy

Paradise poster

Paradise 18th September 1991 as Sally Pike

Bright Angel poster

Bright Angel 1st November 1990 as Nina

Pacific Heights poster

Pacific Heights 28th September 1990 as Liz Hamilton

White Room poster

White Room 6th September 1990 as Zelda

Die Hard 2 poster

Die Hard 2 3rd July 1990 as Samantha 'Sam' Coleman

Beautiful Dreamers poster

Beautiful Dreamers 5th June 1990 as Molly Jessop

Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics poster

Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics 10th November 1989 as Kathy

George's Island poster

George's Island 15th August 1989 as Miss Birdwood

Much Ado About Nothing poster

Much Ado About Nothing 20th March 1988 as Margaret

I've Heard the Mermaids Singing poster

I've Heard the Mermaids Singing 11th September 1987 as Polly Vandersma

A Nest of Singing Birds poster

A Nest of Singing Birds 1st January 1987 as Anna

The Marriage Bed poster

The Marriage Bed 22nd December 1986 as Lynn Reailly

Really Weird Tales poster

Really Weird Tales 4th October 1986 as Ellie Hutchins (segment "Cursed With Charisma")

9B poster

9B 6th September 1986 as Heather

Love & Larceny poster

Love & Larceny 6th October 1985 as Mary Bigley

The Miniature Wife poster

The Miniature Wife 9th April 2026

Nurses poster

Nurses 6th January 2020 as Phillis Bruner

The Umbrella Academy poster

The Umbrella Academy 15th February 2019 as Agnes

The Detail poster

The Detail 25th March 2018 as Helen Mailer

The Good Doctor poster

The Good Doctor 25th September 2017 as Rose Babcock

Star Trek: Discovery poster

Star Trek: Discovery 24th September 2017 as All-Mother

Conviction poster

Conviction 3rd October 2016 as Dr. Jane Soto

Private Eyes poster

Private Eyes 26th May 2016 as Shirl Glinski

Orphan Black poster

Orphan Black 30th March 2013 as Connie Hendrix

Orphan Black poster

Orphan Black 30th March 2013 as Connie Hendrix (voice)

Saving Hope poster

Saving Hope 7th June 2012 as Violet Devonshire

Rookie Blue poster

Rookie Blue 24th June 2010 as Leigh Senett

Little Mosque on the Prairie poster

Little Mosque on the Prairie 9th January 2007 as Sarah Hamoudi

This Is Wonderland poster

This Is Wonderland 12th January 2004

Puppets Who Kill poster

Puppets Who Kill 4th October 2002

Haven poster

Haven 11th February 2001 as Eva

Super Rupert poster

Super Rupert 8th February 2001 as Aunt Rhonda

Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse poster

Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse 30th September 2000 as Elizabeth the Emotional Pig (voice)

Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke poster

Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke 21st February 1999 as Tammy

Bad Dog poster

Bad Dog 15th August 1998 as (voice)

More Tales of the City poster

More Tales of the City 7th June 1998 as Mildred

Emily of New Moon poster

Emily of New Moon 4th January 1998 as Laura Murray

A Woman of Independent Means poster

A Woman of Independent Means 19th February 1995 as Totsie

Picket Fences poster

Picket Fences 18th September 1992 as Sue Walsh

The Hidden Room poster

The Hidden Room 23rd July 1991

Four on the Floor poster

Four on the Floor 13th June 1986

The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents poster

The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents 29th September 1985 as Debra (Sarah) Hollister

The Ray Bradbury Theater poster

The Ray Bradbury Theater 21st May 1985 as Francine