# Sharon Rooney

Sharon Rooney (born 1988 or 1989) is a Scottish actress. She is known for her roles as Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary, Sophie in Two Doors Down, Dawn in Brief Encounters, Miss Atlantis in the 2019 remake of Dumbo and Lawyer Barbie in the 2023 film Barbie.

## Early life

Rooney was born in Glasgow. She left school at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting, and enrolled on a three-year performing arts course followed by a degree in drama at Hull University.

## Career

Rooney began performing stand-up comedy, and toured with a play in various schools across Britain. Her first television role came when she was cast as Rae Earl, a young woman who is released from a psychiatric facility after four months, in the E4 teen comedy-drama series My Mad Fat Diary (2013–2015). The show was a success and earned Rooney a BAFTA nomination at the British Academy Scotland Awards. The Guardian's Sam Wollaston called Rooney's performance "natural, effortless and utterly believable". The role also saw her nominated for a Royal Television Society award in 2014. She was also nominated in the Entertainment category at the 2014 Young Scot Awards.
Rooney played a small part in the Sherlock episode "The Empty Hearse" in 2014. In July 2016, she appeared in the ITV drama series Brief Encounters, set in 1982 and revolving around four women who become involved in Ann Summers party planning. She played Miss Atlantis in the 2019 film Dumbo, in which she performed the song "Baby Mine". She played Nicola Walsh in Finding Alice in 2021.

## Filmography

Key :
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2013 | Under the Skin | Party Girl |
| 2015 | Hector | Young Mother |
| 2019 | Dumbo | Miss Atlantis |
| 2021 | The Electrical Life of Louis Wain | Josephine Wain |
| 2023 | Barbie | Lawyer Barbie |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013–2015 | My Mad Fat Diary | Rae Earl | 16 episodes |
| 2014 | Sherlock | Laura | Episode: "The Empty Hearse" |
| 2014–2015 | Mountain Goats | Jules | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Brief Encounters | Dawn | 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Stag | Brodie | Miniseries |
| 2013, 2016–2017 | Two Doors Down | Sophie | |
| 2016–2018 | Zapped | Barbara | 15 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | The Tunnel | Kiki Stokes | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | No Offence | Faye Caddy | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | The Capture | Becky | 6 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | Jerk | Ruth | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Finding Alice | Nicola | 6 episodes |
| 2021 | McDonald & Dodds | Doreen Warren | Episode: "We Need To Talk About Doreen" |
| 2022 | The Teacher | Nina | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | The Control Room | Breck | 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Daddy Issues | Catherine | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2024 | Nightsleeper | Yasmin (Yas) Brown | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2024 | The Cleaner | Sue, Mrs Barton, Tippy, Cook, Jibbers, John Church, Lady Rice Phillips | Episode "The Housekeeper" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Awards | Category | Work | Result |
| 2013 | British Academy Scotland Awards | Best Actor/Actress (Television) | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| 2014 | British Academy Scotland Awards | Best Actor/Actress (Television) | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| 2014 | Royal Television Society | Best Actress | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| 2014 | Broadcasting Press Guild | Breakthrough Award | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| 2014 | Young Scot Awards | Entertainment Award | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated |
| 2015 | British Academy Scotland Awards | Best Actor/Actress (Television) | My Mad Fat Diary | Won |
| 2021 | British Short Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Do No Harm | Won |