Whistle
2026 · Movie
as Ivy Raymore
Michelle Fairley
1963-07-11
•
Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK
Michelle Fairley (born 11 July 1963) is an actress from Northern Ireland. She is best known for playing Catelyn Stark in the HBO series Game of Thrones (2011–2013). She has since appeared in the USA Network series Suits (2013), the Fox series 24: Live Another Day (2014), the RTÉ miniseries Rebellion (2016), the science fiction series The Feed (2019), and the Sky Atlantic crime drama Gangs of London (2020–). Fairley was born in Coleraine to parents Brian and Teresa Fairley, the second eldest of six children. Her father was a popular publican, owner of Fairley's Bar and several off-licences, in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, but Fairley remembers both Catholics and Protestants frequenting the pub. Fairley appeared in a number of British television shows, including The Bill, Holby City and Casualty. Some of her earlier roles were as Cathy Michaels on ITV1's Inspector Morse in the episode titled "The Way Through The Woods" and as Nancy Phelan in Lovejoy in the episode 9 of Season 3 titled "Smoke Your Nose". She took over the role of Mrs. Granger from Heather Bleasdale (who had played Mrs. Granger in Chamber of Secrets) in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films. From 2011 to 2013, Fairley starred as Catelyn Stark (née Tully) in the first three seasons of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, replacing Jennifer Ehle who played the character in the original, unaired, pilot episode. Fairley joined the cast of the USA Network series Suits for its third season, playing the recurring role of Dr. Ava Hessington, a chemical engineer and oil CEO accused of bribery, and after that, accused for murder. She played Margot Al-Harazi in 24: Live Another Day on Fox. Her film roles included The Invisible Woman (2013) and In the Heart of the Sea (2015). In 2014, Fairley was cast as Margaret Langston in the ABC TV Series Resurrection (2014-2015). In 2017, it was announced Fairley would appear in a revival of Jim Cartwright's play Road at the Royal Court Theatre In 2018, she played Cassius in Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre, alongside David Calder, David Morrissey and Ben Whishaw. In 2019, Fairley led the Virgin Media and Amazon Prime science fiction series The Feed as Meredith Hatfield. As of June 2020, Fairley stars as Marian Wallace in the Sky Atlantic crime drama Gangs of London. She starred as Millie in the 2021 film Nobody Has To Know alongside Bouli Lanners. In 2023, Fairley starred as Princess Augusta in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix. She also contributed to The Gone a TVNZ and RTE coproduction.
Filmography
No Ordinary Heist
2026 · Movie
as Mags Fulton
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
2026 · TV Show
as Margo
Nazis, U-boats and the Battle for the Atlantic
2025 · TV Show
as Narrator
Small Things Like These
2024 · Movie
as Mrs. Wilson
The Trap
2023 · Movie
as Michelle
Untameable
2023 · Movie
as Self
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
2023 · TV Show
as Princess Augusta
The Gone
2023 · TV Show
as Judge Hannah Martin
An Irish Goodbye
2022 · Movie
as Grainne (voice)
Nobody Has to Know
2022 · Movie
as Millie
No image
The Road to Partition
2021 · Movie
as Narrator
The Road to Partition
2021 · TV Show
as Narrator
Lesson 7
2020 · Movie
as Max
Gangs of London
2020 · TV Show
as Marian Wallace
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch
2019 · Movie
as Self
The Trap
2019 · Movie
as Michelle
Responsible Child
2019 · Movie
as Kerry
Lost Lives
2019 · Movie
as Self (voice)
The Feed
2019 · TV Show
as Meredith Hatfield
National Theatre Live: Julius Caesar
2018 · Movie
as Caius Cassius
No image
To Provide All People
2018 · Movie
as Intensive Care Nurse
The White Princess
2017 · TV Show
as Margaret Beaufort
Edith
2016 · Movie
as Shelia
Rebellion
2016 · TV Show
as Dolly Butler
In the Heart of the Sea
2015 · Movie
as Mrs. Nickerson
Fortitude
2015 · TV Show
as Freya Lennox
Ironclad 2: Battle for Blood
2014 · Movie
as Joan De Vesci
Common
2014 · Movie
as Shelagh
Montana
2014 · Movie
as DCI Rachel Jones
Resurrection
2014 · TV Show
as Margaret Langston
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
2014 · TV Show
as Queen Igneous (voice)
The Invisible Woman
2013 · Movie
as Caroline Graves
Philomena
2013 · Movie
as Sally Mitchell
Crossing Lines
2013 · TV Show
as Sophie Baines
Game of Thrones
2011 · TV Show
as Catelyn Stark
Suits
2011 · TV Show
as Ava Hessington
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010 · Movie
as Mrs. Granger
Cup Cake
2010 · Movie
as Annie McNabb
Chatroom
2010 · Movie
as Rosie
Anton Chekhov's The Duel
2010 · Movie
as Marya
Best: His Mother's Son
2009 · Movie
as Ann Best
A Short Stay in Switzerland
2009 · Movie
as Mrs. Savery
Misfits
2009 · TV Show
as Louise Young
Lark Rise to Candleford
2008 · TV Show
Ahead of the Class
2005 · Movie
as Sonia Venning
The Golden Hour
2005 · TV Show
as Julia Harper
The Others
2001 · Movie
as Mrs. Marlish
McCready and Daughter
2001 · TV Show
as Bernadette
In Deep
2001 · TV Show
as Phoebe
24
2001 · TV Show
as Margot Al-Harazi
The Second Death
2000 · Movie
as Aisling
Rebus
2000 · TV Show
as Janice Mee
Hideous Kinky
1999 · Movie
as Patricia
Vicious Circle
1999 · Movie
as Frances
Births, Marriages and Deaths
1999 · TV Show
as Pat
A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries
1998 · Movie
as Miss O'Shaunessy
The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling
1997 · TV Show
as Mrs, Fitzpatrick
The Broker's Man
1997 · TV Show
as Gabby Rodwell
Midsomer Murders
1997 · TV Show
as Iris Holman
The Precious Blood
1996 · Movie
as Jean McBride
No image
Safe And Sound
1996 · TV Show
as Eleanor Delaney
No image
A Mug's Game
1996 · TV Show
as Kathy Cowan
Silent Witness
1996 · TV Show
as D.I. Suzy Harte
Life After Life
1995 · Movie
as Roisin Donaghy
Cardiac Arrest
1994 · TV Show
as Casualty Sister Karen Teller
The Long Roads
1993 · Movie
as Fiona Gibbons
Comics
1993 · TV Show
as Nula O'Reilly
No image
Flea Bites
1992 · Movie
as Sharon
Force of Duty
1991 · Movie
as Jenny
Hidden Agenda
1990 · Movie
as Teresa Doyle
Saracen
1989 · TV Show
as Maeve
No image
4 Play
1989 · TV Show
as Maureen
Crossfire
1988 · Movie
as Scanlon's Girl
Hidden City
1987 · Movie
as Cleaner
Lovejoy
1986 · TV Show
as Nancy Phelan
Casualty
1986 · TV Show
as Kathy Emerick, Kate Maguire
ScreenPlay
1986 · TV Show
as Jenny
Screen Two
1985 · TV Show
as Jean McBride, Roisin Donaghy, Fiona Gibbons - Liverpool
