Biography - Sheila McCarthy

Who is Sheila McCarthy?

Sheila McCarthy is an actress, singer by profession, and Canadian by nationality. She is best known for her work in the TV series The Umbrella Academy, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Emily of New Moon, and films I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, Rare Birds, Breakfast with Scot, and Cardinals.

Sheila McCarthy – Age, Parents, Siblings

Sheila McCarthy’s birth date is January 1, 1956. She was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she was also raised. The names and the professions of her mother and father are not known. She also has a sibling, a younger brother named John McCarthy, who is a composer.

Education, Ethnicity

For education, Sheila McCarthy attended Thornlea Secondary School. She later attended the University of Victoria. In addition, she worked with acting teacher Uta Hagen at her HB Studio and also worked with the Second City troupe.

Her ethnicity is Caucasian.

Sheila McCarthy – Boyfriend, Husband, Children, Divorce

Sheila McCarthy met Peter Donaldson in London, Ontario, in 1983. They married in December 1986 after years of dating. With her husband, she welcomed two children- daughters Drew (born 1988) and Mackenzie Donaldson (born 1992), who is now a producer.

The couple were not divorced and were married until Peter died of cancer on 8 January 2011, two years after his diagnosis.

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Sheila McCarthy – Career

Early Days

McCarthy’s debut screen role was in an episode of the TV series Hangin' In. This was followed by minor roles in the series The Littlest Hobo (1984), Hot Shots (1986), Mount Royal (1988), Rupert (1992; voice), Picket Fences (1995-1996), Emily of New Moon (1998-2000), to name a few.

During this time, Sheila McCarthy also had minor appearances in the films Die Hard 2 (1990), The Lotus Eaters (1993), and Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework (1997), among others. She also starred in over a dozen TV movies.

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Films, TV Series

Since 2000, Sheila McCarthy has portrayed characters in the TV series The Shields Stories (2004), Little Mosque on the Prairie (2007-2012), Murdoch Mysteries (2013), Orphan Black (2015), The Detail (2018), The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024), Nurses (2020), The Good Doctor (2021), among others. 

She has also starred in the films Rare Birds (2001), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), The Stone Angel (2007), Cardinals (2017), Happy Place (2020), The Middle Man (2021), Women Talking (2022), and The Well (2025), to name a few.

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Co-stars

On the set of The Umbrella Academy, Sheila McCarthy has worked alongside Justin Cornwell, Patrice Goodman, Calem MacDonald, Stephen Bogaert, and Cody Ray Thompson.

Sheila McCarthy – Awards, Nominations

McCarthy has won two Genie Awards for Best Actress in the years 1987 and 1993 for her work in the I've Heard the Mermaids Singing and The Lotus Eaters respectively.

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Sheila McCarthy – Net Worth, Salary

The figure on the net worth and annual salary of Sheila McCarthy is under review and will be updated.

Sheila McCarthy – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

McCarthy is absent from social media handles such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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