Skip to content
MovieCove
Sheila Gish

Sheila Gish

Actor · Died March 9, 2005, aged 62 · Lincoln, England, United Kingdom

Sheila Gish (23 April 1942 – 9 March 2005) was a British stage and television actress. She was born Sheila Anne Gash in Lincoln, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and made her stage debut with a repertory company. Her first starring role in the West End was as Bella in Robert and Elizabeth. She continued to be best known for her stage work, but she also appeared in many television dramas, from The First Churchills (in which she played Mary of Modena) to the successful adaptation of Love in a Cold Climate (2001) in which she played the eccentric and outrageous Lady Montdore. She had two daughters: the actresses Kay Curram and Lou Gish (1967–2006) by her first husband, the actor Roland Curram. While filming That Uncertain Feeling for BBC2 in 1985, she met actor Denis Lawson, who was to become her second husband. She rarely appeared on film, her most notable performances being as Anna in the Merchant-Ivory film Quartet (1981) and as Mrs Norris in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park (1999). She is also known for her appearance in the 1986 film Highlander as Rachel Ellenstein. She took the part of the alcoholic Joanne in Stephen Sondheim's musical Company, directed by Sam Mendes at the Donmar Warehouse and in the West End, in 1995. The following year, she won the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical. In 1999 she played Miss Venable in Tennessee Williams's Suddenly Last Summer, directed by Sean Mathias with Rachel Weisz at the Comedy Theatre, London. One of her last stage roles was as Arkadina in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of The Seagull in 2003. By this time she had been diagnosed with cancer and had lost an eye as a result of surgery. She died in Camden, London. Her final performance was for BBC Radio. She is Ewan McGregor's mother's sister-in-law. Her daughter, Lou, also died of cancer less than a year after her mother.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 23, 1942
Died
March 9, 2005 (aged 62)
From
Lincoln, England, United Kingdom
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 52 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 14% in 30 days

What are Sheila Gish's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
29%
Morality
26%
Self
21%
Survival
11%
Power
9%
Society
4%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 0 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Romantic
3
Melancholic
3
Bittersweet
3
Contemplative
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sheila Gish's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sheila Gish's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

52 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page.

  • Love in a Cold Climate(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lady Montdore

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Mansfield Park(1999)

    as Mrs. Norris

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Bass Player (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Actor

  • The Blonde Bombshell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs Fluck

  • Jonathan Creek(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Serena Shale

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Joanne

  • Seasick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Martina Schaffer

  • The Ghostbusters of East Finchley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs Podget

  • The Thin Blue Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Maeve the Sex Therapist

  • The Perfect Match (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Helen

  • Pie in the Sky(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Julia Sutton

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Resnick: Rough Treatment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Maria Roy

  • Brighton Belles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 11 episodes · as Bridget

  • Jewels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 2 episodes · as Victoria Thompson

  • Stanley and the Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · as Nowell Hutchinson

  • Performance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Joanne

  • The House of Eliott (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Yolande Hermane

  • Inspector Morse(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Gwladys Probert

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Worlds Beyond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs Hitchcock

  • Highlander(1986)

    as Rachel Ellenstein

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Sharing Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Ingrid

  • Quartet(1981)

    as Anna

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Goodbye Darling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 8 episodes · as Janet Lyall

  • Tales of the Unexpected(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Frances · as Laura Parker · as Mary Hitchman

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Thomas & Sarah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Polly

  • Scottish Playbill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Maura

  • Anna Karenina(1977)

    Show 7 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • The Lifeswappers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Dinah/Miss Trevor

  • Plays for Britain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Dinah / Miss Trevor

  • The Sweeney(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as June

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Affairs of the Heart(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Violet Grey

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Let's Marry Liz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Sarah Gage

  • Seven Faces of Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Sarah Gage

  • Helen: A Woman of Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 5 episodes · Actor

  • Hitler: The Last Ten Days(1973)

    as Frau Christian

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Crown Court (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 3 episodes · as Erika Brabazon

  • The Adventurer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Laura

  • A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Pam

  • New Scotland Yard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Kay Stevens

  • Late Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Wife

  • Funny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Phyl

  • The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Chalmers

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 2 episodes · as Jane Elkinson

  • Every Home Should Have One(1970)

    as Mother in Commercial

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Reckoning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Mrs Garner

  • The First Churchills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 12 episodes · as Queen Mary

  • Fraud Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Leonie

  • ITV Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Isobel Davidson · as Phyl

  • Mr. Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Diane Trent

  • Darling(1965)

    as Cameo (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Troubleshooters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Sue Kihl

  • Z-Cars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Jane

Career shape

Star power in the 78th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 52 titles from 1962 to 2001; peak year 1999.

Biggest box office

Highlander (1986)

$6M worldwide

Highest rated

Highlander (1986)

Midcredits 78th

Most popular right now

Tales of the Unexpected (1979)

Film career

19622001

Peak 1999 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting52 of 52: 52 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1960s7 · acting1970s22 · acting1980s6 · acting1990s16 · acting2000s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Sheila Gish's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Anna Karenina (1977)

53rd percentile spread · 11% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Darling (1965)

Midcredits 79th · 71% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Sheila Gish's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.