Maria Friedman
Biography
Maria Friedman is a British actress and director known for her work in musical theater. Born in Switzerland in 1960, she has been nominated for seven Laurence Olivier Awards and has won three for acting, starting with her 1994 solo cabaret show. She later took the musical prizes for playing Fosca in Passion and Mother in Ragtime. She narrated the 1999 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat film, sang in the concert Hey, Mr. Producer! (1998), and played Elaine Peacock on EastEnders between 2014 and 2017. She also turned to directing, staging a West End production of Merrily We Roll Along that earned the 2014 Olivier for best musical revival and a Broadway version that won the 2024 Tony for best revival of a musical, and she was nominated for a Tony in 2024 for her direction.
66years old
Turns 67 on March 19in 129 days
- Born Bernese Oberland
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Movie Career
- Films
- 3
- Career span
- 27 years1998 to 2025
Every film, newest first
- 2025Tinsel TownIMDb rating 5.3
- 1999Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatIMDb rating 7.3
- 1998Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron MackintoshIMDb rating 8.7
Genres
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Behind the award
Friedman has been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award seven times and has won three of them for acting. Her first win came in 1994 for the one-woman show By Special Arrangement.
Behind the camera
The 2013 West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along was directed by Friedman, and it took the 2014 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.
Maria Friedman movies on Netflix
Worked with
Maria Friedman made one film with each of them. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Kiefer Sutherland's page
Judi Dench's page
Hugh Jackman's page
Derek Jacobi's page
Julie Andrews's page
Joan Collins's page
David MalletDirector, 1 film, 1999
All films by David Mallet
Stephen PimlottDirector, 1 film, 1999
All films by Stephen Pimlott
Chris FogginDirector, 1 film, 2025
All films by Chris Foggin
Awards
Five awards and honors from 1995 to 2014.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2014 | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival | Won | |
| 2006 | Theatre World Award | Won | |
| 2004 | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical | Won | |
| 1997 | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical | Won | |
| 1995 | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.