Julia Sawalha
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Famous for her performance as the mousy daughter Saffron on the popular comedy series "Absolutely Fabulous" (BBC, 1992-2012), Julia Sawalha had a chameleon like ability to slip into seemingly any role. As the daughter of a British mother and a Jordanian father-actor Nadim Sawalha-Sawalha attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts before beginning her career on screen with a small, non-speaking role in an episode of the series "Keep It in the Family" (ITV, 1980-83). Before long, she was making memorable appearances on shows like "Inspector Morse" (ITV, 1987-2000) and starring on the early Steven Moffat series "Press Gang" (ITV, 1989-1993). Then in 1992, Sawalha joined the cast of the outrageous comedy series "Absolutely Fabulous," a show that would become such a sensation that Sawalha found herself etched into popular culture for seemingly the rest of her career. The show would run from 1992 to 1996, and was then revived for three more seasons beginning in 2001. In the meantime, Sawalha participated in many more projects, notably playing Lydia Bennet for the popular 1995 miniseries adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1995) and starring on the series "Faith in the Future" (ITV, 1995-1998) and "Time Gentlemen Please" (BSkyB, 2000-2002). After starring in the chilling "Remember Me" (BBC, 2014), she then reprised the role of Saffron for the much anticipated "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie" (2016).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1989
First starring role in the British children's TV series "Press Gang" on ITV
1991
Feature film debut, "Buddy's Song"
1991
Co-starred in British comedy series "Second Thoughts"; Sawalha's sister Nadia appeared in a recurring role in the series
1992
Played Saffron on "Absolutely Fabulous" (aired in US on Comedy Central in 1994-96)
1994
Played featured role in TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Martin Chuzzlewit" (aired on PBS in 1995)
1995
Co-starred as Lydia Bennett in BBC/A&E production of "Pride and Prejudice" (aired in US in 1996)
1995
Second feature film, Kenneth Branagh's "A Midwinter's Tale/In the Bleak Midwinter"
1995
Played Lydia Bennet in the British-American miniseries "Pride and Prejudice"
1996
Reprised Saffron for the TV-movie "Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout" (aired in USA in January 1997)
2000
Voiced the heroine Ginger in the animated "Chicken Run"
2001
Co-starred with Peter O'Toole in "The Final Curtain"
2008
Starred on the series "Lark Rise to Candleford"
2016
Reprised the role of Saffy yet again for "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie"
Family
Companions
