Sharon Maguire


Sharon Maguire is a film director who came to prominence with Bridget Jones's Diary. The film was based on the book by her close friend Helen Fielding, and one of the main characters – "Shazzer" – is allegedly based on Maguire.

Early life

Born in Coventry to Irish Catholic parents, Maguire studied English and drama at the University of Wales Aberystwyth from 1979 to 1983. After leaving university, she worked as a copywriter in publishing before doing a postgraduate degree in journalism at City University, London.

Career

In 1987, she began a career in television, working as a researcher for The Media Show and then as a producer/director at BBC's The Late Show. She then went on to direct several documentaries for BBC's Omnibus and Bookmark, before leaving the corporation to direct commercials. Bridget Jones's Diary marked Maguire's feature directorial debut.
In 2016, she co-founded the television production company, 7 Stories, which creates scripted drama for TV.

Personal life

She has one child with her partner, director Anand Tucker.

Filmography

As director: