Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1960-03-19
- Born Place: Switzerland
Maria Friedman
Maria Friedman (born March 19, 1960, in Switzerland) is a three-time Olivier Award-winning British actress, singer, and director, highly celebrated for her work in musical theatre on both the West End and Broadway. Born to a musical family—her father was a classical violinist and her mother a concert pianist—Friedman received no formal training but quickly became known for her powerful vocal performances and strong association with the works of Stephen Sondheim. She won her first Olivier for Best Entertainment for her one-woman show, Maria Friedman By Special Arrangement (1995), followed by Best Actress in a Musical for her leading roles as Fosca in Sondheim's Passion (1997) and as Mother in Ragtime (2004). Her notable West End and Broadway starring roles also include playing Dot/Marie in Sunday in the Park with George, Roxie Hart in Chicago, and originating the role of Marian Halcombe in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White in 2004, where she bravely returned to the stage shortly after receiving breast cancer surgery. In her later career, Friedman transitioned successfully into directing, most notably with the 2012 London revival of Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and was subsequently a major hit on Broadway in 2023, where it also earned a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. On television, she is recognized for playing Elaine Peacock in the soap opera EastEnders and Trish Baynes in Casualty.
Person History
Tinsel Town 2025
2025