Sharon Maguire (born 28 November 1960) is a Welsh 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 actually based on Maguire.Born in Aberystwyth, Wales and raised as a Catholic, Maguire studied English and Drama at the University of Wales Aberystwyth from 1979–1983 and graduated with a 2:2 degree before going on to do the PGCE teaching qualification. She's quoted as saying: "It always breaks the ice at parties when I'm with Oxbridge types and I brag: 'I went to Aberystwyth!'"After leaving Aberystwyth, she did a year's postgraduate course in journalism at City University in London and worked as a researcher then a director on The Media Show. In 1991, she gained a job with the BBC as producer/director of The Late Show. She also made several documentaries - including Omnibus - before leaving the Corporation to make advertisements. Bridget Jones' Diary marked Maguire's feature directorial debut.Other projects in development for Maguire include Mail with Film Four, The Vicious Circle with Oxford Films, and Mother's Boy, for which she has also been commissioned to write a script for BBC Films. The film Incendiary, which was written and directed by Maguire, was released in 2008.
Read English and Drama at Aberystwyth University in Wales before taking a postgraduate course in journalism at the City University in London.
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The character 'Shazza' featured in the books and films of Bridget Jones's Diary was actually based on her personality since she is good friends with the writer of the books.
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BBC Documentary Filmmaker
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
2013
TV Movie segment "Allison"
Incendiary
2008
Bridget Jones's Diary
2001
Omnibus
1997
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Bookmark
1995-1996
TV Series 3 episodes
Yo Picasso
1994
TV Movie documentary
The Late Show
1992-1993
TV Series documentary 5 episodes
R.E.M.: This Film Is On
1991
Video video "Losing My Religion [acoustic]"
The Thing Is... Hotels
1991
TV Movie documentary
The Thing Is... Babies
1991
TV Movie documentary
The Media Show
1990
TV Series 3 episodes
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Omnibus
1997
TV Series documentary producer - 1 episode
Bookmark
1995-1996
TV Series producer - 3 episodes
Yo Picasso
1994
TV Movie documentary producer
The Late Show
1992-1993
TV Series documentary producer - 5 episodes
The Media Show
1991
TV Series producer - 1 episode
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Incendiary
2008
written by
Yo Picasso
1994
TV Movie documentary screenplay
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
When Did You Last See Your Father?
2007
thanks
Hilary and Jackie
1998
thanks
Saint-Ex
1996
special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
E! True Hollywood Story
2008
TV Series documentary
Herself
Greatest Movie Love Scenes
2006
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Live Lunch
2001
TV Series
Herself - Interviewee
Bridget Jones's Diary: Behind the Scenes - Resolutions of a Tragic Spinster
2001
Video documentary short
Herself - Director
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2002
Amanda
Amanda Awards, Norway
Best Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske spillefilm)
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
2002
Czech Lion
Czech Lions
Best Foreign Language Film (Nejlepsí zahranicní film)