Trivia

Was an extra on Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) while attending drama school.

Cate Blanchett and Hawkins became good friends after they co-starred in Blue Jasmine (2013). Blanchett won the Oscar for her performance in the film and mentioned Hawkins in her speech twice. First she thanked "the sublime Sally Hawkins" and then she thanked Carla Meyer "for getting Sally and I together".

Was writing her own screenplay for a short film about a woman turning into a mermaid when she received the script for The Shape of Water (2017).

The role of Poppy in Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) was written specially for her. Prior to filming, she prepared for the role by staying in character one day, while visiting the streets of London.

Was originally unable to star in the short film The Phone Call (2013), due to a scheduling issue. However, the director Mat Kirkby decided to push the entire production, instead of finding another actress, because he eagerly wished for Hawkins to play the part. She completed her work in three days. Kirby eventually won an Oscar for "Best Short Film, Live Action", and in his speech, he dedicated the award to Hawkins.

Suffered from a concussion while filming a scene for Paddington (2014), because she walked into a crane during a night shoot. However, she continued working and didn't see a doctor until the scene was wrapped.

The part of Elisa in The Shape of Water (2017) was written with her in mind. Guillermo del Toro wanted to work with her upon seeing Fingersmith (2005). After Hawkins received critical acclaim for Blue Jasmine (2013) he decided to hurry up and offered her the part at The 2014 Golden Globes, where he approached her while being drunk.

Found out about her Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Blue Jasmine (2013) while she was grocery shopping.

Has the rare feat of appearing in a short film that was Oscar-nominated, two consecutive years in a row: First, the animated Room on the Broom (2012) and subsequently The Phone Call (2013).

She was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. She has stated that acting lessons helped her to understand and pronounce words correctly.

Good friends with James Corden. They once had a deal that if they were both singles at 35, they would have babies and get married.

Ethan Hawke, her co-star in Maudie (2016), said it was a privilege to co-star opposite her; "I've had a few times in my life where you feel it's a privilege to be in the room, because you're the first person to see the performance. I felt that with Denzel Washington in Training Day (2001) as well. If you love acting and love what you do it's amazing and I felt that way with Sally, she's funny and brilliant.".

Graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. (1998)

Plays the piano, as seen in Almost Christmas (2013). Her character's brief piano-act by was performed by herself.

During filming Maudie (2016) she had to do stretching and yoga in the evening in order to physically and mentally get out of the character of Maud Lewis.

Her entrance to the stage, where she accepted her Golden Globe win, was briefly interrupted by fellow nominee Meryl Streep. Hawkins was awarded in favor of Streep, and on her way to the stage, she was stopped by Streep, who asked: "Are you happy now?".

Has one brother. He's five years older than she is and works as a web designer and illustrator.

Was cast in Godzilla (2014), almost three weeks after filming had begun on the production.

Contributed her writing skills to the BBC Radio 4 comedy show "Concrete Cow".

Good friends with Colin Farrell.

Was obsessed with 1940s black and white films in her childhood.

In 2006, she told a reporter for The Independent that she had been diagnosed with a "chronic condition" (which she did not disclose) that required treatment and which seemed to be responding to treatment.

Her films Maudie (2016) and The Shape of Water (2017) were released in 2017, which marked the first time Hawkins has been the lead actress in two theatrical releases within the same year. In both films, she portrays a woman with a disability; In "Maudie" her character suffers from a result of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and in "Shape of Water" her character has a speech impediment.

With her Golden Globe victory for Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), she joined a small group of actresses, who won a Golden Globe for a performance that was not nominated by the Academy Awards. Other actresses include Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet.

Enjoys painting.

Her brother was the first to inform her when she received her first Golden Globe nomination and the first to inform her about her Oscar nomination.

Was on a lot of painkillers, when she attended the red carpet of the Golden Globes, for the first time in 2009. This was due to a painful scar she received after she broke her collarbone on a film set.

She was introduced as "The Best Actress You've Never Heard of" when she visited The Early Show on CBS in 2009.

At the 86th Academy Awards in 2014, she was the only nominated actor in attendance, not to be given a reaction shot, following her "Oscar clip". Following her clip, the monitor broke down, and a black screen was shown. When the monitor was resurrected a few seconds later, it had cut to fellow nominee June Squibb instead.

She has portrayed the mother of Craig Roberts's character twice. First in Submarine (2010), then in Jane Eyre (2011).

Her character in Made in Dagenham (2010) was later taken to stage at West End, London, by Gemma Arterton in 2014.

Spokesperson for Oxfam's East Africa Appeal.

Experienced her first desire to act at the age of 3, when she visited a circus for the first time and was subsequently inspired to perform.

Competed in swimming in school, doing the butterfly stroke.

Cate Blanchett and she jokingly considered wearing crocs and plastic bags to The Oscars (2014), if the weather was bad.

Has a fear of snakes.

Served as the inspiration for the title character in her parents' children's book "The Crazy Cow".

Three of the original Dagenham seamstresses invited her for tea, prior to the filming of Made in Dagenham (2010), as they wished to inform her properly about mindset behind the strike, that she was set to portray in the film. Hawkins' grandmother also worked as a seamstress, although not at the Dagenham factory.

Was attached to "The Roaring Girl" for a long time, but production on the film never developed. The film was set to be a biopic of Bernadette Devlin, the woman who became, at 21, Northern Ireland's youngest female Member of Parliament.

Has been in nine films nominated for an Oscar, two of them being short films. The most common category among her represented films are 'Best Actress in a Leading Role' and 'Best Original Screenplay', for which her films have received four nominations.

Grew up in southeast London.

Born to Jacqui and Colin Hawkins, noted authors and illustrators of children's books. While Sally has never written any children's book like her parents, she portrayed an author of children's literature in Paddington (2014).

Her films Submarine (2010), Never Let Me Go (2010) and Made in Dagenham (2010) all premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2010. Having three films premier at TIFF is a record-high number of films for an actress, and following this, she was entitled "Toronto's Belle of the Ball" by USA Today.

Good friends with Richard Ayoade, who has directed her several times.

Member of the jury at the London Film Festival in 2014.

She and Rafe Spall originated the lead roles of Marianne and Roland in Nick Payne's acclaimed play "Constellations". The play later was set up various places around the world and eventually hit Broadway, with Ruth Wilson and Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead roles.

Has starred in two short film adaptations of a Julia Donaldson book, Room on the Broom (2012) and Stick Man (2015).

As of 2018, she has been 2 films that were Oscar nominated for Best Picture: An Education (2009) and The Shape of Water (2017). The Shape of Water is a Best Picture winner.

In 2017 USA TODAY called her "an indie-film superstar".

Attended James Allen's Girls' School.