Academy Award-nominated English actress Sally Cecilia Hawkins began her showbiz career as a theatre artist. Following appearances in productions like Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The Cherry Orchard and Much Ado About Nothing, she forayed into television and films in the late 1990s, and subsequently made her feature film debut in All or Nothing (2002). Hawkins` breakout role came in the acclaimed 2008 comedy-drama Happy-Go-Lucky - a performance which earned her numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) and the prestigious Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Since then, she has gone on to establish herself as one among the most versatile actresses in contemporary cinema, courtesy of her performances in films like Made in Dagenham (2010), Never Let Me Go (2010), Woody Allen`s Blue Jasmine (2013) and The Shape of Water (2017). The latter two films, which opened to near-universal critical acclaim, also earned Hawkins BAFTA, Golden Globes and Oscar nominations. Other significant acting credits include Cassandra`s Dream (2007), Submarine (2010), the comedy film Paddington (2014) and its sequel Paddington 2 (2018). As of 2019, Hawkins is also associated with the sequel of the 2014 film Godzilla, called Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Her 2020 release includes Eternal Beauty.