Saffron Burrows
Encyclopedia
Saffron Dominique Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and former fashion model, who starred as Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...

and Lorraine Weller on Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...

.

Early life

Burrows was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England, to a politically active family; both her parents are socialists. Her father is an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

 and teacher and her mother, Susie, is a teacher and feminist. At 15, she was discovered by Beth Boldt, a modelling talent scout (Burrows stands at 6 feet (1.8 m)), and began a successful modelling career.

Career

Burrows made her film debut in In the Name of the Father (1993). Her first significant acting role was as an ambitious Irish woman in Circle of Friends
Circle of Friends (1995 film)
Circle of Friends is a 1995 film directed by Irish filmmaker Pat O'Connor and based on the novel of the same name written by Maeve Binchy.-Plot:...

(1995). Subsequently, she appeared in Hotel de Love (1996). In 1999, she appeared in the science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...

 Wing Commander
Wing Commander (film)
Wing Commander is a science fiction film based on the same titled video game series, released in 1999. It was directed by Chris Roberts, the creator of the game series, and stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows, Tchéky Karyo, Jürgen Prochnow, David Suchet and David Warner...

(1999), the thriller Deep Blue Sea
Deep Blue Sea
Deep Blue Sea is a 1999 science fiction horror film that stars Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, LL Cool J, and Samuel L Jackson. The film was directed by Renny Harlin and was released in the United States on July 28, 1999.- Plot :...

, and the experimental film The Loss of Sexual Innocence
The Loss of Sexual Innocence
The Loss of Sexual Innocence is a 1999 film written and directed by Mike Figgis. It tells the story of the sexual development of a filmmaker through three stages of his life, in a non-linear and disjointed manner...

. The following year she appeared in Miss Julie and Timecode
Timecode (film)
Timecode is a 2000 American experimental film directed by Mike Figgis.The film is constructed from four continuous 90-minute takes that were filmed simultaneously by four cameramen; the screen is divided into quarters and the four shots are shown simultaneously...

.

In 2001, she had roles in Enigma
Enigma (2001 film)
Enigma is a 2001 British film about the Enigma codebreakers of Bletchley Park in World War II. The film, directed by Michael Apted, stars Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet. The film's screenplay was by Tom Stoppard, based on the novel Enigma by Robert Harris...

, and Tempted. In 2004, she played the part of Andromache
Andromache
In Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of Hector and daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled...

 in the big-budget movie Troy
Troy (film)
Troy is a 2004 epic war film written by David Benioff and directed by Wolfgang Petersen based on the events of the Trojan War. Its cast includes Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector.It was nominated for the Academy Award for Costume Design.-Plot:...

and was the female lead in Perfect Creature
Perfect Creature
Perfect Creature is a New Zealand made horror/thriller film written and directed by Glenn Standring and starring Saffron Burrows and Dougray Scott, set in an alternate universe New Zealand. The New Zealand release date was 18 October 2007...

. In January 2005, she created the role of Janey in the world premiere of Earthly Paradise at the Almeida Theatre
Almeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...

, and on 30 October 2005, she appeared on stage at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...

 theatre in London in a rehearsed reading of 24-hour play, Night Sky, alongside Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra...

.

Burrows played attorney Lorraine Weller on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

's Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...

(Season 4) from 2007-2008. She starred on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

's new series, My Own Worst Enemy
My Own Worst Enemy (TV series)
My Own Worst Enemy is an American television drama that aired on NBC in 2008. It premiered on October 13 and ended on December 15 after 9 episodes. The series was produced by Universal Media Studios. Jason Smilovic was the executive producer; David Semel was the director and executive producer...

until its cancellation.

In 2008, she appeared in the independent film The Guitar, which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...

, as well as in a starring role in the heist film The Bank Job
The Bank Job
The Bank Job is a 2008 British crime film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, directed by Roger Donaldson, and starring Jason Statham, based on the 1971 Baker Street robbery in central London, from which the money and valuables stolen were never recovered...

.

In 2009, Burrows contributed to the Actors Come Clean for Congo video for the Raise Hope for Congo campaign, a campaign of the Enough Project
Enough Project
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress , based in Washington, D.C., created to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Its Co-Founders are John Prendergast and Gayle Smith; its Executive Director is John C. Bradshaw, J.D....

, in support of the conflict mineral issue.

During 2010, she starred as Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...

, where she replaced Julianne Nicholson
Julianne Nicholson
Julianne Nicholson is an American actress. She is known for having played Det. Megan Wheeler on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Early life:...

. Burrows departed the main cast at the end of the ninth season.

Burrows modelled for Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...

's autumn 2010 campaign for their Portfolio range.

Personal life

Burrows is a close friend of politician Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...

. She is also a socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...

 and has spoken of her admiration for French Socialist politician
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...

 Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal
Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...

. She joined an anti-racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...

 group when she was 11 years old and she went on to become the Vice President of the National Civil Rights Movement, and she is a campaigner for disabled rights and equality.

In a 1999 interview with Film Unlimited, Burrows revealed that she has had female lovers
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

. That same year her former fiancé, her Circle of Friends co-star Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...

, revealed that he is bisexual. For a number of years, she was involved with film director Mike Figgis
Mike Figgis
Michael "Mike" Figgis is an English film director, writer, and composer.-Personal life:Figgis was born in Carlisle, England and grew up in Africa. Figgis for several years had a relationship with the actress Saffron Burrows and cast her in several films...

, and she starred in some of his films, including Miss Julie. Prior to Figgis, she lived with Cumming for two years, while he was separated from his first wife.

Since leaving Figgis, she has been romantically linked with another co-star, actress Fiona Shaw
Fiona Shaw
Fiona Shaw, CBE is an Irish actress and theatre director. Although to international audiences she is probably most familiar for her minor role as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films, she is an accomplished classical actress...

. Neither actress has publicly commented on the relationship. The two appeared together in the National Theatre's production of The PowerBook, a play based on the novel of the same name by Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette Winterson
Jeanette Winterson OBE is a British novelist.-Early years:Winterson was born in Manchester and adopted on 21 January 1960. She was raised in Accrington, Lancashire, by Constance and John William Winterson...

, in which they played lovers.

In 2006 the Independent on Sunday
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...

listed Burrows as the 90th most influential gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

 person in the UK. In a 2003 interview, Alan Cumming said, "I was really lucky that the first relationship I had after [my divorce] was with Saffron, who's really... understanding and a broadminded person. And who's now... As I'm sure you know ... Well. She bats for both teams, too."

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1991 Model Short film
1993 In the Name of the Father Girl in Commune
1995 Circle of Friends
Circle of Friends (1995 film)
Circle of Friends is a 1995 film directed by Irish filmmaker Pat O'Connor and based on the novel of the same name written by Maeve Binchy.-Plot:...

Nan Mahon
1995 Welcome II the Terrordome Jodie
1996 Hotel de Love
Hotel de Love
Hotel de Love is a 1996 Australian film written and directed by Craig Rosenberg.-Plot:Fraternal twin brothers meet a childhood crush at a rundown hotel and rediscover their love as they renew their competition for her affection.-Principal cast:...

Melissa Morrison
1997 Lovelife
Lovelife
Lovelife is a 1997 romantic comedy film written and directed by Jon Harmon Feldman. The ensemble cast includes Matt Letscher, Sherilyn Fenn, Saffron Burrows, Carla Gugino, Bruce Davison, Jon Tenney and Peter Krause....

Zoey
1997 Nevada
Nevada (1997 film)
- Plot :Brennan plays "Chrysty", a woman with a past who arrives on foot to the small town of Silver City, Nevada. There, she meets the women of the town, all but one of whom accept her...

Quinn
1997 One Night Stand
One Night Stand (1997 film)
One Night Stand is a 1997 drama film by British director Mike Figgis. The first draft of the screenplay was written by Joe Eszterhas, who had his name removed from the project following Figgis' rewrite.-Plot summary:...

Supermodel
1997 Moira Kennedy Kelly
1999 Wing Commander
Wing Commander (film)
Wing Commander is a science fiction film based on the same titled video game series, released in 1999. It was directed by Chris Roberts, the creator of the game series, and stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows, Tchéky Karyo, Jürgen Prochnow, David Suchet and David Warner...

Lt. Cdr. 'Angel' Deveraux
1999 English / Italian Twin
1999 Deep Blue Sea
Deep Blue Sea
Deep Blue Sea is a 1999 science fiction horror film that stars Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, LL Cool J, and Samuel L Jackson. The film was directed by Renny Harlin and was released in the United States on July 28, 1999.- Plot :...

Dr. Susan McCallister
1999 Miss Julie Miss Julie
2000 Assumptions Short film
2000 Timecode
Timecode (film)
Timecode is a 2000 American experimental film directed by Mike Figgis.The film is constructed from four continuous 90-minute takes that were filmed simultaneously by four cameramen; the screen is divided into quarters and the four shots are shown simultaneously...

Emma
2000 Gangster No. 1
Gangster No. 1
Gangster No. 1 is a 2000 British crime film. It stars Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis and Paul Bettany and was directed by Paul McGuigan.- Cast :*Malcolm McDowell as Gangster 55*David Thewlis as Freddie Mays*Paul Bettany as Young Gangster...

Karen
2001 Enigma
Enigma (2001 film)
Enigma is a 2001 British film about the Enigma codebreakers of Bletchley Park in World War II. The film, directed by Michael Apted, stars Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet. The film's screenplay was by Tom Stoppard, based on the novel Enigma by Robert Harris...

Claire
2001 Tempted Lilly LeBlanc
2001 Hotel
Hotel (2001 film)
-Plot:While a British film crew are shooting a version of The Duchess of Malfi in Venice, they in turn are being filmed by a sleazy documentary primadonna while the strange staff share meals which consist of human meat. Then there is the hit man, the call girl and the Hollywood producer all...

Duchess of Malfi
2002 Frida
Frida
Frida is a 2002 biographical film which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. It stars Salma Hayek in her Academy Award nominated portrayal as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as her husband, Diego Rivera....

Grace
2002 Hideous Man Short film
2003 Muriel Colber
2003 Peter Pan
Peter Pan (2003 film)
Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy film released as a joint venture of Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios. P. J. Hogan directed a screenplay co-written with Michael Goldenberg which is based on the classic play and novel by J. M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the roles of Captain...

Story Narrator (voice)
2004 Krug Grace Krug Short film
2004 Troy
Troy (film)
Troy is a 2004 epic war film written by David Benioff and directed by Wolfgang Petersen based on the events of the Trojan War. Its cast includes Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector.It was nominated for the Academy Award for Costume Design.-Plot:...

Andromache
2004 Terrible Kisses Woman Short film
2006 Perfect Creature
Perfect Creature
Perfect Creature is a New Zealand made horror/thriller film written and directed by Glenn Standring and starring Saffron Burrows and Dougray Scott, set in an alternate universe New Zealand. The New Zealand release date was 18 October 2007...

Lilly
2006 Klimt
Klimt (film)
Klimt is a 2006 Austrian art-house biographical film about the life of the Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt . It was written and directed by Raoul Ruiz, with an English screenplay adaptation by Gilbert Adair. The director of photography was Ricardo Aronovich, and the music was composed by...

Lea de Castro
2006 Fay Grim
Fay Grim
Fay Grim is a 2006 film written and directed by Hal Hartley. The film is a sequel to Hartley's 1997 film Henry Fool, and revolves around the title character, played by Parker Posey, the sister of Simon Grim . The plot revolves around Fay's attempt to unravel an increasingly violent mystery in Europe...

Juliet
2007 Broken Thread Jenny
2007 Reign Over Me Donna Remar
2007 Dangerous Parking
Dangerous Parking
Dangerous Parking is a 2007 drama film based on the novel of the same name by Stuart Browne.-Plot:Dangerous Parking tells the story of Noah Arkwright, a cult director in the indie film world, whose life is dominated by alcohol, drugs, and casual sex.Alcoholism and drug addiction have him firmly in...

Claire
2008 Melody Wilder
2008 Martine Love
2009 Shrink
Shrink (film)
Shrink is a 2009 American independent film about a psychologist who treats members of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, California. It stars an ensemble cast headed by Kevin Spacey as Dr. Henry Carter. Filming took place in Los Angeles under the direction of Jonas Pate using a script...

Kate Amberson
2010 Lawyers Anne Short film
2011 Small Apartments
Small Apartments
Small Apartments is an upcoming American film directed by Jonas Åkerlund. It tells the story of Franklin Franklin, played by Matt Lucas, who by mistake kills his landlord, played by Peter Stormare. The cast co-stars Dolph Lundgren, Johnny Knoxville, James Caan, Billy Crystal, Juno Temple, Saffron...

TBA Post-production
2012 Knife Fight
Knife Fight
Knife Fight is an upcoming American political thriller film. It stars Rob Lowe, Jamie Chung and Richard Schiff. It is being directed by Bill Guttentag and co-written by Bill Guttentag and former Al Gore spokesman Chris Lehane...

Sophia Post-production


Television
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Les cinq dernières minutes Daisy Smith Episode: "Meurtre en Ardèche"
1993 Full Stretch Episode: "Family Affairs"
1995 Jules TV movie
1996 Karaoke Sandra Sollars TV miniseries
1996 Cold Lazarus
Cold Lazarus
Cold Lazarus is a four-part British television drama written by Dennis Potter with the knowledge that he was dying of cancer of the pancreas....

Sandra Sollars TV miniseries
1996 Crucial Tales Sarah Brown Episode: "I Bring You Frankincense"
2001 Mairead TV movie
2002 Flashpoint Dara TV movie
2007 Marple: Towards Zero Audrey Strange TV movie
2007-2008 Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...

Lorraine Weller 20 episodes
2008 Wainy Days
Wainy Days
Wainy Days is an internet video series starring David Wain that is hosted on the website, My Damn Channel. It is currently running in its fourth season. The web series follows a fictionalized version of Wain through his everyday life as he tries to form relationships with numerous women and...

Lucy Episode: "Nan and Lucy"
2008 My Own Worst Enemy
My Own Worst Enemy (TV series)
My Own Worst Enemy is an American television drama that aired on NBC in 2008. It premiered on October 13 and ended on December 15 after 9 episodes. The series was produced by Universal Media Studios. Jason Smilovic was the executive producer; David Semel was the director and executive producer...

Dr. Norah Skinner 9 episodes
2009 Dr. Anna Eastman TV movie
2009 Kings
Kings (U.S. TV series)
Kings is an American television drama series which aired on NBC. The series' narrative is loosely based on the Biblical story of King David, but set in a kingdom that culturally and technologically resembles the present-day United States....

Death Episode: "The Sabbath Queen"
2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...

Det. Serena Stevens 15 episodes
2011 Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...

Ike Latulippe Episode: "The Finder"

Awards and nominations

Blockbuster Entertainment Award
  • 2000: Nominated, "Favorite Newcomer Actress" - Deep Blue Sea


Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards
A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...

  • 2008: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Boston Legal
  • 2009: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Boston Legal

External links

  • Articles written by Saffron Burrows for the New Statesman
    New Statesman
    New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....

    UK
  • Saffron Burrows' Guest DJ Set on KCRW KCRW Guest DJ Set
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