Biography
Sheila McCarthy is a Canadian stage, film and television actress, singer and dancer, best known for playing Polly Vandersma in the feature film I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, as well as supporting character Sarah Hamoudi (Cunningham) in the television series Little Mosque on the Prairie. She's a graduate in Theatre and Art History from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In her career, she's won 2 Genie Awards (film), 2 Gemini Awards (television), and 2 Dora Awards (theater),...
Known For
Complete Filmography

The Well
2025
as Gabriel
In a world where environmental collapse has left survivors to fight for the precious resources needed to survive, a young woman’s loyalties are tested...

All the Lost Ones
2025
as Dawn
In a dystopian and climate-ravaged future America torn apart by civil war, a group hiding in a remote cabin become the target of a ruthless rebel mili...

Women Talking
2022
as Greta
A group of women in an isolated religious colony struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the colony's men.

Christmas in Rockwell
2022
as Juniper
A famous Hollywood actress returns to her hometown where she is enlisted to participate in a Christmas play which threatens her small peaceful village...

Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3
2022
as Hologram Alien Scout
Zed and Addison are beginning their final year at Seabrook High in the town that’s become a safe haven for monsters and humans alike. Zed is anticipat...

The Middle Man
2021
as Mrs. Stout
Frank Farrelli takes on the job as a middle man in the God-forsaken town of Karmack, USA, a community in a depression so deep that they need a middle ...

Stroke of Fate
2021
as Shirley
In a hospital waiting room, family wounds are exposed as a mother and son wait for news of their loved one's prognosis.

Like a House on Fire
2021
as Katherine
Dara returns home to reconnect with her husband and her young daughter, whom she left two years earlier. When she arrives, she discovers that a woman ...

Happy Place
2020
as Joyce
"Welcome to the zoo," Samira is advised as she’s admitted to an in-patient care facility in the wake of a suicide attempt. As she slowly familiarizes ...

The Broken Hearts Gallery
2020
as Cheryl Gulliver
Lucy is a young gallery assistant who collects mementos from her relationships. She discovers that she must let go of her past to move forward, and co...

Anything for Jackson
2020
as Audrey Walsh
A bereaved Satanist couple kidnap a pregnant woman so they can use an ancient spellbook to put their dead grandson's spirit into her unborn child, but...

The Christmas Club
2019
as Miss Maggie
Two busy strangers meet when they help an elderly woman find her lost Christmas savings. Thanks to fate and Christmas magic, they also find something ...

Christmas 9 to 5
2019
as Rose Stark
Jennifer is a tough crime beat reporter who gets the assignment of her life: to find the true meaning of Christmas. When she goes undercover in a depa...

An Assortment of Christmas Tales in No Particular Order
2019
as Ellen
Directed dy Chris Agoston, Clara Altimas, Nabil Badine, Neil Huber

Isabelle
2019
as Ann Pelway
A young couple's dream of starting a family shatters as they descend into the depths of paranoia and must struggle to survive an evil presence that wa...

Level 16
2018
as Mrs. Denison
The teenage girls of Vestalis Academy are meticulously trained in the art of being “clean girls,” practicing the virtues of perfect femininity. But wh...

Still/Born
2018
as Sheila
Still/Born follows Mary, a new mother who lost one of her twins in childbirth. As she struggles with the loss of one of her children, she starts to su...

Considering Love and Other Magic
2017
as Veronica
In desperate need of extra high school credits, Jessie agrees to tutor young Tommy Faber, but when the timid 14-year-old insists he hasn't left Veroni...

Cardinals
2017
as Valerie Walker
When Valerie returns home from prison years after killing her neighbour in an apparent drunk driving accident, she wants nothing more than to move on ...

Milton's Secret
2016
as Luz
11 year-old Milton Adams is growing up in an uncertain world. With his parents constantly stressing about their careers and finances, and the neighbor...

Brace for Impact
2016
as Faradee Gilchrist
When disgraced Flight Crash Investigator Sofia Gilchrist's brother dies in the crash of a plane she was supposed to be on, Sofia breaks protocol and s...

Ice Girls
2016
as Aunt Ginger
A figure skater is injured during a competition. A coach that hired her then helps her rehab her injury so that she may live her dream.

A Fighting Man
2014
as Rose O'Connor
Two men meet in the ring for a fight that will change their lives.

Algonquin
2014
as Rita
A father-son camping expedition runs aground on misfortune and family secrets.

Dear Viola
2014
as Peggy
Katie, a shy newspaper accountant submits a reply to a "Dear Viola" letter to the editor that she works for, anonymously. She has a real knack for wri...

Antiviral
2012
as Dev Harvey
Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. When he becomes infected ...

Year of the Carnivore
2009
as Mrs. Smalls
A girl has a crush on a boy who thinks she's bad in bed so she goes out to get more experience.

Breakfast with Scot
2007
as Miss Patterson (uncredited)
The lives of Eric, an ex hockey player, and his partner Sam, are thrown into turmoil when they are forced to take in Scot, a flamboyant 11-year-old.

The Stone Angel
2007
as Doris
The feisty aging Hagar Shipley has lived an unconventional life. Her rebellious heart has always ruled and her choices have put her at odds with famil...

Cow Belles
2006
as Fran Walker
In order to learn how to be responsible, two wealthy teen sisters are forced to work in the family business by their exasperated father. When company ...

Bailey's Billion$
2005
as Peggy Delaney
Sweet and savvy talking golden retriever, Bailey, is one doggone lucky pooch when his devoted owner, Constance Pennington, leaves him her entire billi...

Geraldine's Fortune
2004
as Tina Larose
A grocery-store worker in a small Canadian town gets a chance to appear on a popular television game show.

Being Julia
2004
as Grace Dexter
Julia Lambert is a true diva: beautiful, talented, weathly and famous. She has it all - including a devoted husband who has mastermined her brilliant...

The Day After Tomorrow
2004
as Judith
After paleoclimatologist Jack Hall is largely ignored by UN officials when presenting his environmental concerns about the beginning of a new Ice Age,...

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
2004
as Mrs. Gerard
When the always dramatic Lola and her family move from the center of everything in New York City to the center of a cultural wasteland in suburban New...
Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche
2004
as Polly Vandersma (archive footage)
This compelling documentary explores Canadian film culture and tries to discover what defines Canadian film through interviews with notable filmmakers...

Full-Court Miracle
2003
as Mrs. Klein
Inspired by the true story of University of Virginia basketball star Lamont Carr, the film centers on a group of young Jewish basketball players who s...

The Rats
2002
as Miss Paige
A clan of evil rats overtakes a Manhattan department store and threatens to overrun the city.

Lathe of Heaven
2002
as Penny
In a near future society a man claims that his dreams physically change reality. His therapist is confused at first but soon decides to use him for hi...

Duct Tape Forever
2002
as Easterbrook (uncredited)
When an evil land baron's limo falls into a sinkhole outside Possum Lodge, lodge leader Red Green is ordered to pay the baron $10,000 or lose his belo...

I Was a Rat
2001
as Mrs. Tapscrew
A little boy found wandering the streets is taken in by Bob and Joan, a kindly couple. The boy is cold, wet and desperate for shelter, but Bob and Joa...

Rare Birds
2001
as Claire
A down-and-out restaurateur and his neighbor hatch a plan to lure bird watchers to their small Newfoundland town and increase tourism by announcing th...

Haven
2001
as Eva
Based on the true story of a woman named Ruth Gruber who travels to Europe to help escort 1000 Jewish War victims to the United States. She comes to l...

Custody of the Heart
2000
as Alice
Claire's number one priority is her family. When her husband Dennis loses his stockbroker job, the couple's traditional family roles switch. As Dennis...

Virtual Mom
2000
as Holly
Sometimes it takes something special to bring a mother and daughter together. For thirteen year-old Lucy and her mom, Holly, it took a little magic. O...

Virtual Mom
2000
Teleplay, Executive Producer
Sometimes it takes something special to bring a mother and daughter together. For thirteen year-old Lucy and her mom, Holly, it took a little magic. O...

You Know My Name
1999
as Mrs. Lynn
In six months, the population of Cromwell, Oklahoma, has climbed from 500 to 10,000. Boom times have come to the oil-rich town. So has a new breed of ...

Dead Husbands
1998
as Jane Armitage
Dr. Carter Elson is a man who finds a list of men's names among his wife Alex's possessions. When Carter discovers his own name at the bottom of the l...

Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
1997
as Jesse's Mom
Thirteen-year-old Jesse is a typical teenager who hates his teacher, Mrs. Fink. While visiting a vintage clothing shop, Jesse sees a doll that looks e...

The Care and Handling of Roses
1996
as Carol Doster
A fondness for old movies brings together two fortysomethings, each happily married to other people.

House Arrest
1996
as Gwenna Krupp
High-schooler Grover Beindorf and his younger sister Stacy decide that their parents, Janet and Ned, are acting childishly when they decide to divorce...

The Awakening
1995
as Nancy
Sara lives in a small town where everybody knows everybody and her life is an open book. Left with the care of her family home, she has trouble meetin...

The Possession of Michael D.
1995
as Jenny
When a dark force begins to destroy a couple's happiness, they decide to turn to a parapsychologist who discovers that the husband is possessed by a d...

Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills
1994
as Jill Lansing
About the 1989 murders of Carolco Entertainment chairman, Jose Menendez, and his wife, Kitty, who were killed by their sons, Lyle and Erik, in Beverly...

The Biggest Little Ticket
1994
as The Troll
This one-hour children's television special is the story of a young girl who slips into an enchanted world of trolls and dragons and finds herself on ...

The Lotus Eaters
1993
as Diana Kingswood
Set off the West Coast of Canada in 1965, a hip new teacher with a miniskirt and lots of ideas turns a small town upside down. The soft autumn light ...
Journey to the Planets
1993
as Oracle (voice)
Creatures from space in search of a new home arrive at the Solar System and discuss each planet. An educational animated short made for IMAX.

Liza Minnelli - Live from Radio City Music Hall
1992
as Self
Liza's dynamic show made history by breaking the box-office record for Radio City. A true superstar, this all-new extravaganza stars Liza and a host o...

Beethoven Lives Upstairs
1992
as Sophie
When his mother rents their vacant room to a peculiar composer, Christoph can't believe his bad luck. But as the abrasive boarder, Ludwig Van Beethove...

A Private Matter
1992
as Diane Callaghan
The true story of Romper Room host "Miss Sherri" Finkbine, who, after the devastating effects of thalidomide were discovered in the early 1960s, spark...

Montreal Stories
1991
as Ann Stuart
Six stories about Montreal. 1: A young housewife from Toronto samples the nightlife using basic French. 2: The tale of a painting of Montreal's first ...

Stepping Out
1991
as Andy
A has-been Broadway performer gives tap lessons to a group of misfits who, through their dance classes, bond and realize what they can achieve.

Paradise
1991
as Sally Pike
A 10-year-old boy spends a summer in the country with a childless couple and a precocious girl.
The Soulmates in the Gift of Light
1991
as (voice)
Wicked Angris McBragg sets out to ruin Christmas by undermining the forces of good. Santa Claus abandons his workshop and Comet, his head reindeer, su...
Back to the Beanstalk
1990
as Garbanza
Jack Jr., son of Jack the Giant Killer, grows his own beanstalk in a quest to find his father and along the way meets some unusual characters.

Bright Angel
1990
as Nina
In Montana, naive teenager George longs to escape from his broken home before his dysfunctional parents push him over the edge. When George meets pret...

Pacific Heights
1990
as Liz Hamilton
A couple works hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately one of their tenants has plans of his own.

White Room
1990
as Zelda
Norm, an aimless writer, witnesses the murder of rock video star Madelaine X and feels guilty, as he did nothing to prevent it. At Madelaine’s funeral...

Die Hard 2
1990
as Samantha 'Sam' Coleman
One year after his heroics in Los Angeles, John McClane is an off-duty cop who is the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a snowy Chris...

Beautiful Dreamers
1990
as Molly Jessop
When the superintendent of the Canadian insane asylum, Dr. Maurice Bucke, meets poet Walt Whitman, his life and that of his wife and patients is radic...

Friends, Lovers, & Lunatics
1989
as Kathy
An artist fired from his job comes home and discovers that his wife is having an affair and that she is leaving with her lover. He then sets off in pu...

George's Island
1989
as Miss Birdwood
After telling his class about the ghost of Captain Kidd and his buried treasure on George’s Island, George is placed in a foster home. George and anot...

Much Ado About Nothing
1988
as Margaret
Young lovers Hero and Claudio, soon to wed, conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles Benedick and Beatrice to wed as well.

I've Heard the Mermaids Singing
1987
as Polly Vandersma
Scatterbrained Polly gets a job as a secretary in Gabrielle's art gallery. Polly aspires to be a professional photographer, and idolizes Gabrielle for...

The Marriage Bed
1986
as Lynn Reailly
Linda Griffiths stars as very pregnant Annie Graham, who's about to give birth to her third child in seven years. Annie looks back via flashbacks at h...

Really Weird Tales
1986
as Ellie Hutchins (segment "Cursed With Charisma")
The movie consists of three odd and strange tales that each teach a different lesson.

9B
1986
as Heather
The story of a young idealistic teacher and his struggle with a class of difficult students in a northern British Columbia school.

Love and Larceny
1985
as Mary Bigley

Love Is the Monster
N/A
A couple, Ana and Justin, rocked by infidelity, attend an exclusive couples retreat in Finland, under the golden rays of the summer’s midnight sun. Th...
The Voices of Our Mother
N/A
as Harriet
When a family matriarch falls seriously ill, relatives gather and discover their shared ancestral ties bind them in unexpected ways.

Dancing on the Elephant
N/A
as Nora
Faced with a future of chair-xercise and spoon-fed pudding, nursing home friends Nora and Edna attempt to break out of the 'fox farm' and find a life ...
Surfacing
N/A
as Dawn
After years of battling severe depression, a young man learns to love himself and accept love from others after becoming caught in his therapist's per...
Russet Season
N/A
Director
An offbeat apple could change the life of a young editor stuck in a relationship with the wrong guy.