# Sophie McShera
**Sophie McShera** (born 1985) is an English actress best known for playing the kitchen maid Daisy in the ITV period drama *Downton Abbey* from 2010 to 2015 and in its three film sequels, and for roles in Disney's live-action *Cinderella* (2015) and the musical comedy series *Galavant*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) • [2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) |
| Signature role | Daisy (Daisy Robinson / Daisy Mason) in *Downton Abbey*, 2010–2015, 52 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) |
| Ensemble recognition | Shared three Screen Actors Guild nominations with the *Downton Abbey* cast in 2013, 2015, and 2016, for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) |
| Film roles | Drisella in *Cinderella* (2015); Mrs. Crupp in *The Personal History of David Copperfield* (2019)[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) |
| Other series | Bryony in *The Job Lot* (2013–2015); Gwynne in *Galavant* (2015–2016, 8 episodes)[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-244152/filmographie/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) |
| Downton films | *Downton Abbey* (2019), *Downton Abbey: A New Era* (2022), and *Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale* (2025), the last credited as Daisy Parker[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) |
| Training | Degree in modern drama from Brunel University[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) |
## Early life and stage beginnings
McShera was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in 1985.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) One biographical source instead lists her birth date as 1985, in [Yorkshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/yorkshire).[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) She made her professional acting debut at the age of 12 in a British stage production of the musical *The Goodbye Girl*, playing Lucy, and followed it by playing the title role in a touring production of the musical *Annie*.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) She later studied at Brunel University, finishing with a degree in modern drama.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/)
## Television
Her first television role came in 2007 on the soap opera *Emmerdale*, and after guest appearances she held a regular starring role on the school series *Waterloo Road* from 2009 to 2010.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) In 2010 she was cast as Daisy, a young scullery maid, on *Downton Abbey*, the series broadcast on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre in the United States.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) She played the role across all six seasons, credited as Daisy Robinson and later Daisy Mason, appearing in 52 episodes.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) The show won many awards over its run, and McShera shared three [Screen Actors Guild](https://www.edgepedia.org/screen-actors-guild) nominations with the rest of the cast in 2013, 2015, and 2016.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/)
**Comedy work alongside Downton.** While *Downton Abbey* was in production she played the work-shy Bryony in the ITV2 sitcom *The Job Lot*, appearing in its first three series between 2013 and 2015.[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-244152/filmographie/) Her comedy credits also include Gwynne in eight episodes of the ABC musical series *Galavant* (2015–2016), Tina in the *Inside No. 9* episode "Séance Time" (2015), [Wallis Simpson](https://www.edgepedia.org/wallis-simpson) in *Drunk History* (2016), Rose in *Timewasters* (2017), and Pippa in *Porters* (2019).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) • [4](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/sophie_mcshera/) In 2018 she traveled to Canada to play Ann Ryand in an episode of the CBC series *Murdoch Mysteries*.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) More recently she appeared as Miss Graham in two episodes of *The Queen's Gambit* (2020) and played Grace Hartley in [Shane Meadows](https://www.edgepedia.org/shane-meadows)'s *The Gallows Pole* (2023).[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-244152/filmographie/) • [5](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Sophie%2BMcShera-1147706/filmography)
## Film
McShera played Ella's stepsister Drisella in Disney's live-action remake of *Cinderella* (2015).[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) In 2019 she appeared in two features: she reprised Daisy in the *Downton Abbey* film, and played Mrs. Crupp in *The Personal History of David Copperfield* opposite [Dev Patel](https://www.edgepedia.org/dev-patel), which screened at the [Toronto International Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-international-film-festival).[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) In the 2019 film, set in 1927, two years after the series ended, her character carries the republican viewpoint against the enthusiasm surrounding a royal visit to the house; creator [Julian Fellowes](https://www.edgepedia.org/julian-fellowes) said he did not want the royal storyline to be uniformly monarchist.[6](https://time.com/5681189/downton-abbey-movie-set-visit/)
She continued the Daisy role in *[Downton Abbey: A New Era](https://www.edgepedia.org/downton-abbey-a-new-era)* (2022) and *[Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale](https://www.edgepedia.org/downton-abbey-the-grand-finale)* (2025), the latter crediting her as Daisy Parker.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/) • [7](https://thefilmaholic.com/actress/sophie-mcshera)
## Stage and other work
McShera has continued to work on stage between screen roles, most recently in 2011 in [Jez Butterworth](https://www.edgepedia.org/jez-butterworth)'s play *Jerusalem* at the [Apollo Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/apollo-theatre) in London's West End.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/) She also ran a candy company, ThatSweetFeeling, which she set up with a past boyfriend and later sold when she no longer had time to run it.[2](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/)
## References
1. [Sophie McShera, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2904789/)
2. [Sophie McShera Biography, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/sophie-mcshera/47139/)
3. [Sophie McShera : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-244152/filmographie/)
4. [Sophie McShera, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/sophie_mcshera/)
5. [Sophie McShera – Filmografia, Filmweb](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Sophie%2BMcShera-1147706/filmography)
6. [Old Friendships, New Costumes and Timeless Royal Fever on the Set of the Downton Abbey Movie, TIME](https://time.com/5681189/downton-abbey-movie-set-visit/)
7. [Sophie McShera — Filmography, Characters & Career, The Filmaholic](https://thefilmaholic.com/actress/sophie-mcshera)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Mc to M*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license