Draft:Ella Thompson
Ella MacQuoid | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 April 1996 (age 27) |
| Nationality | Irish-British |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2015 - present |
| Known for | Barbie, Euphoria, Spencer |
| Awards | BAFTA Rising Star Award, Academy Award for Best Actress |
Eleanor "Ella" Amelia Eireann Fiona MacQuoid (born 16 April 1996) is an Irish-British actress, director, producer, model and mental health advocate. Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, she made her acting debut in 2016 in the romantic drama film Midnight Sun. MacQuoid gained wider recognition in 2017 for her leading role as Diana Cavendish in Breathe, starring alongside Andrew Garfield. She then went on to pursue her acting career even more and starred in movies such as Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! as Young Donna Sheridan, Little Women as Amy March and Spencer, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Diana, Princess of Wales. Since 2019, she has portrayed Rue Bennett in the hit HBO series Euphoria and also plays the role of Robin Buckley in Netflix's Stranger Things.
Early life
[edit]Ella MacQuoid was born on April 16 1996 in Woolton, Liverpool to William James MacQuoid, an officer in the Royal Marines of the UK and Deborah "Debbie" O'Connor, a kindergarten teacher. Macquoid's father and mother both passed away when she was a teenager. She has three older siblings: William "Liam" James MacQuoid III, his twin sister Layla Grace MacQuoid, a photographer, and another sister Rory Deborah MacQuoid, a nurse. Her older brother, who was a soldier in the Royal Marines, passed away at age 21 in combat. As a child, MacQuoid moved from her hometown of Liverpool, to Dublin. After her father's passing in 2011, the family moved to her mother's birthplace of Belfast. Her father was a member of the Church of Scotland while her mother was Irish Catholic. Despite this she was raised and educated as a Christian and doesn't identify with any specific branch of the religion.
Career
[edit]Early work and gaining recognition (2015-2018)
[edit]At the age of 18 years old, MacQuoid moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career and had a few guest roles in Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother and Pretty Little Liars.
In 2016 she got her first leading role in a movie as Katie Price in Midnight Sun, where she starred alongside Patrick Schwarzenegger who she also briefly dated. The same year she landed another leading role in the movie Legend and Breathe, which made her gain recognition in Hollywood.
In 2018 she got casted to play Young Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! with actors including Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.
Breakthrough and worldwide recognition (2018-present)
[edit]Expansion to film direction and furthering of acting career (2021-present)
[edit]In June 2024, MacQuoid announced she will be taking a break from her career after wrapping the Upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film in order to spend more time with her family & focus on being a mother to her 3 children.
In 2026, the actress started her own production company Emerald Vision Studios located in Pasadena, California.
Filmography
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Modern Family | Haley's friend | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Pretty Little Liars | Yvonne | 7 episodes |
| 2019 - present | Stranger Things | Robin Buckley | Main role (season 3 - present) |
| 2019 - present | Euphoria | Rue Bennett | Main role; also creative producer (season 2) |
| 2022 | Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Ella MacQuoid" |
Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Midnight Sun | Katherine "Katie" Price | Released |
| 2016 | Cinderella | Cinderella | Released |
| 2017 | Breathe | Diana Cavendish | Released |
| 2017 | Bohemian Rhapsody | Mary Austin | Released |
| 2018 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Naomi Lapaglia | Released |
| 2018 | Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! | Young Donna Sheridan | Released |
| 2019 | Little Women | Amy March | Released |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Sharon Tate | Released |
| 2020 | The Devil All the Time | Charlotte Russell | Released |
| 2021 | Spencer | Diana, Princess of Wales | Released |
| 2022 | Don't Worry Darling | Alice Chambers | Released |
| 2023 | Barbie | Barbie | Released; also producer |
| 2024 | Asteroid City | Midge Campbell | Released; also producer |
| 2024 | Small Things like These | Sister Carmel | Released |
| 2024 | We Live in Time | Almut | Post-production |
| 2026 | The Battle of Baktan Cross | TBA | Filming |
Directing work
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Call Me by Your Name | Released |
| 2023 | Saltburn | Released |
Personal life
[edit]Ethnicity
[edit]Ella's father was born and raised in Glasgow, while her mother is Northern Irish. She has also stated to have roots in both Wales, England and the Republic of Ireland. She has dual-citizenship from both Ireland and The United Kingdom.
Residency
[edit]MacQuoid primarily lived in Los Angeles from 2015 until 2024. She now recides in her husbands' hometown of Stockholm. Ella also owns properties in New York City, London and Liverpool.
Interests
[edit]She is an avid sports fan and supports the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Knicks, she has been spotted at multiple games. MacQuoid has been vocal about being a fan of Rock and Roll and listening to bands like The Beatles, Queen, Oasis and The Smiths. She has also previously shown an interest in the Harry Potter Universe.
Besides her mother language, she also speaks Irish, Scots & Scottish Gaelic. She has stated in an interview that she is in the process of learning Swedish.
MacQuoid is active on multiple social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, where she shares moments of her day-to-day life.
Relationships
[edit]She is very good friends with Andrew Garfield. In the past she has spoken very fondly of Garfield stating: "We've been really good friends ever since we worked together on Breathe and we just get along really well. I really do love him." She has been in a relationship with Bill Skarsgård since December 2015. They married in February 2023 and share three children together: a daughter, Nell (born in ?) and twins, Lars & Oona Skarsgård (born in ?).
Personal struggles and charitable work
[edit]The actress has been very outspoken about her own struggles with mental health. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADD at the age of 21. In 2024 she revealed in an interview that she also suffers from generalized anxiety disorder. Both her parents passed away as a result of mental illness; her dad battled depression, while her mother suffered from alcohol and drug abuse. She is an advocate for the World Federation for Mental Health and frequently donates to various charities.
Awards and nominations
[edit]Academy Awards
[edit]| Year | Category | Nominated work | Role | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Best Supporting Actress | Little Women | Amy March | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Actress | Spencer | Diana, Princess of Wales | Won |
British Academy Film Awards
[edit]| Year | Category | Nominated work | Role | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Rising Star Award | N/A | N/A | Won |
| 2020 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Little Women | Amy March | Won |