Michelle Fairley

Michelle Fairley is a Northern Irish stage, television, and film actress who will star as "Margot," a British national and the widow of a notorious terrorist, in 24: Live Another Day. She was cast in the role after the departure of previous actress Judy Davis due to personal issues.

Originally from Coleraine, County Londonberry, Fairley attended a Roman Catholic grammar school and first started acting as a member of the Ulster Youth Theatre. Upon graduating, she moved to Belfast and gained experience working with the repertory company Fringe Benefits. Her stage roles include productions of Othello, Macbeth, and, on Broadway, The Weir and Scenes from the Big Picture, among others.

Fairley has appeared in numerous British television series, including Casualty (1993), The Bill (1995), Inspector Morse (1995), Holby City (2003), and Misfits (2009). Her film roles include parts in Hidden Agenda (1990), A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998, with Isaach De Bankole), Hideous Kinky (1998), and Chatroom (2010). In 2011, Fairley starred as Hermione Granger's mother in a brief but memorable scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, also starring Rade Serbedzija.

Fairley is most widely known for her acclaimed role in HBO's Game of Thrones (2011-2013) as Lady Catelyn Stark, matriarch of the ill-fated House Stark. In 2013, she appeared in a significant recurring role as business magnate Ava Hessington in the USA Network series Suits, starring Gina Torres. Other recent projects include Ralph Fiennes' The Invsible Woman and Philomena (with Mare Winningham).