Gabrielle Anwar Height and Quick Biography

Gabrielle Anwar’s height is commonly listed at about 5 ft 5 in (roughly 165 cm), though it is not officially confirmed. As of 2026 the English-born actress is 56 years old, born February 4, 1970.

Quick facts

Search note

The keyword “anwar height” is short, and most people typing it are looking for the actress. Her slim, graceful frame was an asset in the roles that made her famous, particularly the ones that involved dancing.

Background

Born in England, Anwar trained in dance and acting from a young age and started working in British television as a teenager. She appeared in British productions before turning to Hollywood work, and her move across the Atlantic came while she was still very young.

Career highlights

Many viewers recall the tango sequence in Scent of a Woman (1992), where she danced with Al Pacino’s character. It became one of the most-discussed dance scenes of its time. She also appeared in Body Snatchers, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead, and The Three Musketeers in 1993.

On television, she played Margaret Tudor in The Tudors and had a long run as Fiona Glenanne in Burn Notice, the spy drama that ran for seven seasons from 2007 to 2013. The character, a former operative with a fondness for explosives, became her best-known TV role. She later appeared in a variety of series and films.

Dance and screen presence

Anwar’s dance training gave her a poised presence on screen. She tended to be cast in roles that combined charm and a touch of danger, and it worked especially well in the espionage format.

Personal life

She has generally kept her private life out of the news, so this article sticks to her work.

Where the height figure comes from

Anwar’s 5 ft 5 in listing shows up on most film databases and fan sites, and it hasn’t been disputed in public. Still, she has never put a number in an interview that we can point to, so the label stays “as widely listed.” In practice, her height was seldom the point on screen. Directors cast her for her movement, her accent-flexible voice and her screen chemistry with leading men, not for stature.

The tango that people still talk about

Her dance in Scent of a Woman is the reason many viewers first learned her name. The scene is only a few minutes long, but it’s often cited among the best-known dance sequences in 1990s American film. She played Donna, a young woman who steps onto the dance floor with a blind retired colonel, and the scene works because it’s all about trust and rhythm. Her background in dance gave the moment a naturalness that a purely acted version might have missed.

Beyond Hollywood

Anwar moved between British and American projects throughout her career. Along with the early film work, she appeared in television in the 1990s and 2000s, including a role in The Tudors, where she played Margaret Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, in the show’s first season. Period drama suited her well, and it showed another side of an actress people mostly remembered for contemporary thrillers.

Fiona and the Burn Notice years

Her longest-running role was Fiona Glenanne on Burn Notice, opposite Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell, on the USA Network. Fiona was an Irish former IRA member turned freelance operative, and Anwar played her with a mix of dry humor and quick-fire action. The series ran for seven seasons and became a staple of cable summer television. For many fans who weren’t around for the early-90s films, Fiona is simply who Gabrielle Anwar is.

Later work

After the show wrapped, she continued to take on guest roles, stage work and independent projects. She hasn’t chased a high public profile, and she tends to keep a low presence on social media compared with many actors of her generation.

What fans ask

Is she related to any other well-known actors? Her family has an artistic background, but we’ll leave relatives out of this page. Does she still dance? She has spoken about her love of dance, and it has appeared in her projects. Which of her roles should a newcomer watch first? Most people point to Scent of a Woman for the film and the first couple of seasons of Burn Notice for television. And is her accent real? Yes, she’s English, and she has gone back and forth between British and American accents on screen with ease, which is part of why casting directors kept calling.

Frequently asked questions