Saffron Burrows life and biography

Saffron Dominique Burrows is an English actress and former fashion model, who starred as Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Lorraine Weller on Boston Legal.
At 15, she was discovered by Beth Boldt, a modelling talent scout (Burrows stands at 6 feet (1.8 m)), and began a successful modelling career.

Burrows made her film debut in In the Name of the Father (1993). Her first significant acting role was as an ambitious Irish woman in Circle of Friends (1995). Subsequently, she appeared in Hotel de Love (1996). In 1999, she appeared in the science fiction Wing Commander (1999), the thriller Deep Blue Sea, and the experimental film The Loss of Sexual Innocence. The following year she appeared in Miss Julie and Timecode.

In 2001, she had roles in Enigma, and Tempted. In 2004, she played the part of Andromache in the big-budget movie Troy and was the female lead in Perfect Creature. In January 2005, she created the role of Janey in the world premiere of Earthly Paradise at the Almeida Theatre, and on 30 October 2005, she appeared on stage at the Old Vic theatre in London in a rehearsed reading of 24-hour play, Night Sky, alongside Christopher Eccleston.

Burrows played attorney Lorraine Weller on ABC's Boston Legal (Season 4) from 2007-2008. She starred on NBC's new series, My Own Worst Enemy until its cancellation.

In 2008, she appeared in the independent film The Guitar, which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as in a starring role in the heist film The Bank Job.

In 2009, Burrows contributed to the Actors Come Clean for Congo video for the Raise Hope for Congo campaign, a campaign of the Enough Project, in support of the conflict mineral issue.

During 2010, she starred as Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, where she replaced Julianne Nicholson. Burrows departed the main cast at the end of the ninth season.

Burrows modelled for Marks & Spencer's autumn 2010 campaign for their Portfolio range.

Burrows is a close friend of politician Tony Benn.She is also a socialist and has spoken of her admiration for French Socialist politician Ségolène Royal. She joined an anti-racism group when she was 11 years old and she went on to become the Vice President of the National Civil Rights Movement, and she is a campaigner for disabled rights and equality.

In a 1999 interview with Film Unlimited, Burrows revealed that she has had female lovers. That same year her former fiancé, her Circle of Friends co-star Alan Cumming, revealed that he is bisexual. For a number of years, she was involved with film director Mike Figgis, and she starred in some of his films, including Miss Julie. Prior to Figgis, she lived with Cumming for two years, while he was separated from his first wife.

Since leaving Figgis, she has been romantically linked with another co-star, actress Fiona Shaw. Neither actress has publicly commented on the relationship. The two appeared together in the National Theatre's production of The PowerBook, a play based on the novel of the same name by Jeanette Winterson, in which they played lovers.

In 2006 the Independent on Sunday listed Burrows as the 90th most influential gay person in the UK. In a 2003 interview, Alan Cumming said, "I was really lucky that the first relationship I had after [my divorce] was with Saffron, who's really... understanding and a broadminded person. And who's now... As I'm sure you know ... Well. She bats for both teams, too."

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