How Sally Hawkins Uses Her Typecasting as a Shy, Nervous Character to Bring Complexity to Her Roles

In the No Small Parts series for IMDb, host Brandon Hardesty took a look at the career of Sally Hawkins,the award-winning actress who played the stunning role of Elisa Esposito in the Oscar winning Guillermo del Toro film The Shape of Water opposite actor Doug Jones whom Hardesty previously profiled. Hawkins studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and started off with smaller roles that eventually grew much bigger throughout her career. In 2008, Hawkins was nominated for a Golden Globe for her part in the Mike Leigh film Happy-Go-Lucky and she played Ginger in Blue Jasmine, which earned her another Golden Globe nomination. While she has always been typecast as apologetic, shy and nervous, Hawkins proves that she’s far more complex than that.

On IMDB the following is described as one of her trademarks; an apologetic and grateful presence with a shy and nervous demeanor that’s pretty accurate but there are still a few surprises …Sally’s role as as Elisa in the ‘Shape of Water’ suits her perfectly. Elisa has elements of some of Sally’s past characters there’s a nervous apologetic energy tour but in her relationship with the creature in the film she flourishes.