Although famous for her roles in romantic comedies, Isla Fisher has raked up credits in a wide range of roles. Over the years, Fisher has become one of Hollywood’s most successful Australian actresses. She has worked with and co-starred with several top filmmakers and actors.
Isla Fisher’s breakthrough role came in 2005 when she played the sexually aggressive daughter of Christopher Walken’s character in Wedding Crashers. Since then, she has starred in several box-office hits with accolades. For more about the actress, here are 8 things you probably didn’t know about Isla Fisher.
1. Isla Fisher Was Born in the Middle East
Isla Fisher was born in Muscat, Oman, the country’s largest city and capital. She was born Isla Lang Fisher on February 3, 1976. At the time of her birth, Fisher’s parents were living and working in Oman. Her father was a banker working for the United Nations. Although Fisher was born in the Middle Eastern country, She was raised in Europe and Australia.
2. Isla Fisher’s Parents are Scottish
Both of Isla Fisher’s parents are Scottish, and they only left the country to go to Oman for work. Her father, Brian Fisher, and her mother, Elspeth Fisher, had five children, with Isla Fisher as their only daughter. After Isla Fisher’s birth in Oman, the family returned to their hometown of Bathgate, Scotland. The actress spent her early years in Scotland before moving again to Perth, Australia with her parents. Fisher’s first name is pronounced as “Eye-Lah.” Although both parents raised her, Fisher’s parents eventually separated, and each moved back to Europe.
3. Her First On-Screen Appearance Was at Age 9
Isla Fisher had an interest in the performing arts at an early age. While in Perth, Australia, Fisher attended and graduated from Swanbourne Primary School and Methodist Ladies’ College. She actively participated in several of the school’s play productions. At age 9, Fisher made her screen debut in a TV commercial. She enjoyed the experience so much that it convinced her to pursue a career as an actor. To this end, she later moved to Paris to study at the L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq to improve her acting skills.
4. Isla Fisher Published Her First Novels at Age 18
Isla Fisher became a bestselling writer long before she became a household name as an actress. Besides acting, Fisher developed a passion for writing. With help from her mother, Elspeth Reid (already divorced from Fisher’s father), the actress published two teen novels, Bewitched and Seduced by Fame. The novels were published in 1995 in Ringwood, Victoria, Australia. Despite the success of these novels, Fisher’s next book, Marge in Charge, was published in 2016, two decades after her last novel. Fisher’s last novel, Mazy the Movie Star, was published in 2022.
5. Her First Major Project Was in an Australian Soap Opera
Isla Fisher’s professional career began on television at age 17 in 1993. That year, she starred in Bay City (as Vanessa Walker), Clowning Around 2 (as Bec), and as a guest star on Paradise Beach (as Robyn Devereaux Barsby). Fisher joined the cast of the award-winning Australian soap opera Home and Away as Shannon Reed the following year. Fisher made her debut in the show on September 16, 1994.
Like many soap operas, Home and Away required a great deal of time and commitment from Fisher. She often spent around 15 hours a day learning lines and filming, especially as her character was a series regular. However, Fisher remains grateful for the opportunity and experience she gained from working in Home and Away. Isla Fisher made her final appearance as Shannon Reed in Home and Away on August 6, 1997.
6. Isla Fisher Made Her Hollywood Film Debut In Scooby-Doo
After a successful decade-long career, Isla Fisher transitioned to Hollywood to help expand her career. Her debut was the Raja Gosnell-directed mystery-adventure comedy-horror Scooby-Doo. The film’s screenplay was written by James Gunn. Fisher was cast as Mary Jane, a love interest to Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard). The film was the first installment in the Scooby-Doo live-action film series. Although critics were less enthused about the film, the 2002 Scooby-Doo was a commercial success. It grossed a staggering $275.7 million against its $84 million production budget.
7. She Almost Drowned While Shooting a Film
One of Isla Fisher’s most successful films is the Now You See Me film series. She has been a part of the cast since its first installment in 2013, although she didn’t appear in its sequel. While filming the 2013 Now You See Me, Fisher, performing a stunt herself, almost drowned. In the famous scene where Fisher’s character, Henley Reeves, escapes a water tank with piranha, the behind-the-scenes shoot almost went awry. Henley Reeves, an escapist and stage magician, is expected to unlock herself and escape before a school of piranhas is released into her tank. To achieve this, the top of the tank was left open with an emergency lever attached to the bottom.
These safety measures were included to assist Fisher in coming up for air or alerting crew members for help. However, the chain attached to the handcuff she was wearing got stuck at the bottom of the tank. While she naturally panicked when she could not free the chain, the production crew watched on, thinking it was all part of the act for the scene. Luckily, the stunt coordinator realized on time that her chain was stuck and rushed in to help. Now You See Me became one of Isla Fisher’s highest-grossing movies, grossing $351.7 million against its $75 million. Isla Fisher will reprise her role in the third installment, Now You See Me 3, scheduled for release in the last quarter of 2025.
8. Isla Fisher Dated and Married A Famous Actor
Isla Fisher and English comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen married on March 15, 2010. Sacha Baron Cohen is famous for creating and portraying the fictional satirical characters Borat Sagdiyev, Ali G, Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen, and Brüno Gehard. The couple first met at a party in Sydney, Australia, in 2001. They were engaged in 2004 and had their wedding, a Jewish ceremony, six years later in Paris.
Fisher and Baron Cohen’s marriage produced three children—Olive Baron Cohen (born 2007), Elula Cohen (born 2010), and Montgomery Moses Brian Baron Cohen (born 2015). After 13 years of marriage, the couple announced in late 2023 that they were mutually separating and had filed for divorce. Besides these facts about Isla Fisher, check out Fisher’s best movies of her career.
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