Anna Louise Friel is an English actress from in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. She currently stars as lonely tourist Charlotte "Chuck" Charles on the ABC series Pushing Daisies.

Friel's acting career began with the role of Beth Jordache on the British Channel 4 soap opera, Brookside from 1993–1995; her character was part of British TV's first pre-watershed lesbian kiss. In 1995, Friel won the National Television Award for Most popular actress for her work on Brookside. In 1996, Friel courted further controversy when she appeared in the television film The Tribe by Stephen Poliakoff, which included nudity and a much discussed menage-a-trois sex scene between characters played by Friel, Jonathan Rhys Meyersand Jeremy Northam. In 1998, Friel appeared in the original broadway run of Closer by Patrick Marber at the Music Box Theatre, winning Drama Desk and Theatre World awards for her performance as Alice and in 2001, Friel made her West End stage debut in a fringe production of Lulu.

Friel's television work includes the short lived The Jury for the Fox Network and ITV1's Watermelon which was based on the novel by Marian Keyes. She currently plays "Chuck" in Pushing Daisies, a new TV series from the creator of Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls, for the 2007 season on the American network ABC.

In November 2006 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bolton for contributions to the performing arts. She has recently been seen as the face of Pantene Pro-V Ice shine in the UK, appearing in both television commercials and print advertising. Friel has also previously appeared in commercials for 3 Mobile and Virgin Atlantic. According to press reports, she narrowly missed out on the role of Jenny Everdeane in Gangs Of New York to Cameron Diaz Upcoming roles include Elizabeth Bathory in Bathory and in Angel Makers opposite Helen Mirren

In 2001 she began a relationship with actor David Thewlis, whom she met on a flight to Cannes. Their daughter Gracie was born on 9 July 2005 at London's Portland Hospital and weighed 7lb 4oz.