Anecdotes

Once held the record of the "World's Fastest Talker". Whilst still at drama school she was selected to take part in an event held in the Trocadero in London at the Guinness Book of World Records exhibit. She competed against auctioneers, sports announcers, etc. Later, in 2007 she recounted: "I don't quite know what happened. I obviously was possessed by somebody with dreadful verbal diarrhoea, and I was able to compete with these experts. And I think I was so bloody nervous I just wanted to get it over and done with as quickly as humanly possible, and I guess that was the record that was broken!".

She was kicked out of school in England for fighting.

Chose acting to keep from going to school. She felt the competition at drama school was too stiff and dropped out at age 15. So after landing a role in the BBC miniseries Hideaway (1986), she just kept working.

Gained widespread fame for her tango with Al Pacino in Le Temps d'un week-end (1992).

Became a U.S. citizen in 2008.

Said in an interview for her show Burn Notice (2007) that A coeur vaillant rien d'impossible (1991) is her favorite of all her films.

Gabrielle is the daughter of Tariq Anwar, a film editor, and Shireen Anwar, an actress. Gabrielle's father was born in Delhi, India, to an Austrian Jewish mother and an Indian father. Gabrielle's mother is English. Gabrielle has a sibling, an older brother named Dominic Anwar.

Became firm friends with Chris O'Donnell while filming Le Temps d'un week-end (1992).

Has three children: a daughter named Willow Xylia Anwar (aka Willow Anwar, born November 8, 1993), with her then-boyfriend Craig Sheffer; a son named Hugo Christian Verea (born March 8, 2001); and a daughter named Paisley Rose Verea (born October 25, 2003), with her first husband, John Verea.

Was pregnant with daughter Willow Anwar during the filming of Les trois mousquetaires (1993) and had to have her costumes let out. She later appeared with Willow in Kimberly (1999).

At 19 she moved to Los Angeles with American actor Craig Sheffer, whom she met while both were working in London.

1993: Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.

Was in a relationship with Craig Sheffer from 1988 to 1995. They have a daughter together.

Trained at a London drama and dance school.

Appeared in many British television productions before making her film debut in Pour une nuit d'amour (1988).

(August 30, 2015) Married (her second marriage) her boyfriend of five years, Shareef Malnik, following a 14-month-long engagement, in a intimate outdoor ceremony that was held as the sun set over the rolling hills of The Ranch at Rock Creek in Phillipsburg, Montana. The Western-themed wedding weekend culminated in a gorgeous ceremony at which 150 guests rocked 1800s Wild West-period costumes-the dress code was described as "Butch Cassidy et le Kid (1969) meets La petite maison dans la prairie (1974) meets 1800s bordello." A talented seamstress and designer in her own right, Anwar, 45, made her own wedding gown working from patterns from the late 1800s. Fashioning pieces of Victorian blush lace lingerie between the bones of an ivory bodice, the actress also designed a removable silk bustle to keep with the 1800s Wild West theme. The couple kept the wedding party all in the family: Anwar's daughter Willow, 21, was the maid of honor; her son, Hugo, 14, was ring bearer; and her daughter Paisley, 11, was the flower girl. On the groom's side, Shareef, 57, had his father, Al Malnick, as his best man, while his son, Yaseen, 30, was a groomsman and his grandson Shams, 6, served as banner bearer.

She ranked #82 in 1996 and #79 in 1997 in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World editions.

Had a four-year relationship in her late teens with drummer Jed O'Brien.

Went to the same high school as her La rédac (1989) cast mate Julia Sawalha; however, she was a few grades below Julia.

Has a stepson named Yaseen Malnick (b.1985).