Sharon Maguire (born 1960) rose to fame as a director when she was hired to direct the film "Bridget Jones's Diary." The film was based on a book by her close friend Helen Fielding, and one of the main characters, Shazzer, is in fact based on Maguire.

Raised as a Catholic, Maguire studied English and drama at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, from 1979 to 1983, graduating with a 2:2, after which she obtained a PGCE teaching qualification. She is quoted as saying: "It always clears the air at parties when I'm among Oxbridge types and boast: 'I went to Aberystwyth!'"

After graduating from Aberystwyth, she spent a year on a postgraduate journalism course at City University London and worked as a researcher and then a director on "The Media Show." In 1991 she got a job at the BBC as a producer and director of "The Late Show." She also directed several documentaries, including "Omnibus," before leaving the corporation to work in advertising. "Bridget Jones's Diary" was Maguire's feature directorial debut.

Other projects in development for Maguire include "Mail" with Film Four, "The Vicious Circle" with Oxford Films, and "Mother's Boy," for which she also received a commission to write the screenplay for BBC Films. The film "Incendiary," which Maguire wrote the screenplay for and will direct, is also in production.