She was as polished and polite as anyone would expect a debutante to be in the film Scent of a Woman when Gabrielle Anwar played Al Pacino's tango partner.
But in her childhood years, she was anything but polished.
Described as a ruffian in some circles and helligan in others, Gabrielle learned early in life how to get into trouble at school. Kicked out for fighting in her early years, Anwar started off in life as a true troublemaker.
But she soon grew out of this when she started studying drama and dance in London, England.
It did not take long until Anwar was to make a debut on American televisions with Jim Henson's The Storyteller in 1987, followed by her film debut Manifesto in 1988.
It wasn't until 1989, however that she truly left her English roots for sunny Hollywood where films like Scent of a Woman and the teen spy comedy If Looks Could Kill awaited her.
Sought after by producers for her natural appeal, the starlet starting having numerous offers which transpired into films like Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers and the romance comedy For Love or Money where she played opposite Michael J Fox.
In 1995 she starred opposite Andy Garcia in Things to Do in Denver When Your're Dead.
As successful as these films all were, Anwar still had trouble in her career and was part of a number of low-budget projects in the years to follow.
She abandoned the silver screen for awhile as a result and turned her sights on television where she gained positive reviews for her role as Fidel Castro's secret lover in the 1999 made-for-television feature My Little Assassin. A short time later, Anwar appeared in the sci-fi mystery series John Doe.
Anwar is the daughter of award-winning British film editor Tariq Anwar. She has one daughter named Willow who was born in 1993.