Sally Hawkins won best actress at the Canadian Screen Awards on Sunday for her portrayal of real-life Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis in the Canada-Ireland co-production of "Maudie." Hawkins arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Invision, Richard Shotwell

Sally Hawkins won best actress at the Canadian Screen Awards on Sunday for her portrayal of real-life Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis in the Canada-Ireland co-production "Maudie." The trophy came on the heels of her Oscar-nominated performance in the Ontario-shot "The Shape of Water." Here are five things to know about the English actress:

THIS ISN'T HER FIRST AWARDS CEREMONY

Hawkins, 41, was nominated for best actress at last week's Oscars for her starring turn as a mute janitor who falls for a captive merman in the Academy Award-winning film "The Shape of Water." She was previously nominated for her supporting role in the Woody Allen-directed 2013 film "Blue Jasmine." At the 2009 Golden Globe Awards, Hawkins beat out Meryl Streep to take home the trophy for best actress in a musical or comedy for her performance as a chirpy schoolteacher in the British indie film "Happy-Go-Lucky."

ROLES TAILORED TO HER TALENTS

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro has said he wrote the lead role in "The Shape of Water" with Hawkins in mind. At a Vulture Fest panel last fall, del Toro revealed that he drunkenly embraced Hawkins when he first met her at a Golden Globes party in 2013 to express his admiration. He said he had been a fan of the petite actress since her breakout performance in "Happy-Go-Lucky," whose director has also said he created Hawkins's character specifically for her sprightly charms.

STARRING CHARACTERS WITH DISABILITIES

Hawkins, who has dyslexia, recently played two leading characters with disabilities. In "Maudie," Hawkins portrayed Lewis's perseverance through juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Her character in "The Shape of Water" communicates through sign language, which Hawkins studied for the film.

MARRIAGE PACT WITH JAMES CORDEN

Hawkins and late-night host James Corden have both joked that they once made a pact to get hitched if both of them were still single at 35. While Hawkins tries to keep her private life out of the headlines, Corden got married in 2012 at 34 years old.

PORTRAYED PARENTS' PROFESSION ON SCREEN

Both of Hawkins's parents are children's book writers and illustrators. While she didn't take up the family profession, Hawkins played children's book author Mary Brown in the 2014 live-action animated film "Paddington," and returned to the role in last year's "Paddington 2."

News from © The Canadian Press, 2018