Anne Shirley (CBC)

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert is the orphaned daughter of Walter and Bertha Shirley, the adoptive daughter of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, a bosom friend of Diana Barry, and a student of Avonlea school.

Physical appearance
Anne's most defining physical attribute is her bright red hair, which she normally styles in two braids. Anne hates the colour of her hair as it sets her apart from most of her peers and opens her up to teasing. On several occasions, Anne will blame her hair for her temper.

Anne is also characterized by her fair complexion and face full of freckles. She is lanky as a child, though refers to herself as being unattractively skinny. Marilla misconstrues Anne's constant fixation with her hair as vanity but in reality Anne is extremely self-conscious of her appearance.

Personality
Anne's heart is a gold heart. Throughout the series Anne is constantly trying to gain the approval of her adoptive parents, of her classmates and the townspeople of Avonlea. Despite her desire to please, Anne also has a great deal of personal integrity and this unadulterated honesty can get her into trouble at times.

Anne is passionate about life and has the gift of seeing beauty in the most mundane things. Her imagination is boundless and openly displayed by her creative tales and later by her writing. Anne is also an avid reader. Her vocabulary is well above that of her peers and this, as well as her skill in other academics, is a point of pride for her.

Yet, for all of her skills and accomplishments, Anne harbours deep insecurities as a result of her early upbringing. The instability of her life in the orphanage, being passed around from home to home, has made her terrified of rejection. Regardless of her less than ideal beginnings, Anne is an optimistic being.

As a child, Anne passes judgment easily and is reluctant to change her mind once she has made a decision. Anne loves and hates with equal intensity. She believes both her friendship with Diana Barry and rivalry with Gilbert Blythe will last a lifetime.

Matthew Cuthbert
Anne's adoptive father.

Marilla Cuthbert
Anne's adoptive mother.

Diana Barry
Anne's “Best friend".

Gilbert Blythe
Anne's rival and hinted love interest.

Behind the scenes
Portrayal Trivia
 * Amybeth McNulty portrays Anne Shirley in the Canadian TV series Anne with an E (2017–).
 * The casting call describes Anne as, 11-14 year old girl, max. height 5'4", the smaller and wispier the better. Anne is impoverished and underfed. Anne is not old-fashioned, precious or glib. She’s a modern girl with a massive heart, a sense of justice, a searing intellect and, for better and for worse, an inability to self-edit. She is spunky, forthright, full of imagination, quirky and interesting. She is also a deeply wounded kid — she bears the emotional scars of the abusive life she’s led so far. Anne is full of contradictions, insecurities and deep emotions in a time when emotions were not welcomed or acceptable. ANNE will explore what it means to be a young person navigating adolescence and facing a changing era.
 * The official description on the CBC website states: After an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and working in the homes of strangers, 13-year-old Anne Shirley is a remarkably resilient girl with a unique spirit, fierce intellect and brilliant imagination.

Appearances
Season 1 (Anne with an E)
 * "Your Will Shall Decide Your Destiny"
 * "I Am No Bird, and No Net Ensnares Me"
 * "But What Is So Headstrong as Youth?"
 * "An Inward Treasure Born"
 * "Tightly Knotted to a Similar String"
 * "Remorse Is the Poison of Life"
 * "Wherever You Are Is My Home"

Season 2 (Anne with an E)
 * "Youth Is the Season of Hope"
 * "Signs Are Small Measurable Things, But Interpretations Are Illimitable"
 * "The True Seeing Is Within"
 * "The Painful Eagerness of Unfed Hope"
 * "The Determining Acts of Her Life"
 * "I Protest Against Any Absolute Conclusion"
 * "Memory Has as Many Moods as the Temper"
 * "Struggling Against the Perception of Facts"
 * "What We Have Been Makes Us What We Are"
 * "The Growing Good of the World"