In 2017 , she appeared in the Guillermo del Toro film '' The Shape of Water '' , as Elisa Esposito a mute woman who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature . Hawkins received widespread acclaim for her performance . Matthew Norman of '' London Evening Standard '' called it a career defining performance . Mark Kermode of '' The Guardian '' called her " sublime " Mihir Fadnavis of '' Firstpost '' called it a " winning performance " while Ann Horaday writing for '' The Washington Post '' stated that " Sally Hawkins delivers a beautiful performance " . Hawkins earned nominations for the Academy Award , Golden Globe Award , BAFTA Award and SAG Award for Best Actress . The film itself won Best Picture at the 90th Academy Awards . Hawkins revealed in a January 2018 interview that she suffers from lupus
90th Academy Awards
90th Academy Awards
Sally Hawkins