She is known for her television roles as Sam Black in the second series of Press Gang, as Margaret Tudor in the first season of The Tudors, as Lady Tremaine in the seventh season of Once Upon a Time, and for her starring role as Fiona Glenanne on the USA network television series Burn Notice (2007–2013).

[4] Her film début was Manifesto (1988), which was followed by more British television productions including First Born, Summer's Lease, Press Gang, and The Mysteries of the Dark Jungle.

Anwar and Sheffer have co-starred in a number of American films together, such as In Pursuit of Honor, The Grave, Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal, Flying Virus, Save It for Later, Water Under the Bridge, and Long Lost Son.

In 1992, she made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 as competitive ice skater Tricia Kinney, who has a brief romance with Brandon Walsh.

She starred in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (inspired by A Girl and Five Brave Horses), and one of her most memorable moments on screen was in 1992's Scent of a Woman, when she danced a tango with Al Pacino, whose character was blind.

In 2008, Anwar made an appearance as Eva Sintzel, a woman trying to get pregnant through the fictitious Hudson Cryobank in the Law & Order: SVU episode "Inconceivable".