Emma Davies

Infobox actress


imagesize = 154px
caption = Emma Davies as Diana Mitford in Channel 4 mini-series, "Mosley"
birthname = Emma-Kate Davies
alias = Emma Davies
birthdate = birth date and age|1970|3|7
location = England
occupation = Actress
yearsactive = 1987 - present

Emma Davies (born March 7 1970 as Emma-Kate Davies) is an English actress. Her father is actor Geoffrey Davies, from the television comedy series Doctor in the House. She is most notably recognised for her role of Anna De Souza in the ITV soap Emmerdale and for her portrayal of Lady Diana Mitford Guinness (later Mosley) in the Channel Four mini series Mosley. She currently resides in Barnes, South-West London with her husband Ross, a garden designer and young daughter Camille.

Early Life and Career

Her father, the acclaimed stage and television actor Geoffrey Davies, influenced her choice of career immensely. He would often let her watch his stage performances from the wings as a child. She says that she "watched his plays nearly every night" and "knew all the lines." [cite web|url= http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/ThisMorning/Entertainment/EmmaDavies123/default.html|title= Emma Davies Interview|publisher= www.itv.com|date= 11 August 2008|accessdate= 2008-08-23] .

He also landed Emma her first television role at the age of 18 months on the 70's sitcom, The Fenn Street Gang. She says, "I was in a pram and had to stuff an ice cream cone into someone's face!" [cite web|url= http://www.teletext.co.uk/tvplus/feature-interview/c4fe3bf193348ff3b354b95ecfd0a558/Dale+Emma+loves+soap+snogs.aspx|title= Dale's Emma Loves Soap Snogs|publisher= teletext.co.uk|date= 12 August 2008|accessdate= 2008-08-24] . She also appeared in a commercial for Colgate toothpaste when she was 14.

She trained at the Corona Academy Stage School in London [cite news|url= http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/passtheremote/2008/06/emmerdales-new-lady-of-the-man.html|title= Emmerdale's New Lady Of The Manor|publisher= Coventry Telegraph|date= 2 June 2008|accessdate= 2008-07-12] , and has been acting in small TV roles since the mid-1980s. In that time she has appeared in renowned television series Heartbeat, Doctors and Sky One's Dream Team.

Her first notable television role was as Juliette Bannerman in the ITV soap, Families in 1993.

In 1997, Emma portrayed the controversial historical figure Diana Mitford (later Diana Mitford-Guinness, and Lady Diana Mosley) in the biographical Channel Four mini-series Mosley.

In 2001, she also had a small role in Michael Apted's popular film Enigma. And in 2007 she was cast alongside David Morrissey, Lucy Cohu and Tristan Gemmill in the sadly short-lived Channel Four drama Cape Wrath, as regular character Abigail York. It is said that the entire cast and crew were upset that the series was not renewed and Emma thought she would never be on a happier set again. That is until Emmerdale came along.

In June 2008 it was announced that she would join Emmerdale as Anna De Souza [cite web|url= http://forums.itv.com/705363/ShowThread.aspx|title= Emma Davies joins Emmerdale|publisher= Itv.com|date= 1 June 2008|accessdate= 2008-07-04] [cite web|url= http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/tvland/2008/06/02/emma-davies-makes-emmerdale-bitchy-debut-89520-20592361/|title= Emma Davies makes Emmerdale bitchy debut|publisher= Daily Mirror|date= 2 June 2008|accessdate= 2008-07-04] [cite web|url= http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a105872/emma-davies-anna-de-souza-emmerdale.html|title= Emma Davies (Anna De Souza, 'Emmerdale')|publisher= Digital Spy|date= 7 July 2008|accessdate= 2008-07-08] . She made her debut on the soap on 8th July.

On her kissing scenes with rival brothers Matthew and Carl King, she says "You get used to the kissing scenes and the time will come when I'll be too old to do them and I'll be taking my teeth out instead."

Her Emmerdale co-star Tom Lister admitted in an issue of Inside Soap ("9th - 15th August 2008") that he and Emma get on very well and enjoy working together. But unfortunately for him "she's a bit of a giggler", which he states is no good for him "because I'm a nightmare for that!"

Personal life

Emma is vegetarian and hasn't eaten meat since she was 19.

Despite this, the Emmerdale producers still had her full-on carnivore character Anna De Souza gut a rabbit for a welcoming barbecue with the Dingles on one of Emma's first days filming. Although utterly horrified, she laughs "it stank...and I really don't like cutting them up, but it's amazing what you can do on your first days filming when everyone is encouraging you! And afterwards we had a barbecue with the Dingles and I felt really quite at home by the end of it." [cite web|url= http://www.itv.com/Soaps/emmerdale/Newarrivals/AnnadeSouza/default.html|title= Emmerdale's New Arrivals - Emma Davies talks Anna De Souza|publisher= itv.com]

Her husband, Ross, is a garden designer and they own a small allotment near their house in London. Her hobby is gardening. She says "Oh, I love it, it's my absolute switch-off and passion." And when asked by Eamonn Holmes if she "gets down and dirty" she exclaims, "Oh yes, on a regular basis, I get filthy!"

Her dad, Geoffrey Davies, is well-known for being a cad. When discussing this topic she does not conceal anything and laughs "...and he's been married for forty five years, but he's always been a flanderer and having the old... and I'll have you know, I'm not like that at all!"She also admits that her daughter, Camille, has seen him watching pole dancing on "Doctor Unseen". Camille asked "Mummy, why is he watching the women with the big poles?" She replied "Oh darling, it's the 70s". [cite web|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH28C0a3tXU|title= Emma Davies on This Morning|publisher=YouTube|date=12th August 2008]

She has appeared in two plays alongside her father.

Filmography

* "The Fenn Street Gang" (1971) toddler in pram
* "Boon" (1987-1989) Jo Daly
* "Never the Twain" (1989) Young Woman
* "Freddie and Max" (1990) Andrea
* "Bergerac" (1991) Amanda
* "Cannon and Ball's Playhouse: Free Every Friday" (1991) Julia Parker Smith
* "Family Pride" (1991) Melissa
* "Families" (1993) Juliette Bannerman
* "Law and Disorder" (1994) Susan
* "Just William" (1994) Clarinda
* "Queen of the East" (1995) Lady Emily
* "Crown Prosecutor" (1995) Sarah Francis
* "Mosley" (1997) Diana Mitford-Guinness/Lady Diana Mosley
* "The Mrs Bradley Mysteries" (1998) Hermione Bradley
* "Heartbeat" (1998) Rachel Palmer
* "Bernard's Watch" (1999) Patti
* "Enigma" (2001) Pamela
* "Doctors" (2002) Alice Young
* "Cambridge Spies" (2003) Mrs Angleton
* "Dream Team" (2006) Julie Rose
* "Cape Wrath" (2007) Abigail York
* "Emmerdale" (2008-) Anna De Souza

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0203696|name=Emma Davies
* [http://www.itv.com/Soaps/emmerdale/Newarrivals/AnnadeSouza/default.html|title= Emmerdale's New Arrivals - Anna De Souza] at the ITV website