Biography for
Emily Watson (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

14 January 1967, Islington, London, England, UK

Birth Name

Emily Anita Watson

Height

5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Biography

The daughter of an architect and an English professor, Emily Watson was born and raised in London. After a self-described sheltered upbringing, Watson attended university for three years in Bristol, studying English literature. She applied to drama school and was rejected on her first attempt.

After three years of working in clerical and waitress jobs she was finally accepted. In 1992, she took a position with the Royal Shakespeare Company where she met her future husband, Jack Waters. Continuing stage work, Watson landed her first screen role as Bess McNeill in Breaking the Waves (1996) after Helena Bonham Carter pulled out of the role. For this initial foray into movies, Watson was nominated for an Academy Award. She continued to gain success in Britain in the leading roles in Metroland (1997) and _Mill on the Floss, The (1997)_, but her first popular film in the United States came in 1997 when she played Daniel Day-Lewis's long-suffering love interest in The Boxer (1997).

In the next two years she won critical acclaim for her portrayal of cellist Jacqueline du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998) and landed a small part in the ensemble cast of Tim Robbins's Cradle Will Rock (1999). Critical acclaim and North American success came together for Watson in 1999 with the release of Angela's Ashes (1999), the film adaptation of Frank McCourt's bestselling book of the same name. She achieved top billing as Angela McCourt, the hardworking mother of several children and wife of a drunken husband in depression-era Ireland. After less-celebrated roles in 2000's Trixie (2000) and The Luzhin Defence (2000), Watson again returned to an ensemble cast in Robert Altman's Gosford Park (2001).

Watson's status as a leading actress in major Hollywood productions was cemented in 2002 with her roles in Red Dragon (2002), the third installment of Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lechter series; the futuristic Equilibrium (2002); and, most notably, in Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love (2002), playing opposite Adam Sandler. While returning to the stage in 2002 and 2003 on both sides of the Atlantic, Watson has expressed interest in again working with Anderson. Emily Watson lives in London, England, UK, with her husband, Jack Waters.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Jack Waters

(1995 - present) 1 child

Trivia

Supports the English soccer team Arsenal.

Was considered for the lead role in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), along with fellow Brits Kate Winslet and Rachel Weisz, and American model-turned-actress Cameron Diaz.

Was spotted by Lars von Trier during a representation of Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour", in which she played a young student who falsely accuses her teacher of lesbianism.

Won the role of Bess in Breaking the Waves (1996) after Helena Bonham Carter dropped out at the last minute because of the film's explicit sexuality.

She graduated from high school, went to University for three years, got a 2.1 ranking [in the English education system], then she applied to drama school but was refused. So she started waitressing and doing secretarial stuff along with some fringe theater. Then she applied to drama school again and was accepted, and did a one-year course. Her first professional job was in the Royal Shakespeare Company, in 1992.

Spent two years at the British Shakespeare School of Acting saying "News from town, my Lord." When Breaking the Waves (1996) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996, someone grabbed Emily's shoulders and said to her, "Your life is about to change forever." And indeed it has.

Her mother has a PhD in English, and is an English teacher.

She was Jean-Pierre Jeunet's first choice to play the title role in Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001), but dropped out for personal reasons. She did manage to leave her mark on the film however; Amelie is named after her.

She was nominated for 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress of 2002 for her performance in Uncle Vanya performed at the Donmar Warehouse.

Graduated from Bristol University with a degree in English

Daughter, Juliet, born November 2005.

Her performance as Bess McNeill is ranked #18 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Was approached to play Emily Tallis in Atonement (2007).

One of only a few performers to get an Oscar-nomination for their debut performance.

Expecting her second child. [September 2008].

Personal Quotes

"The first Oscarcast, I was definitely functioning in a surreal mode. It was like I was watching myself watch the ceremony. Yet I had a good time. Hey, wearing a beautiful dress and being surrounded by beautiful people is not a terrible way to spend an evening. And I had a great time at all the parties. The second Oscarcast, I just went and planned on enjoying myself. People think of me as such a serious actress, but I find myself behaving like a gadabout." - On her sudden success and America's award shows.

"I wasn't prepared for the way people responded to 'Breaking the Waves.' Suddenly, I was being interviewed and being asked all sorts of questions. All my life, I've loved movies, but I didn't foresee the glamour of the Academy Awards. In England, the awards are reported as straight news. In America, they're considered the height of glamour." - On her two 1999 roles, "Angela's Ashes" and "Cradle Will Rock", which had Oscar-potential.

"I was a normal, rather dutiful child. I didn't even rebel as a teenager."

On her childhood preparing her for an acting career: "I was taught the value of imagination at an early age. I didn't have a television. I read a lot of books and developed a good sense of storytelling. I was happy as well, and I think that helped. The more secure you feel, the more unbalanced you can let yourself become."

On Hollywood's perception of women as beauty objects: "I'm lucky I don't do the kind of work where the main thing is that you're the girl and you look gorgeous. I don't look like that. I'm a funny-looking bugger. I don't feel that I can compete, and I wouldn't want to. Life's too short to spend seven hours a day in the gym and starving yourself."

On being at the Cannes Film Festival opening of "Breaking the Waves" without the film's director, Lars von Trier: "It was a bit of a baptism of fire, because I had never done any press before. I had never done a single interview in my life. I had never made a film before, I just knew nothing. And I arrived in this maelstrom of publicity with this extraordinary film, and of course Lars von Trier didn't come to Cannes so we - just the actors - were left to explain what on earth he meant by this extraordinary film. The first experience of Cannes, the first time I was here, is like seared in my brain like a firebrand. It was very intense. I remember as the light went down, someone leaned over and said, "Emily your life is about to change forever." You know the official music? Whenever I hear that music that they play when the film starts, my stomach starts to churn. But being with this film is more than great, because it's more about show business. There are ten of us here, and nobody is really carrying the film in that way."

"The challenge in playing Bess [in Breaking the Waves] is that, in physical, psychological, intellectual, moral, ethical and political terms, she's a disaster - part saint, part clown. But she has an infinite capacity to love and believe. I tried to make the logic of that transcend those judgements."

On journalists constantly asking her if she'd like children, especially as she had been married for 10 years: "'Yeah, I was asked that every single time, and it did feel quite personal. Especially if you say that yes, you do want children. You have to say if you're actually trying for them. And you don't always especially want to tell the whole world how that's going.'"

Where Are They Now

(January 2003) Performing "Twelfth Night" and "Uncle Vanya" in New York off Broadway.

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