Childhood
Essie Davis was born on 19 January, 1970 in Tasmania, Australia. Her father, George Davis, is a locally renowned artist and draughtsman. Mary Davis, her mother, was in some ways George’s manager, as well as loving mother and a whiz in the kitchen. As a big family (Essie is the youngest of seven) living in the suburbs of Hobart, the Davises grew, and raised their own food including turkeys, which allegedly scared passers by. Essie’s mentioned that they had little money, but happiness and love were never scarce.
Her parents and siblings were part of the first wave of the Green movement in Australia. Essie was sometimes teased for her family’s “odd” Greenie political opinions, but her upbringing has clearly instilled some strong values that she still carries with her today.
The Acting Bug
From a young age, Essie had Ambition with a capital A. She wanted to be like a star from the golden age and move people all over the world. She made a wish on a full moon and the rest is history. (We think it worked out. 😉)
As a child, Essie was involved in local community theatre. At only five years old, she made her stage debut at the Theatre Royal in Hobart as a moonbeam. Since then, she’s been enthralling audiences on both stage and screen.
After graduating, Essie set her sights on the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, Australia. Shortly after graduating NIDA in 1992, she was cast as Juliet Capulet in Bell Shakespeare’s 1992 grunge-punk themed production of Romeo and Juliet.
In 1996, she played Catherine in the Belvoir St. Theatre’s production of A View from the Bridge. During this run, she met her future husband Justin Kurzel, who was the costume and set designer for the production. (It was love at first skull.) They married in 2002 and had two children. Essie and Justin have collaborated many times on his films as well as on stage.
Early Career
While theatre was her first love, she also branched out into film with roles in The Custodian (1993), Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995), and Water Rats (2000). One of the biggest franchises of the early 2000s, The Matrix trilogy, would give Essie her first blockbuster Hollywood films with The Matrix Revolutions and Reloaded (2003).
Dad and Dave: On Our Selection
Along the line, Essie auditioned for a film with Glenn Close, but ultimately the project fell through. Impressed by her acting chops however, Close sent Essie’s casting agent an email full of praise. A few months later, when Essie felt she was in a rut, she used this to reach out to Glenn Close for advice. In her reply, she encouraged Essie to audition for the role of Stella Kowalski opposite her Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire at the National Theatre in London. She got the part and packed her bags for The Big Smoke.
Essie later went on to star as Dottie in Tom Stoppard’s Jumpers on the West End and Broadway. This role earned her a Tony nomination in 2004. She returned to Australian theatre as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and as Nancy Grace in Tot Mom.
The Big Time
The screen was calling again, and after starring in The Slap and Cloudstreet, Essie would then become a household name by bringing to life the character of Phryne Fisher in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. She walked in Phryne’s shoes for three series and a feature film, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears. While taking the vivacious and daring 1920s detective from page to screen, Essie would also take the world by storm in Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. While the film received lukewarm reception in Australia, it made a huge splash at the Sundance Film Festival and has become a horror classic. Essie’s even mentioned seeing people dressed up as Amelia for Halloween, which, in our option, is a huge compliment. 😉
Essie has stayed busy since 2016 with at least one film or series releasing each year. She played pivotal roles in series such as Game of Thrones, The White Princess, Lambs of God and more. She worked with Justin Kurzel on three of his films: Assassin’s Creed, True History of the Kelly Gang, and Nitram. She won the AACTA for best Supporting Actress for her work in the latter. Essie also starred in Babyteeth, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, and The Justice of Bunny King.
While based in Tasmania during the pandemic, Essie went back to the theatre for a short run of The Maids at the Theatre Royal in Hobart after a 10 year break from the stage.
In 2022, there was a mini Babadook reunion on the set of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Essie starred in the episode “The Murmuring”, which was directed by Jennifer Kent and composed by Jed Kurzel (who composed The Babadook score as well). Essie’s next role will be in the Netflix Series One Day.
Activism
When Essie and her family moved back to Tasmania, she became a vocal advocate for her homeland. She’s been standing up for native old-growth forests, protesting against the destructive salmon farming industry, and raising awareness for various causes.
You can find photo credits either under the picture or at the bottom of the page. We do our very best to credit photographers, but sometimes they’re not listed. If you see your photo on our website, please message us with how you’d like to be credited. Alternatively, if you’d rather your photo not appear on our website, kindly let us know!
Essie Davis Daily 