Julia Davis
| Julia Davis | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Comedian, actress, writer, director, producer, musician |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse(s) | Julian Barratt |
| Children |
Walter Pettifer Arthur Pettifer |
Julia Davis is an English actress, comedian, writer, producer, director and musician, best known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy Nighty Night and more recently the period sit-com Hunderby.
Background
In her home town of Bath, Somerset, after studying a degree in English and Drama at the College of Ripon and York St John, Davis formed a double act with Jane Roth at a local theatre group. They then formed an improvisation troupe along with the now famous Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones.
Davis lives in North London with Mighty Boosh star Julian Barratt. They have twin boys.
Television
Davis belonged to a comedy troupe which included her future Gavin & Stacey co-stars Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones. Her first break into TV was as a regular cast member of Big Train after her work on Chris Morris's "Blue Jam" and a BBC Radio 4 comedy was brought to the attention of Father Ted writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews . Her career was given a further boost in 1998 after she sent a tape of various characters to Steve Coogan who invited to her to write and tour with him later that year.
Davis has starred in many comedy television shows in the UK including I'm Alan Partridge, Big Train, Brass Eye, Jam, Human Remains, Gavin & Stacey, I Am Not An Animal, Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible, Ideal and Nathan Barley.
In 2004, Davis wrote and starred in the highly acclaimed dark comedy Nighty Night, which returned for a second series in 2005. In more serious roles Davis has starred in productions such as the BBC's For the Love of God, The Alan Clark Diaries (in which she plays the head of the ministerial private office to the notorious government minister played by John Hurt), Fear of Fanny, in which she played the original celebrity chef Fanny Cradock, and Persuasion, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel.
In the last episode of The Office, she is heard on the phone as the voice of a woman from a dating agency in conversation with David Brent. Over Christmas 2008, Davis appeared on Little Britain Abroad as a Russian mail-order bride called Ivanka.
In 2010, Davis co-wrote and co-starred in Lizzie and Sarah with Jessica Hynes. The pilot was aired in the UK on 20 March 2010 on BBC2. It was made by Baby Cow and is noted as being even darker than Davis's previous work and caused an online frenzy of protestors when the BBC did not commission the remaining episodes of the series Jess and Julia had written featuring many other characters that would lead to Lizzie and Sarah being the finale of the series.[1]
In December 2011, Davis appeared in the second episode of the drama series Black Mirror entitled '15 Million Merits' as Judge Charity, on the fictional talent show "Hot Shot".[2] On 22 December 2011, Davis appeared in the Christmas special and finale of the BBC Three comedy How Not to Live Your Life as Anne Yeaman.[3]
Davis appeared in the series' pilot episode of Bad Sugar, shown on Channel 4 on 26 August 2012. A full series was set to air in 2013, but it has been cancelled. Hunderby, created, written and starring Davis, is currently airing on Sky Atlantic.
References
- ↑ Nicholson, Rebecca. (18 March 2010) "Lizzie and Sarah: has the BBC lost its nerve over this dark comedy?". The Guardian. Retrieved on 26 August 2011.
- ↑ . Channel 4. Retrieved on 11 December 2011.
- ↑ . BBC. Retrieved on 22 December 2011.
External links
- Julia Davis at the Internet Movie Database
- Julia Davis biography and credits at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
- Julia Davis on BBC comedy site
- Guardian Unlimited interview with Julia Davis, 17 Dec 2004
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