Essie Davis

Esther "Essie" Davis is an Australian actress celebrated for her versatile work across television, film, and theatre. She achieved widespread recognition for playing the lead character Phryne Fisher in the drama series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and its cinematic feature Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears. She is also widely known for starring as Amelia Vanek in the psychological horror film The Babadook. Her prominent screen credits further include Lady Crane in Game of Thrones, Sister Iphigenia in Lambs of God, and Ellen Kelly in True History of the Kelly Gang.

Born on January 19, 1970, in Hobart, Tasmania, Davis grew up as the youngest of seven children raised by Mary Davis and artist George Davis. Raised in suburban Hobart by parents involved in the origins of the Australian Green movement, her family produced their own food, including raising turkeys. She stepped onto the stage at age five at Hobart's Theatre Royal in a community theatre play. Her education spanned Clarence High School, Rosny College, and the University of Tasmania, where she acted with the Old Nick Company, before she completed formal drama training at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.

Upon graduating from drama school, Davis joined the Bell Shakespeare company in 1993, launching her career as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, followed by stage roles in Hamlet, Richard III, Macbeth, and The Taming of the Shrew. She made her feature film debut in the 1995 Australian project Dad and Dave: On Our Selection, later securing screen parts in The Sound of One Hand Clapping, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and Girl with a Pearl Earring. Alongside Australian theatrical performances such as The Importance of Being Earnest and The School for Scandal, she earned international acclaim on stage. She won a Laurence Olivier Award for her portrayal of Stella Kowalski in a London production of A Streetcar Named Desire and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the Broadway play Jumpers. She also portrayed Mrs. Nellie Lovett in a television adaptation of Sweeney Todd.

Returning to her home state in 2008, Davis helped establish the Tasmanian Theatre Company to foster local performing arts and engage younger generations. That same year, she appeared in the feature films Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger and Baz Luhrmann's Australia, as well as a production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She earned a Logie Award nomination for her role in the miniseries The Slap before taking on her signature role in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries in 2012. Her leading performance in the 2014 feature film The Babadook earned her nominations for an AACTA Award, an AACTA International Award, and a Fangoria Chainsaw Award.

In subsequent years, Davis continued to secure prominent international and Australian roles. She appeared as Lady Crane in season six of Game of Thrones, played Dowager Queen Elizabeth in The White Princess, and starred in the miniseries Lambs of God, which yielded an AACTA Award nomination. Her later feature film projects included True History of the Kelly Gang, the movie adaptation Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, the comedy-drama Babyteeth, and the title role in The Justice of Bunny King.

In her personal life, Davis met film director Justin Kurzel in 1996 while performing in A View from the Bridge, for which he designed the sets and costumes. The couple married in 2002, share twin daughters, and have frequently collaborated across various theatrical and film projects.