Julia Davis
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- August 25, 1966 (age 60)
- Birthplace
- Guildford, Surrey, England, UK
Biography
Julia Charlotte L. Davis is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. A nine-time BAFTA TV Award nominee, she won Best Comedy Writing for Hunderby in 2013 and the 2018 British Academy Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy for Sally4Ever. She has also received two RTS Awards and three British Comedy Awards. In addition to acting in her own works, she has appeared in a variety of other British television comedies, most notably portraying Dawn Sutcliffe in Gavin & Stacey (2007–2009, 2019, 2024). Her film roles include Love Actually (2003), Cemetery Junction (2010), Four Lions (2010), and Phantom Thread (2017). Julia Davis was born in Guildford, Surrey on August 25, 1966 Her mother was a secretary, and her father a civil servant. She grew up in Guildford, Surrey, before moving at the age of 14 to Bath in Somerset. She was raised in the Church of England. After studying for a degree in English and drama at the College of Ripon and York St John, she returned to Bath working "dead-end jobs", starting a comedy double-act The Sisters of Percy with her friend Jane Roth at a local theatre group. It grew into an improv troupe with Welsh radio DJ Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones. Davis decided to become a comedian after a long illness. She secured her first comedy commission, Five Squeezy Pieces, from BBC Radio 4 in 1998. The series was an all-female sketch comedy show, with Meera Syal, Arabella Weir, Maria McErlane, and Claire Calman. She first appeared on television in 1998 in the BBC sketch show Comedy Nation. During their radio sketch series Five Squeezy Pieces, Arabella Weir introduced Davis to Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan who cast her as a regular cast member in the television sketch show Big Train (1998). Her career gained a further boost in 1998 after she sent a tape of various characters to Steve Coogan, who invited her to write for and participate in his shows during his 1998 national tour. Chris Morris, director of the Big Train pilot, cast her for his 1997–1999 radio series Blue Jam, its successor March–April 2000 TV show Jam, and Brass Eye. Davis went on to appear in many comedy television shows including I'm Alan Partridge, I Am Not an Animal, Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible, Ideal and Nathan Barley. In 2004 and 2005, Davis wrote and starred in two series of the BBC Three dark comedy Nighty Night. The show is centred on her character of peroxide "blonde" sociopathic beauty therapist Jill Tyrell. In 2015, Davis and Marc Wootton created and starred in BBC Radio 4 comedy series Couples, about couples in therapy. It was reported in 2015 that Davis had been commissioned for a new series, Robin's Test, which was later renamed Camping. In 2016, Davis wrote, directed and starred as shallow nymphomaniac "Fay" in Camping on Sky Atlantic. This was her directorial debut. At the 2017 BAFTA TV Awards, Camping was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy. In 2017, Davis was featured in the Paul Thomas Anderson film Phantom Thread as Lady Baltimore.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Pretend with Pibble
Movie · as Narrator
The Toxic Avenger Unrated
Movie · as Kissy Sturnevan, his Associate
Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell
Movie · as Self
The Fairy Moon
Movie · as The Operator
Run Rabbit Run
Movie · as Gail
Person of Interest
Movie · as Dr. Kate Shelley
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale
Movie · as Dawn Sutcliffe
My Massive Cock
Movie · as Narrator
The Clearing
Movie · as Deb
Sing 2
Movie · as Linda Le Bon (voice)
A Very British Scandal
TV · as Maureen Guinness · 3 eps
The Outlaws
TV · as Rita · 1 ep
Gavin & Stacey: A Special Christmas
Movie · as Dawn Sutcliffe
Fighting with My Family
Movie · as Daphne
Stath Lets Flats
TV · as Kris · 1 ep
The Shivering Truth
TV · as (voice) · 1 ep
Sally4Ever
TV · as Emma · 7 eps
Brakes
Movie · as Livy
Phantom Thread
Movie · as Lady Baltimore
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams
TV · as Sally Morris · 1 ep
Camping
TV · as Fay · 6 eps
The Bird
Movie · as Mother
Morning Has Broken
Movie · as Gail Sinclair
The Understudy
Movie · as Felicity
Inside No. 9
TV · as Felicity · 1 ep
It's Kevin
TV · as Various, Lizzie · 3 eps
Psychobitches
TV · as Sylvia Plath, Enid Blyton, Joy Adamson, Helen of Troy / Helen Keller, Mary Pickford · 1 ep
Bad Sugar
Movie · as Daphne Cauldwell
Uncle Wormsley's Christmas
Movie · as Mrs. Goodington
Hunderby
TV · as Dorothy · 10 eps
Playhouse Presents
TV · as Sylvia Plath, Enid Blyton, Joy Adamson, Helen of Troy / Helen Keller, Mary Pickford · 1 ep
Arthur Christmas
Movie · as UNFITA OPS (voice)
Black Mirror
TV · as Judge Charity · 1 ep
Cemetery Junction
Movie · as Mrs. Taylor
Lizzie and Sarah
Movie · as Lizzie/Faith
Four Lions
Movie · as Alice
Come on Eileen
Movie · as Dee
The Angina Monologues
Movie · as Self/Lizzie
The Mighty Boosh: Journey of the Childmen
Movie · as Self
Chekhov Comedy Shorts
TV · as Popova · 1 ep
Little Crackers
TV · as Susan Johnways · 1 ep
Steve Coogan: The Inside Story
Movie · as Self
10 Minute Tales
TV · as Overbearing Midwife · 1 ep
Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special 2008
Movie · as Dawn Sutcliffe
Persuasion
Movie · as Elizabeth Elliot
For the Love of God
Movie · as Mother
Gavin & Stacey
TV · as Dawn Sutcliffe · 19 eps
Confetti
Movie · as Counsellor
The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Movie · as Self
Fear of Fanny
Movie · as Fanny Cradock
Born Equal
Movie · as Sally
Nathan Barley
TV · as Honda Poppet · 1 ep
Ideal
TV · as Dawn, Amanda With The Weird Eyes (Voice) · 1 ep
AD/BC: A Rock Opera
Movie · as Ruth
Sex Lives of the Potato Men
Movie · as Shelley
Shaun of the Dead
Movie · as News Reporter (voice) (uncredited)
I Am Not an Animal
TV · as Claire the Rat (voice) · 6 eps
Nighty Night
TV · as Jill Tyrrell · 12 eps
The Alan Clark Diaries
TV · as Jenny Easterbrook · 2 eps
Appointment with Dr. Terrible
Movie · as Interviewee – Actor
Hello, Friend
Movie · as (voice)
Love Actually
Movie · as Nancy the Caterer
The Office: The Christmas Special
Movie · as Gillian (voice)
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
Movie · as Moira
The Parole Officer
Movie · as Insinuating Wife
Dr Terrible's House of Horrible
TV · as Stephanie Wise · 1 ep
Jam
TV · as Various · 6 eps
Human Remains
TV · as Various Characters · 6 eps
Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It
Movie
Coming Soon
Movie · as Kim
Coming Soon
TV · 3 eps
People Like Us
TV · as Lisa Bell · 1 ep
Big Train
TV · 7 eps
I'm Alan Partridge
TV · as Kate Fitzgerald · 1 ep