The Office

Background:

“When we first started we wondered whether Lee hit her, but Ricky Gervais wasn't keen on anything so black and white. Nothing's ever rocked Dawn's boat at all. Her parents were never divorced, she didn't have a traumatic childhood, she's never had to worry too much about money. Nobody's ever forced her to do anything. She never did any A-levels. She's born and bred in Slough, though for some reason she's never picked up the accent-another failing of mine.” Lucy Davis on her character on “The Office”

First coming to the attention of British public as Maria Lucas on the BBC miniseries “Pride and Prejudice” (1995), television and movie actress Lucy Davis, daughter of noted comedian/actor Jasper Carrott, became famous for portraying patient receptionist Dawn Tinsley on the network's comedy hit “The Office” (2001-2003), which was brought to America via a BBC cable channel and found an avid following there. After the success of “The Office,” versatile Davis moved to Los Angeles where she played Lucy Kenwright on the comedy/drama series “Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip” (2006-2007). On the big screen, the British import is perhaps best known as one of the stars of the successful horror film “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) and since her L.A move, she has acted in such films “The TV Set” (2006), “Shades of Ray” (2008) and the forthcoming “Bob Funk” (2008). On her native of Britain, Davis is also recognized for playing Hayley Tucker on the BBC radio soap “The Archers” (1995-2004).

The wide-eyed, blonde-headed beauty has been married to fellow actor Owain Yeoman since December 2006. She is a diabetic and had a kidney transplant in 1997. In the late 2005, she was rushed to hospital for a second kidney failure, but has since recovered.

West Midlands Native

Childhood and Family:

Lucy Davis was born on January 2, 1973, in Solihull, West Midlands, England. Along with her three siblings, Jake, Hannah and Jenny, she was raised away from the spotlight in Knowle, Birmingham, England by her famous father, actor/comedian Jasper Carrott, and his wife, Hazel. Despite her parents' preventive attempts, young Lucy knew she wanted to be like her dad. She took part in school plays and attended acting classes early on at the Birmingham Youth Repertory Theater. At age 18, she auditioned and was accepted at the renowned Italia Conti Drama school, but later transferred to the Carlton TV Junior Workshop. She was also educated at The Sixth Form College in Solihull, West Midlands.

Lucy relocated to Los Angeles in early 2005 and a year later met Welsh actor Owain Yeoman. The couple married on December 9, 2006 at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, a place where royal weddings were usually being held. They were allowed to marry there because Lucy's father is the recipient of an OBE. Among the guests on the wedding were fellow “The Office” stars Ewen Macintosh, Joel Beckett, Mackenzie Crook and Martin Freeman, co-writer/co-director Steve Merchant as well as Jenna Fischer.

Shaun of the Dead

Career:

Daughter of popular British comedian and actor Jasper Carrott, Lucy Davis became fascinated with acting from an early age although her parents had been extremely cautious to put her out of the limelight. Making her debut performance in her school's production of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” she went on to hone her craft with the Birmingham Youth Theater and later, from the early- to the mid-1990s, she landed guest roles in such series as “The Detectives,” “Blue Heaven” and “Casualty.”

It was during her days at the Carlton TV Junior Workshop that Davis enjoyed her first break when she won the role of Maria Lucas on the BBC miniseries remake of “Pride and Prejudice” (1995), opposite Coin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, David Bamber and Julia Sawahla. Before long, she was tapped to play Hayley Tucker on the long-running BBC radio soap “The Archers,” a gig she had from 1995 to 2004. She went on to appear the biopic film “The Gambler” (1997), starring Michael Gambon, and stared as Old Noshie on the children's series “The Belfry Witches,” two years later.

Unfortunately for Davis, her efforts in establishing a budding career were cut short by several health problems. Three years after suffering from kidney failure, she had to undergo a complete kidney transplant in 1997, which needed a long recovery period. In her recovery days, Davis was force to battle diabetes that has caused her weight fluctuate.

Davis survived and in 2001, she gained huge breakthrough when she landed the regular role of the receptionist Dawn Tinsley, on the popular British comedy/drama series “The Office,” along side Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Ewen MacIntosh, Ben Bradshaw, Emma Louise Manton and Philip Pickard. After two seasons, the series was imported to the cable channel BBC America and went on to score success there. It became one of the few abroad comedies to find a dedicated U.S. viewer and received a Golden Globe in 2004 in the category of Best Comedy. Telling how she got the part in “The Office,” Davis said, “It was December 99 and I'd been up for a couple of pilots for the BBC and this was one of them and it was the one that I liked and I just thought I really want to be part of this and fortunately that was the one that came through.”

While working on “The Office,” the down-to-earth actress could be found playing Susie on the TV film “Come Together” (2002), appearing as a maid in the drama film “Nicholas Nickleby” (also 2002), which was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and guested in several shows, including “Murder in Mind,” “Holby City” and “The Afternoon Play.” In 2004, Davis received media attention for declining a role opposite Cameron Diaz in the comedy “In Her Shoes,” and instead, she took on the important role of Dianne on Edgar Wright's horror, “Shaun of the Dead” (2004), which became a cult hit. The same year, she also had a small role in the British comedy “Sex Lives of the Potato Men” and provided the voice of Sundance the Pig on the TV film “The Legend of the Tamworth Two.”

After a supporting role along side Rupert Graves, Malcolm McDowell and Jennifer Jason Leighin the motion picture “Rag Tale” (2005), which screened at several film festivals, Davis headed to Los Angeles to further launch her career. Within a short period, she was cast in the comedy/drama “The TV Set” (2006), with David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver, and the Tim Hill-directed sequel “Garfield:A Tail of Two Kitties” (2006), in which she voiced Abby. She next appeared as a fashion TV anchor on two episodes of the TV series “Ugly Betty” (2006) and played a recurring role on the Aaron Sorkin-created show “Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip” (2006-2007), playing an English comedy writer named Lucy Kenwright. Among her costars in the latter series were Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet,Bradley Whitford and Steven Weber. In 2007, she played Nora in an episode of “Californication,” starring David Duchovny.

Recently, the 35-year-old actress has completed filming the comedy/romance “Shades of Ray” (2008), written and directed by Jaffar Mahmood and starring Zachary Levi. She will play Janet on the upcoming comedy “Bob Funk” (2008), opposite Rachael Leigh Cook.

“I can't do an American accent to save my life. I've had so many lessons and I'm getting better but I just sound a bit less like Mary Poppins.” Lucy Davis

Awards:
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