Julia Davis (born 25 August 1966) is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She wrote and starred in comedies including Human Remains (2000), Nighty Night (2004–2005), Hunderby (2012–2015), Camping (2016), and Sally4Ever (2018). She is known for her dark or black comedy.
She is 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), Phantom Thread (2017), and The Toxic Avenger (2023).
Early life and education
Julia Davis was born in England in 25 August 1966. She was born in South London, grew up in Guildford, before moving to Bath, Somerset. Her mother was a secretary, and her father a civil servant. She was raised in the Church of England. She describes her childhood as "normal" and "quite suburban". However, she has also said she had quite an "extreme mother", which means she grew up feeling quite insecure.
Davis sang in various folk bands as a teenager. Her first band was called "Hand-Knitted Air Rifles".
After studying for a degree in English and Drama at the College of Ripon and York St John, she returned to Bath because she became ill ("something between glandular fever and ME...some unknown viral...").
Career
1998–2000: Career beginnings
Davis decided to become a comedian after her long illness.
She joined a local drama group in Bath, where she met Jane Roth. The group also included actor Toby Longworth and his then-girlfriend radio producer Liz Ansty. which she got Davis involved with. Chris Morris then cast her for his 1997–1999 radio series Blue Jam, its successor March–April 2000 TV show Jam, and Brass Eye.
Human Remains (2000)
In November 2000, Human Remains, a dark comedy television series produced by Steve Coogan's production company Baby Cow
The series consisted of six fake documentaries (across six episodes),
Davis has said that commissioning has changed significantly since Nighty Night, and she doubts it would have been commissioned in today's climate.
2007–2010: Gavin & Stacey and other
From 2007 to 2009, she played Dawn Sutcliffe in Gavin & Stacey, a role which she reprised in 2019 for a Christmas special and in 2024 in the finale. She also featured in a behind-the-scenes documentary about the finale. When the first series was filmed, Davis was six weeks pregnant with twins.
In 2006, Davis appeared on Little Britain Abroad as a sexy Russian mail-order bride called Ivanka.
In 2009, Davis appeared, in the guise of Steve Coogan's personal assistant Debbie Bidwoden, in the TV film Steve Coogan – The Inside Story.
In 2009, Davis starred in a short film with Richard Ayoade for See Africa Differently, a campaign to showcase the under-reported progress from Africa.
Lizzie & Sarah (2010)
In 2010, she co-wrote and co-starred in Lizzie and Sarah with Jessica Hynes. The Guardian described it as saying "it makes Nighty Night look like The Wind in the Willows and is perhaps the most challenging comedy Davis has written."
2011–2015: Psychobitches, Morning Has Broken
Davis starred in productions such as: the short film For the Love of God (2007); The Alan Clark Diaries; and Persuasion, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel.
In 2006, Davis starred in the television film Fear of Fanny, in which she played the celebrity chef Fanny Cradock.
On 22 December 2011, she appeared as Anne Yeaman in the Christmas special and finale of the BBC Three comedy How Not to Live Your Life.
On 26 August 2012, Davis appeared in the pilot episode of Bad Sugar on Channel 4. A full series was set to air in 2013, but was cancelled due to availability of the cast and writers.
In 2013, Davis played various characters in BBC sketch show It's Kevin and in Psychobitches (Part of Playhouse Presents) on Sky Arts. She appeared in the Inside No. 9 episode "The Understudy" (Series 1; Episode 5) as a stage manager.
In 2014, Davis starred as an eccentric mother alongside Al Roberts (Stath Lets Flats) in the comedy short film The Bird, co-directed by Ben Target and Joe Parham.
In 2014, Davis co-wrote (with Nick Mohammed) and starred in a pilot for Channel 4 called Morning Has Broken, about a self-centred daytime TV host. It was inspired by daytime TV, particularly Lorraine Kelly's presenting. It was influenced by Rebecca, as well as Tess of the d'Urbervilles. She worked on the programme with Lucy Lumsden and Stuart Murphy, who were also behind Nighty Night at the BBC. When talking about Hunderby and Sally4Ever, Alex Macqueen said that, for Davis, "if you're not on the verge of corpsing, it's not good enough". The series was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy at the 2013 BAFTA TV Awards and Davis was nominated for Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme. It won the awards for Best New Comedy and Best Sitcom at the 2012 British Comedy Awards.
Camping (2016)
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 created, wrote and directed the series for Sky Atlantic. She also starred in it as shallow nymphomaniac, Fay. This was her first series as a director, and Davis for Best Comedy Writer.
In 2018, the series was adapted for American audiences to create a series of the same name by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner. It was originally released on HBO in America, and subsequently on Sky Atlantic in the UK. However, it did not receive good reviews either in the US or UK. The Guardian said that, whilst some of the performances were good, "The reworking deviates from the darkness and dread that made the original black comedy so perfect".. It came out of a short film she was writing with her and Catherine Shepherd, who went on to play Sally in the series. Davis plays the character of Emma, a very manipulative woman has a chaotic affair with the "too-nice" Sally.
Dear Joan and Jericha (2018–2025)
thumb|260x260px|Julia Davis and Vicky Pepperdine, British Podcast Awards 2019
Davis launched the podcast comedy Dear Joan And Jericha with comedian Vicki Pepperdine in 2018. The series has 29 episodes as of March 2025.
Davis and Pepperdine published a book on the back of the podcast, Why He Turns Away: Dos and Don'ts From Dating to Death.
2021–Present
Davis played socialite Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, in BBC One historical drama A Very British Scandal, which premiered on BBC One on Boxing Day 2021.
In 2022, Davis appeared in two episodes of The Outlaws, as Rita.
Writing
Davis is known for her dark comedy. She said that "I always try to plan the overall story of a series first, but usually I get impatient and have to start writing scenes to reassure myself that there is something tangible that’s going to work, as for me the comedy tends to come from characters more than situations." Eva Wiseman, of The Guardian, similarly said that she finds Davis' "portrayals of monstrous women...wildly liberating". The couple are parents to twin sons (Walter and Arthur) They live in London.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable"
|+Key
| style="background:#FFFFCC;" |
|Denotes works that have not yet been released
|}
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
!Director
! class="unsortable" | Notes
!Ref.
|-
| 1994 || Flush || Cleaner
|Sean Grundy|| Short film
|
|-
| Love Actually || Nancy, the Caterer
|Richard Curtis|| Cameo
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2004 || Shaun of the Dead || News Reporter (voice)
|Edgar Wright|| Uncredited role
|
|-
| Sex Lives of the Potato Men || Shelley
|Andy Humphries||
|
|-
|Match Point
|Julie
|Woody Allen
|
|
|-
| 2006 || Confetti|| Marriage counsellor
|Debbie Isitt||
|
|-
| The Lost Explorer || Vera Cleghorn
|Tim Walker|| Short film
|
|-
| 2017 || Phantom Thread || Lady Baltimore
|Paul Thomas Anderson||
|
|-
| 2019 || Fighting with My Family || Daphne
|Stephen Merchant||
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2021 || The Clearing || Deb
|Dan Hope|| Short film
|
|-
| Sing 2 || Linda Le Bon (voice)
|Garth Jennings||
|
|-
|2022
|Nude Tuesday
|
|Armağan Ballantyne
|Writer
|
|-
| rowspan=3|2023 || Run Rabbit Run || Gail (Nightshift Nurse)
|Daina Reid||
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2025
|The Fairy Moon
|The Operator
|Craig Williams
|Short film
|
|-
|The Toxic Avenger Unrated
|Kissy Sturnevan
|Macon Blair
|
|
|-
|
|Or Something Like It (working title)
|
|Jamie Adams
|
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
!Channel
! Role
!Other Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
!Ref.
|-
| 1998 || Comedy Nation
|BBC Two||Various (Episodes 1, 3, 4)
| Writer (Episodes 3, 4)|| Series 1
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1999
|Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He’s It
|
|
|
|Recording of live performance at The Palace Theatre, Manchester
|
|-
|Coming Soon
|Channel 4
|Kim
|
|Television film
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2003 || The Office
| BBC Two|| Gillian (voice)
| || Series 3; Episode 2: "Christmas Special: Part 2" (heard on the phone as the voice of a woman from a dating agency in conversation with David Brent)
|
|-
|Dose
|BBC One Wales
|Mrs Harris
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2004 || The Alan Clark Diaries
| BBC|| Jenny Easterbrook
| || Episodes 1 & 2: "The March of the Grey Men" and "The Lady"
|
|-
|AD/BC: A Rock Opera
|BBC Three
|Ruth
|
|Television film
|
|-
|The Secret Policeman’s Ball: The Ball in the Hall
|
|Herself
|
|Recording of a live performance at the Royal Albert Hall
|
|-
| 2007–2009,<br> 2019, 2024 || Gavin & Stacey
| BBC|| Dawn Sutcliffe
| || Series 1–3 & 2 Specials (10 episodes)
|
|-
| 2008 || Ideal
| BBC Three|| Dawn
| || Series 4; Episode 8: "The Future"
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2009 || 10 Minute Tales
| Sky TV|| Overbearing Midwife
| || Episode 3: "Ding Dong"
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |2010 || Lizzie and Sarah || Lizzie / Faith
|Writer, Associate Producer, Composer|| Pilot
|
|-
| Chekkov: Comedy Shorts
| Sky Arts 2|| Popova
| || Episode 2: "The Bear"
|
|-
|The Angina Monologues
|Sky One
|Lizzie / Faith, Herself
|
|Film of the live performance
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2011 || Black Mirror
| Channel 4|| Judge Charity
| || Series 1; Episode 2: "Fifteen Million Merits"
|
|-
| Bad Sugar
| rowspan="2" | Channel 4|| Daphne Cauldwell
| Creator|| Pilot
|
|-
|Alan Carr: Chatty Man
|Herself
|
|Series 9, Episode 9
|
|-
| A Very British Scandal: The Duchess of Argyll
| Amazon|| Maureen Guinness
| || 3-part mini-series
|
|-
|Stand Up & Deliver
|Channel 4
|Narrator
|
|Episodes 1 and 2
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2022 || The Outlaws
| BBC|| Rita
| || Series 2; Episode 2
|
|-
|Corpse Talk
|YouTube
|Mary Shelley (Voice)
|
|Online animation; Halloween Special
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2023 || Love Me
| || Kel
| || Mini-series; Series 2, Episode 1: "Sluta håll med"
|
|-
| Safe Home
| || Caitlyn
| || Episode 3
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2024 || The Regime
| HBO|| Marina
| || Mini-series; Episode 5: "All Ye Faithful"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2025 || Educators
| || Catherine
| || Recurring role. Series 4
|
|-
|Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell
|BBC
|Herself
|
|Documentary
|
|-
|2026
|Living The Dream
|Netflix
|Various (Voice)
|
|Animation
|
|}
Radio
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
!Station
! Role
!Other Role
!Notes
! class="unsortable" | Ref.
|-
| 1997,
1998,
1999
|Blue Jam||BBC Radio 1
|Ensemble actor
|Writer (Additional Material)
| Series 1-3;
by Chris Morris
|
|-
|1998
|The Very World Of Milton Jones
| rowspan="12" |BBC Radio 4
|Ensemble actor
|
|Series 1, Episode 6
|
|-
| 1998, 2000 || Five Squeezy Pieces
|Ensemble actor (Series 1 and 2)
|Writer (Series 1)
| Series 1 and 2||
|-
|2008
|Nebulous
|Dean Geraldine
|
|Series 3, Episode 2
|
|-
|Now Wash Your Hands
|Joan Damry
|
|Episode 6
|
|}
Theatre
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
!Venue
! Role
!Other Role
!Notes
! class="unsortable" | Ref.
|-
|90s
|The Sister of Percy
|
|Performer
|Co-writer
|Comedy revue show
|
|-
|1998
|Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It
|Tour - West End, Lyceum Theatre
|
|
|
|
|-
| || Contractions
|Royal Court||
|
| || rowspan="8" |