Lucy Davis

Lucy Davis was an English actress who became known as a versatile and relatable comedic presence in some of her home country's most popular films and TV shows, before branching out and becoming a recognizable presence in both worldwide blockbuster superhero films and kitschy horror series alike. Born in Solihull, England, Davis was the daughter of one of Britain's most beloved comedic actors, Jasper Carrott. It was on a series created by her father, a spoof of police dramas called "The Detectives" (BBC One, 1993-97), where Davis made her acting debut, appearing in a series one episode. She then went on to play Maria Lucas in the BBC's hugely successful miniseries adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" (BBC, 1995), while also making an appearance in the 1996 Christmas special of the popular sitcom "One Foot in the Grave" (BBC, 1990-2000). Davis's breakout role came when she was cast as Dawn Tinsley, the quiet receptionist with artistic ambitions at the Slough branch of the Wernham Hogg Paper Company, in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's groundbreaking mockumentary sitcom "The Office" (BBC Two, 2001-2003). Though ratings for the series were initially sluggish, "The Office" eventually became a worldwide cult phenomenon, lasting for two series and a Christmas special, turning its creators and lead actors into legitimate stars, and leading to an even more successful American adaptation. After "The Office" ended, Davis went on to appear in another cult classic, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's horror comedy "Shaun of the Dead" (2004), in which she played Diane, a ditzy aspiring actress who is part of a contentious group held up in a local pub while a zombie apocalypse rages just outside. Before long, Davis's work in her home country was starting to earn her work on the other side of the pond: she enjoyed an arc on the first season of the popular sitcom "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 2006-2010), and was one of the leads on Aaron Sorkin's notorious misfire "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC, 2006-2007). Davis would continue to work in TV throughout the decade, appearing on such shows as "Black Books" (Channel 4, 2000-04), "The Mentalist" (CBS, 2008-2015), "Family Guy" (FOX, 1998-2002, 2005-), and "Death in Paradise" (BBC One, 2011-). Davis's next big role came in the form of Etta Candy, a beloved comic book character who had never been portrayed in live action before, in the acclaimed superhero summer blockbuster "Wonder Woman" (2017). Davis could next be seen playing Hilda Spellman on the tongue-in-cheek horror series "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" (Netflix, 2018-).