Emily Watson
Known for Acting · 85 credits
- Born
- 1967-01-14 (age 59)
- Place of birth
- Islington, London, England, UK
- Also known as
- Emily Anita Watson · Emily Margaret Watson
Biography
Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya at the Donmar Warehouse. She was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress for the latter. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her debut film role as a newlywed in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996) and for her portrayal of Jacqueline du Pré in Anand Tucker's Hilary and Jackie (1998).
Watson's other films include The Boxer (1997), Angela's Ashes (1999), Gosford Park (2001), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Red Dragon (2002), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), Corpse Bride (2005), Miss Potter (2006), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Oranges and Sunshine (2010), War Horse (2011), The Theory of Everything (2014), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), God's Creatures (2022), and Small Things like These (2024). and A Pariare Farm Girl ( 2026).
She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her role in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. She won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for playing Janet Leach in the 2011 ITV television biopic Appropriate Adult. She was nominated for the International Emmy Award for Best Actress for the 2017 BBC miniseries Apple Tree Yard. In 2024, she portrayed the lead role of Valya Harkonnen in the HBO science fiction series Dune: Prophecy.
Watson is a supporter of the children's charity the NSPCC. In 2004, she was inducted into the society's hall of fame for spearheading the successful campaign to appoint a Children's Commissioner for England. Receiving her award in the crowded House of Commons, she spoke out against the possibility that the Children's Commissioner become a figurehead with little real power.
Known For
TV Shows (15)
Chernobyl
2019
as Ulana Khomyuk
Genius
2017
as Elsa Einstein
The Oscars
1953
as Self
Dune: Prophecy
2024
as Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen
Performance
1991
as Rosalie
Fired on Mars
2023
as Sheila (voice)
The Third Day
2020
as Mrs. Martin
Little Women
2017
as Marmee March
Apple Tree Yard
2017
as Yvonne Carmichael
Working Shakespeare
2003
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe
2015
as Grace McKee
The Early Show
1999
as Self
The Politician's Husband
2013
as Freya Gardner
Too Close
2021
as Dr. Emma Robinson
Appropriate Adult
2011
as Janet Leach
Movies (70)
Hamnet
2025
as Mary
Corpse Bride
2005
as Victoria Everglot (voice)
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
2017
as Chief of Staff Fox
The Legend of Ochi
2025
as Dasha
War Horse
2011
as Rose Narracott
Equilibrium
2002
as Mary O'Brien
Everest
2015
as Helen Wilton
Punch-Drunk Love
2002
as Lena Leonard
Gosford Park
2001
as Elsie
Anna Karenina
2012
as Countess Lydia Ivanova
The Theory of Everything
2014
as Beryl Wilde
The Book Thief
2013
as Rosa Hubermann
Small Things Like These
2024
as Sister Mary
Synecdoche, New York
2008
as Tammy
Steve
2025
as Jenny
The Water Horse
2007
as Anne MacMorrow
Breaking the Waves
1996
as Bess McNeill
Fireflies in the Garden
2008
as Jane Lawrence
The Proposition
2005
as Martha Stanley
Cradle Will Rock
1999
as Olive Stanton
Testament of Youth
2015
as Mrs. Brittain
Monster Family 2
2021
as Emma Wishbone (voice)
Miss Potter
2006
as Millie Warne
King Lear
2018
as Regan
Monster Family
2017
as Emma Wishbone (voice)
The Boxer
1997
as Maggie Hamill
Little Boy
2015
as Emma Busbee
Cold Souls
2009
as Claire
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
2004
as Anne Sellers
Belle
2013
as Lady Mansfield
Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism
2015
as Miss Trinklebury
Angela's Ashes
1999
as Angela McCourt
Cemetery Junction
2010
as Mrs. Kendrick
The Happy Prince
2018
as Constance Wilde
Trixie
2000
as Trixie Zurbo
The Making of Gosford Park
2002
as Self
Red Dragon
2002
as Reba McClane
Hilary and Jackie
1998
as Jackie du Pré
Midas Man
2024
as Queenie Epstein
A Royal Night Out
2015
as Queen Elizabeth
The Dresser
2015
as Her Ladyship
Metroland
1997
as Marion
On Chesil Beach
2018
as Violet Ponting
Within the Whirlwind
2009
as Evgenia Ginzburg
The Luzhin Defence
2000
as Natalia Katkov
Wah-Wah
2005
as Ruby Compton
Separate Lies
2005
as Anne Manning
God's Creatures
2022
as Aileen O'Hara
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
2008
as Caroline Gil
A Director's Journey: The Making of 'Red Dragon'
2003
as Self
Crusade in Jeans
2006
as Mary Vega
Fado!
Oranges and Sunshine
2010
as Margaret Humphreys
The Mill on the Floss
1997
as Maggie Tulliver
A Song for Jenny
2015
as Julie Nicholson
Ballchewer
2002
as Self
Late in Summer
A Summer Day's Dream
1994
Some Girl(s)
2013
as Lindsay
Weinstein
2018
as Narrator (voice)
Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Trier
1997
Midday Sun
as Sarah
Meerkats 3D
2011
as Narrator
Amri
as Marie Antoinette Gottesman
A Christmas Child
as Emily Watson ( Self/Narrator )
In Doctor von Trier's Laboratory: Back to the Magic of Cinema
1998
as Self
The Clockmaker’s Secret: Lost in Spindlewood
as The Keeper of the Keys
Holly Noel: The Winter Ball (Christmas 3)
as ( Host )
A Prairie Farm Girl
as Marie Calamange
London Fog: A Ruby Gale Mystery
as (The Detective)
About Emily Watson
Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya at the Donmar Warehouse. She was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress for the latter. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her debut film role as a newlywed in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996) and for her portrayal of Jacqueline du Pré in Anand Tucker's Hilary and Jackie (1998). Watson… With 85 credits spanning from 1953 to 2025, Emily Watson has appeared in 70 films and 15 TV shows.
Fans searching for Emily Watson movies, Emily Watson filmography, or the latest projects starring Emily Watson can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Emily Watson Movies
- Hamnet (2025) — as Mary
- Corpse Bride (2005) — as Victoria Everglot (voice)
- Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) — as Chief of Staff Fox
- The Legend of Ochi (2025) — as Dasha
- War Horse (2011) — as Rose Narracott
Where to Watch Emily Watson Films
Most Emily Watson movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Emily Watson, check our movies catalogue and browse page.