Essie Davis
Known for
An Australian actress from Hobart, Tasmania, Essie Davis is a formidable stage and screen talent best known for her shattering lead performance as the grief-stricken mother in the horror film 'The Babadook' (2014). She starred as the glamorous sleuth in the series 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' (2012), appeared in 'Assassin's Creed' (2016) and 'The Matrix' sequels, and returned to acclaim in 'The Justified' era of prestige television. A powerful, expressive performer trained on the stage, she brings raw emotional force and elegance to leading roles.
Essie Davis
28 Movies
17 Series
An Australian actress from Hobart, Tasmania, Essie Davis is a formidable stage and screen talent best known for her shattering lead performance as the grief-stricken mother in the horror film 'The Babadook' (2014). She starred as the glamorous sleuth in the series 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' (2012), appeared in 'Assassin's Creed' (2016) and 'The Matrix' sequels, and returned to acclaim in 'The Justified' era of prestige television. A powerful, expressive performer trained on the stage, she brings raw emotional force and elegance to leading roles.
Movies
Plays Maggie
The Matrix Reloaded
2003
Plays Maggie
The Matrix Revolutions
2003
Plays Marella (voice)
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
2010
Plays Mary Lynch
Assassin's Creed
2016
Plays Amelia Vanek
The Babadook
2014
Plays Mrs. Arable
Charlotte's Web
2006
Plays Catharina Bolnes Vermeer
Girl with a Pearl Earring
2003
Plays Katherine
Australia
2008
Plays Doctor
Code 46
2003
Plays Ellen Kelly
True History of the Kelly Gang
2019
Plays Anna
Babyteeth
2020
Plays Karen
Burning Man
2011
Plays Helen
Nitram
2021
Plays Patricia Deville
Mindhorn
2016
Plays Phryne Fisher
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears
2020
Plays Mrs Lovett
Sweeney Todd
2006
Plays Alma Stanley
South Solitary
2010
Plays Orla
Isolation
2005
Plays Jean
The Sound of One Hand Clapping
1998
Plays Jilly
The Custodian
1994
Plays Zara
Lilian's Story
1996
Plays Grace Blueburger
Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger
2008
Plays Young alice
The Two-Wheeled Time Machine
1997
Plays Bunny King
The Justice of Bunny King
2021
Plays Det. Gilhooley
Blackrock
1997
Plays Helene Davis
The Pact
2003
Plays Jane
The Wedding Party
2010
TV Shows
Plays Phryne Fisher
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
2012
Plays Anouk
The Slap
2011
Plays Dame Sylvia
Alien: Earth
2025
Plays Elizabeth Woodville
The White Princess
2017
Plays Natalie Dal-Bello
Apple Cider Vinegar
2025
Plays Martha Franklin
The Last Post
2017
Plays Alison
One Day
2024
Plays Sister Iphigenia
Lambs of God
2019
Plays Dolly Pickles
Cloudstreet
2011
Plays Lady Crane
Game of Thrones
2011
Plays Lynette Maison
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2025
Plays Beth
After the Deluge
2003
Plays Mary Costello
Kings in Grass Castles
1998
Plays Julie Morgan
Young Lions
2002
Plays Vera Herrick
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams
2017
Plays Nancy Bradley
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
2022
Plays Alison Blount
Halifax f.p.
1994
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Fungi: The Web of Life
Full Filmography
Alien: Earth
Dame Sylvia · 8 episodes
2025
TV
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Lynette Maison · 3 episodes
2025–
TV
Apple Cider Vinegar
Natalie Dal-Bello · 6 episodes
2025–
TV
One Day
Alison · 4 episodes
2024
TV
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Nancy Bradley · 1 episode
2022
TV
Nitram
Helen
2021
Film
The Justice of Bunny King
Bunny King
2021
Film
Babyteeth
Anna
2020
Film
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears
Phryne Fisher
2020
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Essie Davis and where are they from?
Essie Davis is 56 years old, born on January 19, 1970 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
What are the most famous roles of Essie Davis?
Essie Davis is best known for roles in The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Assassin's Creed.
How many movies has Essie Davis been in?
Over a 32-year career (since 1994), Essie Davis has appeared in 28 movies and 17 TV shows.
What was Essie Davis's first movie?
The career of Essie Davis began with The Custodian (1994).
What is Essie Davis's most recent movie or series?
Essie Davis's most recent release is Alien: Earth, which premiered on August 12, 2025.
What TV shows has Essie Davis appeared in?
On television, Essie Davis has appeared in Game of Thrones, Alien: Earth, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.
Essie Davis
1970-01-19 · Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Essie Davis is an Australian actress. Born and raised in Hobart, Tasmania, she is the daughter of locally famed artist George Davis. She emerged from the Old Nick Company at the University of Tasmania in the late 1980s and has gone on to appear in Hollywood movies. She is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney.
Her career started after her role in the all Australian movie Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995), also starring other prestigious actors such as Geoffrey Rush, Leo McKern, and Joan Sutherland. Her most famous movie roles are in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Richard Flanagan's 1998 Tasmanian film The Sound of One Hand Clapping, and Girl with a Pearl Earring.
In 2003 she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her UK performance in the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. In 2004 she starred in a Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, for which she earned a Tony nomination. In 2005 she appeared as Mrs. Nellie Lovett in the BBC production of Sweeney Todd with Ray Winstone. In the 2008 film Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger she plays Esther's controlling mother.