Lucy Davis

Lucy Clare Davis (born 17 February 1973)^[1][2] is an English actress known for playing Dawn Tinsley in the BBC comedy The Office (2001–2003), Hilda Spellman in the Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020), Dianne in the Comedy horror Shaun of the Dead (2004), and Etta Candy in Wonder Woman (2017). She played Eva in Disney Channel's action comedy series The Villains of Valley View (2022–2023).

Early life

Davis was born on 17 February 1973,^[1] in Birmingham, England. Her father is the comedian Jasper Carrott (Bob Davis).^[3] She was educated at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.^[4]

Career

Davis appeared briefly in an episode of The Detectives, a show created by and starring her father.^[3] She played Maria Lucas in the BBC's 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice, and also had a role in the 1996 Christmas special of One Foot in the Grave. After her breakthrough role as Dawn Tinsley in The Office, she appeared in the films Sex Lives of the Potato Men and Shaun of the Dead in 2004, whilst continuing to play Hayley Jordan in The Archers on BBC Radio 4. She gave up this last role when her other acting responsibilities made it impossible to continue, and the part was recast in September 2005.

Davis appeared in the third-season episode "Elephants and Hens" of UK TV programme Black Books.^[5] In 2006, she appeared as the "Fashion TV" host on ABC's Ugly Betty, and later that year played writer Lucy Kenwright in NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. In 2008, she appeared in several episodes of the US series Reaper. In 2010, she starred in ITV's six-episode comedy drama, Married Single Other, and also appeared in a guest role in The Mentalist alongside her then-husband Owain Yeoman.^{[citation needed]} She also appears in the John Landis-produced thriller Some Guy Who Kills People.^[6] In 2012, she had a guest voice part in Family Guy for the episode "Be Careful What You Fish For". She appeared in series two, episode eight of the BBC series Death in Paradise (2013). She became a Patron for the performing arts group Theatretrain in 2012.^[7]

Davis played Etta Candy in the 2017 film Wonder Woman, the first live-action cinematic portrayal of the comic book character.^[8] She said of the character: "She's a woman in a man's world and so being heard and seen aren't the easiest things, but it kind of doesn't deter her. Etta is unapologetically herself and I think that that's the thing that has drawn me to her the most... it took quite a while in my life to be unapologetically myself."^[8]

Davis appeared in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Hilda Spellman, which aired from 2018 to 2020.^[9] She played Eva, known as the supervillain Surge, on the Disney Channel sitcom The Villains of Valley View which premiered on 3 June 2022.^[10]

Personal life

Davis is the daughter of Hazel Jackson and comedian Robert Davis, better known as Jasper Carrott. In December 1997, she underwent a kidney transplant after being diagnosed with kidney failure during a medical examination. Her mother donated the kidney.^[11] Around Christmas 2005 she was again hospitalised for kidney failure, but recovered. She also has type 1 diabetes.^[12][13]

On 9 December 2006, Davis married Welsh actor Owain Yeoman at St Paul's Cathedral, London. The wedding was attended by fellow The Office cast members and writers. She was entitled to marry there as her father is an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)^[14] and St Paul's contains the chapel of the order. Davis and Yeoman separated in January 2011 and divorced in October 2011.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, Davis posed nude in the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals's campaign against the Guards Division's continued use of traditional bearskin caps.^[15]

Filmography

Film

Television

Radio

Awards and nominations

References

1. ^ "Lucy's tweet about her birthday". Retrieved 3 January 2018.
2. ^ "Lucy Davis". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
3. ^ Gee, Catherine (16 February 2010). "Lucy Davis on Married Single Other". The Daily Telegraph. Archived 13 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
4. ^ "Italia Conti Alumni". italiacontiagency.com. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
5. ^ "Black Books". Radio Times. Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
6. ^ "First Look: Images From Some Guy Who Kills People". 15 March 2010. Archived 29 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 April 2020. – via bloody-disgusting.com.
7. ^ "Patrons". Theatretrain. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
8. ^ From ‘The Office’ to ‘Wonder Woman’: Get to Know Lucy Davis Archived 27 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine by Angelique Jackson 12:08 PM PDT, 26 May 2017
9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (16 February 2018). "Netflix's Sabrina The Teenage Witch Series Casts Lucy Davis as Aunt Hilda". Deadline Hollywood. Archived 17 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
10. ^ Jacobs, Meredith (28 April 2022). "Disney Sets Superhero Shows 'The Villains of Valley View' and 'Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion' (VIDEO)". Retrieved 28 April 2022.
11. ^ "Comedian's daughter saved by kidney transplant". BBC. 23 December 1997. Archived 8 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 December 2006.
12. ^ "The Office star Davis hospitalised for kidney failure". Contactmusic.com. 2 January 2006. Archived 26 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 December 2006.
13. ^ "Lucy Davis | Diabetes UK"
14. ^ "Office star marries at St Paul's". BBC. 9 December 2006. Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 December 2006.
15. ^ Donohue, Alex (13 August 2007). "The Office star strips for Peta anti-fur campaign". Campaign. Archived 8 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
16. ^ "Loaded with awards 2004". chortle.co.uk. 2004-12-02.
17. ^ "Lucy Davis Awards". imdb (index source only). Retrieved 21 June 2025.

External links

• Lucy Davis at IMDb
• "Celeb interview: Lucy Davis, The Office". BBC Lancashire. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 27 July 2010.