Photo: Harald Krichel / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Essie Davis is, to me, a perfect example of range done right. Born in Hobart in 1970, she won a Laurence Olivier Award in 2003 for the stage, then became the effortlessly stylish Phryne Fisher in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, then went somewhere completely dark as the unraveling mother in The Babadook. That horror performance is one I genuinely admire; she carries a film about grief and exhaustion with terrifying conviction. Two AACTA supporting awards in 2020 and 2021 confirm she never coasted on the lighter roles. I like actors who refuse to be pinned to one register, and her Tasmanian roots and theatre grounding feel like the spine of all of it.
Overview
Esther "Essie" Davis (born 19 January 1970) is an Australian actress, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and its film continuation, Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears, and as Amelia Vanek in The Babadook.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Essie Davis
- Name (Japanese)
- エッシー・デイヴィス
- Reading
- えっしー・でいゔぃす
- Born
- January 7, 1970 (age 56)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dog
- Origin
- Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / singer / voice actor / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Clarence High School
- University
- Rosny College
Awards & achievements
- 2003 Laurence Olivier Awards
- 2003 AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama
- 2014 Sitges Film Festival Best Actress award
- 2015 Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress
- 2020 AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- 2021 AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries | — | |
| Notable work | Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears | — | |
| Notable work | The Babadook | — |
6. Links
Stage actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from Australia →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.