Julia Davis

Julia Charlotte L. Davis is an English actress, comedian, director, and writer. She has been nominated for a BAFTA TV Award nine times, winning Best Comedy Writing for *Hunderby* in 2013 and the 2018 British Academy Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy for *Sally4Ever*. She has also received two RTS Awards and three British Comedy Awards. In addition to acting in her own works, she has appeared in a variety of other British television comedies, most notably portraying Dawn Sutcliffe in *Gavin & Stacey* (2007–2009, 2019, 2024). Her film roles include *Love Actually* (2003), *Cemetery Junction* (2010), *Four Lions* (2010), and *Phantom Thread* (2017).

Julia Davis was born in Guildford, Surrey, on August 25, 1966. Her mother was a secretary, and her father a civil servant. She grew up in Guildford, Surrey, before moving at the age of 14 to Bath in Somerset. She was raised in the Church of England.

After studying for a degree in English and drama at the College of Ripon and York St John, she returned to Bath working "dead-end jobs," starting a comedy double-act, The Sisters of Percy, with her friend Jane Roth at a local theatre group. It grew into an improv troupe with Welsh radio DJ Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones.

Davis decided to become a comedian after a long illness. She secured her first comedy commission, *Five Squeezy Pieces*, from BBC Radio 4 in 1998.

The series was an all-female sketch comedy show, with Meera Syal, Arabella Weir, Maria McErlane, and Claire Calman.

She first appeared on television in 1998 in the BBC sketch show *Comedy Nation*. During their radio sketch series *Five Squeezy Pieces*, Arabella Weir introduced Davis to Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, who cast her as a regular cast member in the television sketch show *Big Train* (1998). Her career gained a further boost in 1998 after she sent a tape of various characters to Steve Coogan, who invited her to write for and participate in his shows during his 1998 national tour. Chris Morris, director of the *Big Train* pilot, cast her for his 1997–1999 radio series *Blue Jam*, its successor, the March–April 2000 TV show *Jam*, and *Brass Eye*. Davis went on to appear in many comedy television shows including *I'm Alan Partridge*, *I Am Not an Animal*, *Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible*, *Ideal*, and *Nathan Barley*.

In 2004 and 2005, Davis wrote and starred in two series of the BBC Three dark comedy *Nighty Night*. The show is centred on her character of peroxide "blonde" sociopathic beauty therapist Jill Tyrell.

In 2015, Davis and Marc Wootton created and starred in BBC Radio 4 comedy series *Couples*, about couples in therapy. It was reported in 2015 that Davis had been commissioned for a new series, *Robin's Test*, which was later renamed *Camping*.

In 2016, Davis wrote, directed, and starred as shallow nymphomaniac "Fay" in *Camping* on Sky Atlantic. This was her directorial debut. At the 2017 BAFTA TV Awards, *Camping* was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy. In 2017, Davis was featured in the Paul Thomas Anderson film *Phantom Thread* as Lady Baltimore.