Emma D'Arcy
Emma Zia D'Arcy (born 27 June 1992) is an English actor, known for their roles in the BBC drama Wanderlust (2018), the Amazon Prime series Truth Seekers (2020), and the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon (2022–), the latter of which earned them critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Emma D'Arcy | |
|---|---|
D'Arcy in 2022 | |
| Born | Emma Zia D'Arcy 27 June 1992 Enfield, Greater London, England |
| Alma mater | Ruskin School of Art, Oxford |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
Early life
D'Arcy was born in the North London Borough of Enfield. In year six, they played Titania in a school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which they credit for introducing them to acting.[1] They studied Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art through St Edmund Hall, Oxford, graduating in 2011.[2][3] During their time at university, D'Arcy took up theatre on the side with their friends,[4] beginning as a set designer before moving into acting and directing.[5]
Career
Theatre
D'Arcy has appeared in several theatre productions; their earliest appearances were in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman at the Oxford Playhouse, Romeo and Juliet at London's Southwark Playhouse, and Clickbait at Theatre503.[6] In 2016, D'Arcy played Tammy Frazier in Callisto: A Queer Epic, directed by Thomas Bailey, at the Arcola Theatre.[7] They starred as Bell in the April 2017 production, A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar), at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.[8] In August 2017, D'Arcy appeared alongside Ben Whishaw in playwright Christopher Shinn's Against, at the Almeida Theatre. Writing for the arts desk, Aleks Sierz praised D'Arcy's performance as well as the production's "marvellous moments of wry humour and acute emotional insight."[9]
In 2018, D'Arcy returned to the Arcola Theatre to portray Lucrezia in Hal Coase's adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. D'Arcy was lauded for their "striking" performance and the production was commended for its stylish simplicity and theatrical flair.[10][11] In 2019, D'Arcy appeared in The Yard Theatre's production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. They were credited for being both riveting and compelling in their role as Elizabeth Proctor. The production won acclaim, with Fiona Mountford of The Evening Standard calling it the finest adaptation of The Crucible she had ever seen.[12][13] D'Arcy is the Joint Artistic Director of Forward Arena Theatre Company.[14]
Television
D'Arcy made their television debut as Naomi Richards in Nick Payne's 2018 BBC One and Netflix series Wanderlust. In 2019, they appeared as Alma Smith in the drama series Wild Bill. In 2020, they played Sonia Richter in the Amazon Prime Video action drama streaming series Hanna. They also starred as Astrid in the 2020 Amazon Prime Video series Truth Seekers, a comedy horror series starring Nick Frost.[2][15][16][17]
Critical acclaim with House of the Dragon
In December 2020, it was announced that D'Arcy had been cast as Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon, a Game of Thrones prequel and adaptation of George R. R. Martin's companion book Fire and Blood.[16][18] D'Arcy admitted that while they had been aware of Game of thrones, they had not actually seen the House of the Dragon predecessor until after being cast in the role of Rhaenyra. They had however read Fire and Blood.[19] The series began production in April 2021, and its ten-episode first season debuted in August 2022.[20][21] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner and executive producer Ryan Condal revealed D'Arcy's Rhaenyra to be, in many ways, House of The Dragon's most important character, with Director Miguel Sapochnik labeling D'Arcy "the face of the show."[22] The importance of the role led to D'Arcy being placed under much scrutiny, particularly after Milly Alcock's rendition of the character in her younger years had been positively received.[23]
D'Arcy's take on the character however was an instant hit,[24] garnering them widespread critical acclaim with critics including it among some of the best performances of the year.[25][26][27] In her review for The A.V. Club, critic Jenna Scherer wrote, "It's impossible to look away whenever D'Arcy's expressive face is in the frame; even when the show itself drags, they electrify every scene they're in.[28] Writing for Comic Book Resources, Philip Etemesi pointed to D'Arcy's strong theatre background as the reason for their "expert handling of such a complex character.[29] Additionally, Marcus Jones of IndieWire praised D'Arcy's turn as Rhaenyra proclaiming: "Though "House of the Dragon" is an ensemble series, viewers can tell just by D'Arcy's presence that their Rhaenyra is the star of the show."[30]
In November 2022, D'Arcy was Honoured by GQ magazine as one of the breakout stars of the year.[31] They were awarded Performer of the Week by TVLine for the week of October 23, 2022, for their performance in the season one finale "The Black Queen"; TVLine later went on to name D'Arcy the year's Biggest Acting Revelation.[32][33] Out magazine's Mey Rude stated, "D'Arcy has stepped up to the plate in a role that would make most actors stagger, and has become an instant star in doing so."[34] For their performance, D'Arcy received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.[35]
Film
In March 2020, D'Arcy appeared in the comedy-drama film Misbehaviour directed by Philippa Lowthorpe.[36] In 2021, they portrayed Emma Hobday in the romantic drama Mothering Sunday. The film was directed by Eva Husson and explored class divides and postwar survivor's guilt in 1924.[37]
Personal life
D'Arcy is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.[38]
Public image
For their role on House of the Dragon, British GQ named them one of the breakout entertainers of 2022, with the magazine stating that House of the Dragon "owed much of its plaudits" to D'Arcy's work on the show.[39] D'Arcy was ranked as the number one breakout star of the year on IMDb's list of top breakout stars of 2022.[40] In October 2022, a video of D'Arcy talking about their favourite cocktail (Negroni Sbagliato) in an interview went viral. The clip became a meme, skyrocketing the spin on the classic Italian cocktail to new levels of popularity.[41] They were later credited with the drink's rise in demand.[42][43][44]
In 2023, The Huffington Post included D'Arcy on its list of rising stars.[45] In April 2023, they were ranked fifth on RadioTimes list of the top 100 most influential people in TV.[46][47]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Films | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | United Strong Alone | Sniper | Short |
| 2019 | O Holy Ghost | Stephanie | Short |
| 2020 | Misbehavior | Hazel | |
| 2021 | Mothering Sunday | Emma Hobday | |
| 2023 | The Talent | Tommy | Short; also producer |
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Wanderlust | Naomi Richards | Main cast |
| 2019 | Wild Bill | Alma | Episode: "Alte und Einsame" |
| 2020 | Hanna | Sonia Richter | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Truth Seekers | Astrid | Main cast |
| 2022–present | House of the Dragon | Rhaenyra Targaryen | Main role, 5 episodes |
Music video
| Year | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Artificial Pleasure | "I'll Make It Worth Your While" |
| 2017 | Little Cub | "Too Much Love" |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Pillowman | Michael | Oxford Playhouse | [48] |
| 2015 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | Southwark Playhouse | [49] |
| 2016 | Clickbait | Kat | Theatre503 | [50] |
| 2016 | Callisto: A Queer Epic | Tammy Frazier | Arcola Theatre | [51] |
| 2017 | Against | Anna | Almeida Theatre | [52] |
| 2017 | A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar) | Bell | West Yorkshire Playhouse | [53] |
| 2018 | Mrs. Dalloway | Lucrezia | Arcola Theatre | [54] |
| 2019 | The Crucible | Elizabeth Proctor | The Yard Theatre | [55] |
Awards and nominations
| Year[a] | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | IMDb STARmeter Awards | Breakout Star | House of the Dragon | Won | [56] |
| 2023 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Nominated | [57] | |
| Queerty Awards | Best TV Performance | Runner-up | [58] | ||
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance | Nominated | [59] | ||
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Drama Series | Pending | [60] | ||
| Gold Derby TV Awards | Drama Actress | Pending | [61] | ||
| Breakthrough Performer of the Year | Pending | [61] |
Notes
- ^ The listed year refers to the date of the ceremony.
References
- ^ Dunn, Frankie (26 September 2022). "Emma D'Arcy on House of the Dragon and gender politics". I-D. from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Emma D'Arcy - Roxane Vacca Management". Roxane Vacca Management. from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Taking Teddy Hall to the Oxford Playhouse". The Aularian: 13. 6 August 2015. from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ Ottenberg, Mel (10 October 2022). "Emma D'Arcy Is on Fire". Interview Magazine. from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ Nugent, Annabel (24 September 2022). "Emma D'Arcy: 'I really like playing women and I'm really good at it'". The Independent. from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ "D'Arcy | Roxane Vacca Management". roxanevacca.co.uk. from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Day Four: Mini Reviews from 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival // Theatre Eddys". theatreeddys.com. 13 August 2016. from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Theatre review: A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar) at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds". British Theatre Guide. 12 April 2017. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Against, Almeida Theatre review - Ben Whishaw is a modern-day Jesus". theartsdesk.com. 19 August 2017. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Naish, Jenny (1 October 2018). "Review: Mrs Dalloway at The Arcola Theatre". Theatre Weekly. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Theatre review: Mrs Dalloway at Arcola Theatre (Studio 2)". British Theatre Guide. 25 September 2018. from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ McLeod, Daniel (3 April 2019). "The Crucible at The Yard Theatre | Theatre review". The Upcoming. from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Mountford, Fiona (3 April 2019). "The Crucible review — Intense production mashes modern and traditional". Evening Standard. from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Emma D'Arcy". press.amazonstudios.com. from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Moore, Camille (6 August 2020). "10 Things You Didn't Know about Emma D'Arcy". TVOvermind. from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ a b Low, Elaine (11 December 2020). "'Game of Thrones' Prequel 'House of the Dragon' Adds Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy". Variety. from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Emma D'Arcy | TVmaze". www.tvmaze.com. from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (11 December 2020). "'House Of the Dragon': Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith & Emma D'Arcy To Star In HBO's 'Game of Thrones' Prequel". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ October 10, Lauren Huff; EDT, 2022 at 04:51 PM. "Emma D'Arcy had never seen 'Game of Thrones' before nabbing 'House of the Dragon' role". EW.com. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Romano, Nick (5 May 2021). "House of the Dragon unleashes first look at cast for Game of Thrones prequel". Entertainment Weekly. from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ Gonzales, Erica (5 May 2021). "A Game of Thrones Prequel Show, House of the Dragon, Is Coming". Harper's Bazaar. from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ July 13, Nick Romano; EDT, 2022 at 12:00 PM. "How 'Game of Thrones' enters a new age with 'House of the Dragon'". EW.com. from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "House of the Dragon viewers give verdict to cast change as Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke make first appearances". HELLO!. 26 September 2022. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Lamadrid, Amanda (21 December 2022). "House Of The Dragon's Emma D'Arcy Almost Didn't Get The Part Of Rhaenyra". ScreenRant. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Williams, Jordan (1 November 2022). "What Emma D'Arcy Is Doing After House Of The Dragon". ScreenRant. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Nguyen, Jessie (28 October 2022). "'House of the Dragon': 10 Scenes that Prove Emma D'Arcy is Perfect As Adult Rhaenyra Targaryen". Collider. from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Dominick, Nora (21 December 2022). "33 TV Actors Who Gave Such Memorable Performances, They Were The Best Of The Year". BuzzFeed. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "The 16 best TV performances of 2022". The A.V. Club. 20 December 2022. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Etemesi, Philip (20 December 2022). "Jenna Ortega & 9 Other Breakout Stars Of 2022". CBR. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Jones, Marcus (4 January 2023). "Emma D'Arcy Is a Consummate Lead on 'House of the Dragon'". IndieWire. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "The GQ Men of the Year Honourees: introducing GQ's Class of 2022". British GQ. 4 November 2022. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ TVLine, Team (29 October 2022). "Performer of the Week: Emma D'Arcy". TVLine. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ TVLine, Team (22 December 2022). "2022 in Review: Best First Kiss, Worst CGI, Most Improved Series, Lamest Cameo and 80+ More TV Superlatives". TVLine. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "15 Best TV and Movie Performances by LGBTQ+ Actors in 2022". www.out.com. 26 December 2022. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Petski, Patrick Hipes,Denise; Hipes, Patrick; Petski, Denise (12 December 2022). "Golden Globe Nominations: The Complete List". Deadline. from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Morales, Wilson (19 December 2019). "Trailer To Dramedy 'Misbehaviour' Featuring Gugu Mbatha-Raw As 1st Black Woman To Win Miss World". from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Mothering Sunday review: corset-loosening drama". BFI. from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Iftikhar, Asyia (21 July 2022). "Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon has a non-binary lead". PinkNews. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "The GQ Men of the Year Honourees: introducing GQ's Class of 2022". British GQ. 4 November 2022. from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "IMDb Best of 2022 | Top Breakout Stars". IMDb. from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ Diaz, Ana (11 October 2022). "Why House of the Dragon fans are so thirsty for the Negroni sbagliato". Polygon. from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "'90s Drinks Are Back—and More Cocktail Trends for 2023, According to Bartenders". Martha Stewart. from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ Rekstis, Charley (11 October 2022). "Bartenders Are Running Out Of Campari And It's Emma D'Arcy's Fault". Mashed. from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "The Negroni Sbagliato Gets Its Moment in the Limelight". Paste Magazine. from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "12 Rising Stars To Look Out For In 2023". HuffPost UK. 2 January 2023. from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ Morris, Seren (3 April 2023). "TV's most influential people: The top 10 stars". Evening Standard. from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "RadioTimes.com TV 100 2022 – the full list". Radio Times. from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Review: The Pillowman". The Oxford Student. 30 October 2014. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Review: Romeo & Juliet @ Said Business School". Oxford Mail. 23 July 2015. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Review: Clickbait at Theatre503". Exeunt Magazine. from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Day Four: Mini Reviews from 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival // Theatre Eddys". theatreeddys.com. 13 August 2016. from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (19 August 2017). "'Against': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Theatre review: A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar) at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds". British Theatre Guide. 12 April 2017. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ Naish, Jenny (1 October 2018). "Review: Mrs Dalloway at The Arcola Theatre". Theatre Weekly. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "D'Arcy | Roxane Vacca Management". roxanevacca.co.uk. from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Emma D'Arcy Receives IMDb Breakout Starmeter Award". 6 December 2022. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick; Petski, Denise (12 December 2022). "Golden Globe Nominations: The Complete List". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Performance - TV award winners in the 2023 Queerties". Queerty. from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (5 April 2023). "Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things, The Last of Us Lead MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 Nominations". Variety. from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ Anderson, Erik (11 July 2023). "The Boys, Yellowjackets, Abbott Elementary lead 2023 HCA TV Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
- ^ a b "2023 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations: Succession, Abbott Elementary and Beef lead". GoldDerby. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
External links
- Emma D'Arcy at IMDb