Essie Davis is an Australian actress. Born and bred in Tasmania, she is the daughter of locally famed artist George Davis.
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.
It has become common in Tasmania to say of a bad actor that he or she "is more Errol than Essie", referring to Errol Flynn's perceived hamminess compared to Essie Davis' more subtle performances.