Embeth Jean Davidtz (born August 11, 1965) is a South African-American actress and director. She has appeared in movies such as Schindler's List, Matilda, Bridget Jones's Diary, and The Amazing Spider-Man, and in the television series In Treatment, Californication, and Mad Men.
In 2024 Davidtz made her directorial debut with Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, an adaptation of the best-selling memoir of the same name by Alexandra Fuller about growing up on a farm in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. The film had its Canadian premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Her film debut came in 1988 with a small role in South African-filmed American horror Mutator. Shortly after, she won a bigger part in South African short telemovie A Private Life, as the daughter of an interracial couple. Davidtz won a DALRO Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the 1990 play Houd-den-bek. For the same play, she was nominated in 1991 for the Esther Roos Award for Best Actress in a Supporting role in Afrikaans film. Steven Spielberg noticed her performance in the 1992 South African film, Nag van die Negentiende and offered her the role of Helen Hirsch in Schindler's List.
In 1993, Davidtz played the role of Helen Hirsch in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List.
In 1995, Davidtz had a central role in the fact-based film Murder in the First, and the Merchant Ivory Productions Feast of July.
In 1996, she played the role of Miss Honey, the first-grade teacher of the title character, in Matilda.
In 1998, Davidtz played a theologian helping Denzel Washington crack a supernatural wave of crimes in the mystery drama Fallen and a femme fatale linked to Kenneth Branagh in Robert Altman's The Gingerbread Man. In 1999, Davidtz portrayed a 19th-century woman of the world in Patricia Rozema's reworking of the Jane Austen comedy Mansfield Park and played a dual role opposite Robin Williams in the futuristic fable Bicentennial Man.
A supporting role in the 2001 film Bridget Jones' Diary saw Davidtz play Natasha, a colleague and one of the love interests of Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). That year, she began her run on the CBS drama Citizen Baines, playing the daughter of a defeated United States Senate incumbent (James Cromwell) who is herself leaning towards a career in politics. Other roles included horror thrillers like 2001's Thirteen Ghosts alongside Tony Shalhoub. In 2002, she appeared in the Michael Hoffman drama The Emperor's Club.
In 2005, she played a character in Junebug, an outsider art dealer from Chicago brought to North Carolina to meet her husband's family for the first time. Davidtz also guest-starred on the ABC drama series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Derek Shepherd's sister Nancy Shepherd in the Season 3 episode "Let the Angels Commit" and the season 15 episode "Good Shepherd". In 2008, she had a regular role on HBO's In Treatment as Amy, part of a fractious couple alongside Josh Charles's Jake.
She portrayed the unfaithful and unfortunate wife of Anthony Hopkins's character in the 2007 drama Fracture.
From 2009 to 2012, she played Rebecca Pryce, wife of Lane Pryce, in the AMC television show Mad Men. Mad Men cast AMC TV She also played Felicia Koons, the wife of the dean and the mother of Becca's best friend, Chelsea, on Showtime's Californication.
Davidtz played Annika Blomkvist in the 2011 English language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She also appeared in the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as Mary Parker, Spider-Man's missing mother.
In 2016, she joined the cast of Ray Donovan (season 4) in the role of Sonia Kovitzky.
From 2019 to 2021, she played Paige Kessler on The Morning Show, opposite Steve Carell (as Mitch Kessler), Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon. She played the adult version of Maddox Cappa in Old in 2021, and Judith Sanders in Not Okay in 2022.
In 2013, Davidtz underwent chemotherapy, immunological treatment, lymph-node-removal surgery and a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with Cancer staging breast cancer. Davidtz rejected the use of a Prosthesis as a substitute for her nipple during a nude scene in Ray Donovan, where she portrayed a character who was a breast-cancer survivor, choosing instead to incorporate her own partially reconstructed right breast into the storyline.
Hollywood career
Personal life
Filmography
Film
1989 Mutator Jennifer 1990 Sweet Murder Laurie Shannon 1991 Nag van die 19de Tessa 1992 Army of Darkness Sheila 1993 Schindler's List Helen Hirsch 1995 Murder in the First Mary McCasslin Feast of July Bella Ford 1996 Matilda Miss Jennifer Honey 1998 Fallen Gretta Milano Mallory Doss 1999 Simon Magus Leah Mansfield Park Mary Crawford Bicentennial Man "Little Miss" Amanda Martin, Portia Charney 2001 Bridget Jones's Diary Natasha Glenville Dr. Philippa Horwood Thir13en Ghosts Kalina Oretzia 2002 Elizabeth 2005 Junebug Madeleine Johnsten 2007 Fracture Jennifer Crawford 2008 Winged Creatures Joan Laraby 2010 3 Backyards The Actress 2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Annika Giannini 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man Mary Parker 2013 Paranoia Dr. Judith Bolton Europa Report Dr. Samantha Unger Miracle Rising: South Africa Herself 2014 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Mary Parker 2021 Old Maddox Cappa (Adult) 2022 Not Okay Judith Sanders 2023 Retribution Heather Turner 2024 Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight Nicola Fuller Directorial debut
Television
1989 Screen Two Older Karen Episode: "A Private Life" 1992 Till Death Us Do Part Katherine Palliko TV movie (US not UK where series originated) Deadly Matrimony Dianne Masters TV movie 1997 Adriana 1998 Last Rites Dr. Lauren Riggs 2001 Citizen Baines Ellen Baines Croland 7 episodes 2002 Shackleton Rosalind Chetwynd TV miniseries 2004 Scrubs Maddie Episode: "My Tormented Mentor" 2006, 2019 Grey's Anatomy Nancy Shepherd Episodes: "Let the Angels Commit", "Good Shepherd" 2008 In Treatment Amy 8 episodes 2009 Californication Felicia Koons 10 episodes 2009–2012 Mad Men Rebecca Pryce 8 episodes 2015 The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe Natasha Lytess TV miniseries 2016 Ray Donovan Sonia Kovitzky 7 episodes 2019–2021 The Morning Show Paige Kessler 3 episodes 2021 Love, Victor Ms. Campbell Episode: "Table for Four" 2022 Tales of the Walking Dead Amanda Episode: "Davon"
External links
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