Emma Pierson

Emma Jane Pierson (born 30 April 1981) is an English actress. Her appearances in television programmes include the role of Anna Thornton-Wilton in the BBC television drama Hotel Babylon, and SunTrap, Days Like These, Beast, I Saw You, Charles II: The Power and The Passion, The Worst Week of My Life, Bloodlines, Coupling, Time Gentlemen Please, Dead Boss and Killing Eve.

Early life and education The daughter of a nurse and a Royal Navy submariner, Pierson was born Emma Jane Pierson on 30 April 1981 in Plymouth, Devon. Her father, Charles, was stationed at Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde where Emma spent the first four years of her life.

When she was in her teens, Pierson lived with her parents and three siblings in North Bradley, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire, attending Grittleton House School and then later St Laurence School in nearby Bradford on Avon where she began taking acting lessons.

After leaving school in 1997, Pierson performed in amateur productions with the North Bradley players, appearing in a number of plays including Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.

Pierson gained the role of Becky Radcliffe in the BBC children's drama series Grange Hill while studying law at the City of Bath College.

Career

After leaving Grange Hill, Pierson took on the role of Jackie Burgett in Days Like These, an ITV sitcom set in Luton and adapted from the American comedy series That '70s Show. However, Days Like These proved unsuccessful and the series was cancelled after only ten of its thirteen episodes were aired.

Pierson has continued to appear in comedy series, including various episodes of the Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, Beast with Alexander Armstrong and The Worst Week of My Life with Ben Miller. In 2002, following the departure from the series of Julia Sawalha, Pierson played new character student barmaid Connie in the second series of sitcom Time Gentlemen Please, written by Al Murray and Richard Herring, and appeared in an episode of the sitcom Coupling.

Pierson's roles have included comedy dramas Bedtime and Legend of the Tamworth Two. In 2010 she starred in the Radio 4 comedy series "House on Fire".

Pierson has appeared the dramas Stranded, the Hallmark channel's version of Swiss Family Robinson, BBC political drama The Project, Charles II and an as yet unreleased low-budget film, The Engagement, from the director of Sirens, John Duigan.

In 2005, Pierson played the role of policewoman Justine Hopkin in the two-part ITV drama, Bloodlines. She has since acted in other dramas, such as Riot at the Rite, a period drama about Russian dancer Nijinsky, and Hotel Babylon, a BBC series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones and portraying life behind the scenes in a London hotel.

In the 2006 indie film The Lives of the Saints, Pierson played the character Tina. This was her first major film role, after lesser roles in Virtual Sexuality and Guest House Paradiso early in her career.

In 2016, Pierson portrayed an adoptive mother (Jess) whose worst nightmare came true when her daughters biological mother turns up and tries to destroy her family in the BBC Three series "Cuckoo".

Filmography Film Year Film Role 1999 Virtual Sexuality Fiona 1999 Guest House Paradiso Saucy Wood Nymph 2001 Dumping Elaine Waitress 2002 Stranded Sarah Robinson 2002 I Saw You Zoë 2002 The Project Juliette 2003 Uncle Douglas Sarah Tomkinson 2004 The Legend of the Tamworth Two Jenny West 2005 Angell's Hell Flo 2005 Bloodlines Justine Hopkin 2005 Riot at the Rite Romola 2006 The Lives of the Saints Tina 2010 Barbie in A Mermaid Tale Kayla 2011 Nancy, Sid and Sergio Nancy 2014 Sophia Grace and Rosie's Royal Adventure Princess Cordelia 2015 Absolutely Anything Miss Pringle

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Days Like These Jackie Burget Main role 1999 Grange Hill Becky Radcliffe ? 2000 Beast Jade Main role 2001 Armstrong and Milleraka: The Armstrong and Miller Show Various episodes 2001 Absolutely Fabulous Kasha Episode: "Small Opening" 2001 Bedtime Sapphire Main role (series 1) 2002 Coupling Jennifer Episode: "The Girl with One Heart" 2002 Time Gentlemen Please Connie Main role (series 2) 2003 A Touch of Frost Alice Thompson Episode: "Held in Trust" 2003 My Hero Dr Chelsea Episode: "Big" 2003 Charles II: The Power and The Passion Nell Gwynn 1 episode 2004 The Worst Week of My Life Sophie Cook Main role 2004 The Last Chancers Kirby Main role 2005 Twisted Tales Jane Episode: "The Irredeemable Brain of Dr. Heinrich Hunsecker" 2005 The Brief Kelly Byrne Episode: "Forever on the Mind" 2006 Morning Glory Herself Episode 1.10 2006–2009 Hotel Babylon Anna Thornton-Wilton Main role 2007 Talk to Me Ally Various episodes 2007 Who Gets the Dog Tara 1 episode 2008 Little Dorrit Fanny Dorrit Various episodes 2010 Money Selina Street Main role 2012 Dead Boss Mrs Bridges Episodes 1, 3 2013 Death in Paradise Anna Jones Episode 2.3 2013 Love Matters Cox Episode: "Officially Special" 2013 Up the Women Eva Main role 2015 SunTrap Melody Main role 2015 The Kennedys Jenny Main role (series 1) 2016 Cuckoo Jess Recurring role (series 3) 2019 Killing Eve Gemma Recurring role (series 2)

Music videos Year Artist Track Role 2003 Thea Gilmore "Juliet" Girl in a Cage

Video games Year Game Role Notes 2011 Dark Souls Anastacia of Astora/Dusk of Oolacile Voice 2020 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Nene Voice