Emily Watson was born and raised in London, England, to Katharine (Venables),an English teacher, and Richard Watson, an architect. Her upbringing was described as sheltered, and she attended university in Bristol for three years, studying English literature. Despite being rejected from drama school on her first attempt, Watson persevered and was eventually accepted after working in clerical and waitress jobs for three years.
In 1992, Watson joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she met her future husband, Jack Waters. Her early stage work led to her first screen role in Breaking the Waves (1996),for which she received an Academy Award nomination. She continued to gain success in Britain with leading roles in Metroland (1997) and The Mill on the Floss (1997).
Watson's breakthrough role in the United States came in 1997 with The Boxer (1997),opposite Daniel Day-Lewis. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of cellist Jacqueline du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998) and landed a small part in Tim Robbins's Cradle Will Rock (1999).
Watson's performance as Angela McCourt in Angela's Ashes (1999) earned her top billing and critical acclaim. She then appeared in Trixie (2000) and The Luzhin Defence (2000),before returning to an ensemble cast in Robert Altman's Gosford Park (2001).
Watson's status as a leading actress in major Hollywood productions was cemented in 2002 with roles in Red Dragon (2002),Equilibrium (2002),and Punch-Drunk Love (2002),opposite Adam Sandler. She has expressed interest in working with director Paul Thomas Anderson again.
Emily Watson is married to Jack Waters and lives in London, England, UK.
