Embeth Davidtz

{{Infobox person

| name = Embeth Davidtz

| birth_name = Embeth Jean Davidtz

| image = Embeth Davidtz at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (cropped).jpg

| caption = Davidtz in 2024

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|8|11}}

| birth_place = Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = {{marriage|Jason Sloane|2002}}

| children = 2

| occupation = Actress

| nationality = South African

| education = Rhodes University in Grahamstown

| years_active = 1989–present

}}

Embeth Jean Davidtz (born August 11, 1965){{cite news |title=Happy Birthday to... |work=The Sun (United Kingdom) |page=40 |date=August 11, 2015 |quote= |url= }} is an American-South African 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).{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2024-07-22 |title=TIFF Galas & Special Presentations Lineup Includes World Premieres From Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, Gia Coppola; Starry Pics With Jennifer Lopez, Lily James, Dave Bautista; Int'l Premieres 'Conclave' & 'Piece By Piece', More |url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/2024-toronto-film-festival-lineup-movies-list-1236017283/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

Early life

Davidtz was born on August 11, 1965, in Lafayette, Indiana, to South African parents John and Jean, while her father was studying chemical engineering at Purdue University. The family later moved to Trenton, New Jersey, and then to South Africa when Davidtz was nine years old.{{cite news| url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980726/ai_n14163482 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229235334/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980726/ai_n14163482 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2008-12-29 | title=Cinema: The star of Davidtz | work= The Independent}} Davidtz has Dutch, English, and French ancestry.{{Cite news|last=Schaeffer|first=Stephen|title=Movies; Actress Davidtz leaves out sweetness in 'Gingerbread Man'|work=Boston Herald|date=1998-03-03|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/26926935.html?dids=26926935:26926935&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+03%2C+1998&author=TEPHEN+SCHAEFER&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Movies%3B+Actress+Davidtz+leaves+out+sweetness+in+%60Gingerbread+Man%27&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724211048/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/26926935.html?dids=26926935:26926935&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+03%2C+1998&author=TEPHEN+SCHAEFER&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Movies%3B+Actress+Davidtz+leaves+out+sweetness+in+%60Gingerbread+Man%27&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 24, 2012|access-date=2011-01-11}} She had to learn Afrikaans before attending school classes in South Africa, where her father took up a teaching post at Potchefstroom University. Davidtz graduated from The Glen High School in Pretoria in 1983 and studied at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.{{cite web |title=Embeth Davidtz Biography And Images |work=Oregon Herald |url=http://www.oregonherald.com/bios/links/biography.cfm?NAME=Embeth-Davidtz |access-date=July 11, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107203811/http://www.oregonherald.com/bios/links/biography.cfm?NAME=Embeth-Davidtz |archive-date=January 7, 2016 }}

Career

=Debut and early career=

Davidtz made her acting debut at age 21 with CAPAB (Cape Performing Arts Board, now known as Artscape) in Cape Town, playing Juliet in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Maynardville Open-Air Theatre. Performing in English and Afrikaans, she also starred in other local plays, including Stille Nag (Silent Night) and A Chain of Voices, both earning her nominations for the South African equivalent of the Tony Award.

Her film debut came in 1988 with a small role in South African-filmed American horror Mutator.{{cite web|title=Mutator (1989): Overview|publisher=Turner Classic Movies |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/84256/mutator|access-date=May 17, 2015}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/Houd-den-Bek |title=Houd-den-Bek |publisher=Encyclopaedia of South African Theatre, Film, Media and Performance (ESAT) |access-date=2016-07-28}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/Embeth_Davidtz |title=Embeth Davidtz |publisher=Encyclopaedia of South African Theatre, Film, Media and Performance (ESAT) |access-date=2016-07-28}}

=Hollywood career=

In 1992, Davidtz played the part of Sheila in Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness alongside Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams. The third movie in the Evil Dead franchise would eventually become a big cult classic worldwide.

In 1993, Davidtz played the role of Helen Hirsch in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7a13419d|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415132814/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7a13419d|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 15, 2016|title=Schindler's List (1993)|website=BFI}}

In 1995, Davidtz had a central role in the fact-based film Murder in the First, and the Merchant Ivory Productions Feast of July.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2baa07ae90|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327232218/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2baa07ae90|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 27, 2019|title=Embeth Davidtz|website=BFI}}

In 1996, she played the role of Miss Honey, the first-grade teacher of the title character, in Matilda.{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2016/07/08/matildas-miss-honey-is-now-50-years-old-and-we-cant-get-our-heads-around-it-5994389/|title=Matilda's Miss Honey is now 50 and we can't get our heads around it|first=Olivia|last=Waring|date=July 8, 2016}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/embeth-davidtz-p17230/filmography|title=Embeth Davidtz | Movies and Filmography|website=AllMovie}}

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).{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b847e6a31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211061411/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b847e6a31|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 11, 2018|title=Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)|website=BFI}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/citizen-baines/cast/1000267849/|title=Citizen Baines|website=TVGuide.com}} Other roles included horror thrillers like 2001's Thirteen Ghosts alongside Tony Shalhoub.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/13-ghosts-2001|title=13 Ghosts movie review & film summary (2001) | Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert|website=www.rogerebert.com/}} In 2002, she appeared in the Michael Hoffman drama The Emperor's Club.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b864181c9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128140039/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b864181c9|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 28, 2021|title=The Emperor's Club (2002)|website=BFI}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/junebug-v319336|title=Junebug (2005) - Phil Morrison, Manu Boyer | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |via=www.allmovie.com}} 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".{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/greys-anatomy--let-the-angels-commit-v401022|title=Grey's Anatomy : Let the Angels Commit (2006) - Jessica Yu, Herbert Davis, Debbie Allen | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|via=www.allmovie.com}} In 2008, she had a regular role on HBO's In Treatment as Amy, part of a fractious couple alongside Josh Charles's Jake.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/embeth-davidtz-p17230/other_appearances|title=Embeth Davidtz | TV, Documentary and Other Appearances|website=AllMovie}}

She portrayed the unfaithful and unfortunate wife of Anthony Hopkins's character in the 2007 drama Fracture.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/fracture-v345081|title=Fracture (2007) - Gregory Hoblit | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related |via=www.allmovie.com}}

From 2009 to 2012, she played Rebecca Pryce, wife of Lane Pryce, in the AMC television show Mad Men.[http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/cast/lpryce Mad Men cast] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313135045/http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/cast/lpryce |date=2010-03-13 }} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/californication--turn-the-page-v453755/cast-crew|title=Californication : Turn the Page (2007) - David Von Ancken | Cast and Crew |via=www.allmovie.com}}

Davidtz played Annika Blomkvist in the 2011 English language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-premiere-photos-rooney-mara-daniel-craig-273845/|title='The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' Premiere: Who Attended, What They Wore|first1=Kimberly Nordyke,Sophie Schillaci,Chris|last1=Godley|first2=Kimberly|last2=Nordyke|first3=Sophie|last3=Schillaci|first4=Chris|last4=Godley|website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=December 14, 2011}} 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, Peter Parker's missing mother.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2772785/review-the-amazing-spider-man-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018181949/https://www.mtv.com/news/2772785/review-the-amazing-spider-man-2/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 18, 2021|title=Review: 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2'|first=Kate|last=Erbland|website=MTV News}}

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.

Personal life

Davidtz married entertainment attorney Jason Sloane on June 22, 2002, and they have two children.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/matilda-cast-now-hunky-transformation-24739300|title=Matilda cast now - hunky transformation, doctor, doomed marriage and cancer|first=Verity|last=Sulway|date=August 12, 2021|website=mirror}} The family lives in Los Angeles.{{cite web |url=https://www.instagram.com/embethdavidtz/?hl=en |title=embethdavidtz |first=Embeth |last=Davidtz |website=Instagram |date=2022-10-28 |quote=Actress. Mom. Animal lover.🐾Based in Los Angeles.}}

In 2013, Davidtz underwent chemotherapy, immunological treatment, lymph-node-removal surgery and a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with Stage-3 breast cancer.{{cite web |last=Fretts |first=Bruce |title=Ray Donovan's Embeth Davidtz Opens Up About Fighting Breast Cancer and Her Complicated Nude Scene |date=August 1, 2016 |website=Vulture.com |url=http://www.vulture.com/2016/07/ray-donovan-embeth-davidtz-on-her-complicated-nude-scene.html |access-date=August 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801155802/http://www.vulture.com/2016/07/ray-donovan-embeth-davidtz-on-her-complicated-nude-scene.html |archive-date=August 1, 2016 |url-status=live}} Davidtz rejected the use of a prosthetic 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.{{r|Fretts (2016)}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable" \| Notes
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 \|
rowspan="2"\| 1995 \|Murder in the First \|Mary McCasslin \|
Feast of July \|Bella Ford \|
1996 \|Matilda \|Miss Jennifer Honey \|
rowspan="2"\| 1998 \|Fallen \|Gretta Milano \|
{{sortname\|The\|Gingerbread Man\|The Gingerbread Man (film)}} \|Mallory Doss \|
rowspan="3"\| 1999 \|Simon Magus \|Leah \|
Mansfield Park \|Mary Crawford \|
Bicentennial Man \|"Little Miss" Amanda Martin, Portia Charney \|
rowspan="3"\| 2001 \|Bridget Jones's Diary \|Natasha Glenville \|
{{sortname\|The\|Hole\|The Hole (2001 film)}} \|Dr. Philippa Horwood \|
Thir13en Ghosts \|Kalina Oretzia \|
2002 \|{{sortname\|The\|Emperor's Club}} \|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 \|
rowspan="3"\| 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

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

!Title

!Role

!class="unsortable" | Notes

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

rowspan="2"| 1995

|Murder in the First

|Mary McCasslin

Feast of July

|Bella Ford

1996

|Matilda

|Miss Jennifer Honey

rowspan="2"| 1998

|Fallen

|Gretta Milano

{{sortname|The|Gingerbread Man|The Gingerbread Man (film)}}

|Mallory Doss

rowspan="3"| 1999

|Simon Magus

|Leah

Mansfield Park

|Mary Crawford

Bicentennial Man

|"Little Miss" Amanda Martin, Portia Charney

rowspan="3"| 2001

|Bridget Jones's Diary

|Natasha Glenville

{{sortname|The|Hole|The Hole (2001 film)}}

|Dr. Philippa Horwood

Thir13en Ghosts

|Kalina Oretzia

2002

|{{sortname|The|Emperor's Club}}

|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

rowspan="3"| 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=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable" \| Notes
1989 \|Screen Two \|Older Karen \|Episode: "A Private Life"
rowspan="2"\| 1992 \|Till Death Us Do Part \|Katherine Palliko \|TV movie (US not UK where series originated)
Deadly Matrimony \|Dianne Masters \| rowspan="3" \|TV movie
1997 \|{{sortname\|The\|Garden of Redemption\|nolink=1}} \|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"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

!Title

!Role

!class="unsortable" | Notes

1989

|Screen Two

|Older Karen

|Episode: "A Private Life"

rowspan="2"| 1992

|Till Death Us Do Part

|Katherine Palliko