Emerald Lilly Fennell is an English actress, author, screenwriter and director. She is best known as the show-runner for the second season of the critically acclaimed BBC America thriller series Killing Eve which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. She is also known for her performances in film and television which include, The Crown, Call the Midwife, Anna Karenina, Albert Nobbs, and Vita and Virginia. In 2020, her directorial debut, Promising Young Woman starring Carey Mulligan debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
Fennell appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Chickens with Simon Bird, Joe Thomas and Jonny Sweet. She then joined the cast of the BBC One series Call the Midwife as Patsy Mount, after dyeing her blonde hair red. She is also known for her film roles in Albert Nobbs and Anna Karenina, The Danish Girl and Vita and Virginia. On 23 October 2018, it was revealed that Fennell would play Camilla Shand in third season of the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown with Olivia Colman replacing Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II. Fennell took over for Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the head writer for season two of the BBC series Killing Eve. She wrote 6 episodes for the season, and called the experience "life-changing". Waller-Bridge praised Fennell's handling of the show's second season stating that "it is fantastic and it feels so brilliant because Emerald's voice is so unique. Her roar is very evident in it and that's what gives it its energy." In 2020, Fennell's directorial debut Promising Young Woman starring Carey Mulligan, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. At April 2020, the film holds a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes with the critics consensus reading, "A boldly provocative, timely thriller, Promising Young Woman is an auspicious feature debut for writer-director Emerald Fennell -- and a career highlight for Carey Mulligan".
Filmography
Film
Television
Writing
In 2008, Fennell was commissioned to write a film script. Called Chukka, it's a romantic comedy about a group of teenagers who fight the closure of their school by taking on the rich kids at polo. Her first novel was published by Bloomsbury Children's Books in January 2013: Shiverton Hall, a children's fantasy. In December 2012, it was released as an ebook by Bloomsbury USA. The Creeper, a sequel, was published mid-2014. ISFDB catalogues them as the Shiverton Hall series. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2014. She then released Monsters in September 2015, her first adult horror book. In July 2018, it was announced that Fennell was hired by her close friend Phoebe Waller-Bridge as head writer for the second season of the BBC America series Killing Eve, replacing Waller-Bridge, who remains as a producer. Fennell also become one of the show's executive producers. Speaking to The New York Times, Fennell said "Phoebe and I had worked together in the past, and we’ve been friends for nearly 10 years. We met on a film — Albert Nobbs — which we both had tiny parts in. I started in the very early days as a writer in the Season 2 writer's room. Because it's such an unusual show, they did a very loose writers' room for a week just to see, and then wonderfully and luckily for me they promoted me to head writer." The second season began broadcast in April 2019. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Fennell was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the season 2 episode "Nice and Neat". In January 2019, it was announced Fennell would write and direct Promising Young Woman starring Carey Mulligan. Production began in March 2019. She also produced the film, together with Margot Robbie and four other producers. In January 2020, Andrew Lloyd Webber announced he would collaborate with Fennell on a new musical, Cinderella, which is planned to open in London in October 2020.
