Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1985-10-01
- Born Place: Hammersmith, London, England, UK
Also Known As:
Emerald Lilly Fennell
Emerald Fennell
Born on October 1, 1985, in Hammersmith, London, Emerald Lilly Fennell is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, actress, and author known for her provocative storytelling and exploration of social class and obsession. The daughter of celebrity jewelry designer Theo Fennell and author Louise Fennell, she was educated at Marlborough College before studying English at Greyfriars, Oxford, where she was discovered by a talent agent while performing in student plays. Fennell first gained widespread recognition as an actress, starring as Nurse Patsy Mount in Call the Midwife (2013–2017) and portraying Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown, a role that earned her an Emmy nomination. Beyond acting, she served as the showrunner for the second season of Killing Eve and has published several dark children's and young adult novels, including Shiverton Hall and Monsters. Her transition to feature film directing was marked by the 2020 thriller Promising Young Woman, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, making her the first British woman to be nominated for Best Director. She followed this success with the psychological drama Saltburn (2023) and is currently directing the 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Fennell lives in London with her husband, Chris Vernon, and their two children.
