Born in England in 1959, Emma first was involved in drama at the University of Cambridge, where she was a member of the drama club The Footlights. Her work there caught the eye of her first agent, who signed her where she was still in school.

After school, she branched out into television with the series Alfresco, a comedy sketch show, and series like The Young Ones and the BBC series Fortunes of War, for which she won a BAFTA.

Her first major role was the 1989 movie, The Tall Guy and first took notice of the world with her performance in Howard’s End for which she won a Oscar in 1992. Emma also took part in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with the role of Sybill Trelawney, and appeared in subsequent films. She appeared in Richard Curtis’ 2003 film “Love Actually” and his 2009 movie “Pirate Radio.”

Emma branched into writing, winning an Oscar in 1996 for the best adapted screenplay of Sense and Sensibility, which she also had a staring role in. She continues to write, most recently with the adaptations of the Nanny McPhee movies from a series of children books.

Emma has also worked in American television, winning a Emmy in 1997 for her guest role on Ellen. She returned to American screens in the HBO movie Wit in 2001, the television adaption of the play. She was nominated for a SAG, Emmy and Golden Globe for that role. In 2003, she played the role of The Angel among others in the mini-series “Angels in America” where she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe for her role.