Emma Pierson
Encyclopedia
Emma Jane Pierson, better known as Emma Pierson, (born 30 April 1981) is an English
actress. She is best known for her role as Anna Thornton-Wilton in the BBC
television drama Hotel Babylon
.
Pierson has appeared in many television programmes, including Days Like These
, Beast
, I Saw You, Charles II
, The Worst Week of My Life
, Bloodlines
, Coupling
and Time Gentlemen Please
. Her more recent projects include the film Lives of the Saints.
submariner, Pierson was born Emma Jane Pierson on 30 April 1981 in Plymouth
, Devon
. Her father, Charles, was stationed at Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde
where Emma spent the first four years of her life.
When she was in her teens, Pierson lived with her parents and three siblings in North Bradley
, near Trowbridge
, Wiltshire
, and began taking acting lessons while attending St. Laurence School in nearby Bradford on Avon
.
After leaving school in 1997, Pierson performed in amateur productions with the North Bradley players, appearing in Chekov plays, such as Uncle Vanya
.
Pierson gained the role of Becky Radcliffe in the BBC children's drama series Grange Hill
while studying law
at the City of Bath College
.
, a British show set in Luton and adapted from the US comedy That '70s Show
. However, Days Like These proved unsuccessful and the series was cancelled after only ten of its thirteen episodes were aired.
Pierson has continued to appear in comedy series, including various episodes of the Channel 4
sketch show Armstrong and Miller, Beast with Alexander Armstrong
and The Worst Week of My Life
with Ben Miller
.
In 2002, following the departure from the series of Julia Sawalha
, Pierson played new character student barmaid Connie in the second series of sitcom Time Gentlemen Please
, written by Al Murray
and Richard Herring
, and appeared in an episode of the sitcom Coupling
.
Pierson’s career has also included roles in comedy dramas such as Bedtime and Legend of the Tamworth Two. Also Emma in 2010 is starring in the Radio 4 comedy series "House on Fire".
Pierson has also appeared many dramas, including Stranded, the Hallmark channel's version of Swiss Family Robinson, BBC political drama The Project
, Charles II and an as yet unreleased low budget British movie, The Engagement, from the director of Sirens
, John Duigan
.
In 2005, Pierson played the role of policewoman Justine Hopkin in the two-part ITV drama, Bloodlines. She has since acted in many more dramas, such as Riot at the Rite, a period drama about Russian dancer Nijinsky
, and Hotel Babylon
, a BBC series based on the book of the same name
by Imogen Edwards-Jones
and portraying life behind the scenes in a London hotel.
British indie movie The Lives of the Saints, which was co-directed by Chris Cottam and photographer Rankin and in which Emma played a character called Tina, was released in 2006. This was Pierson’s first major movie role, after brief roles in Virtual Sexuality and Guest House Paradiso early in her career.
, London
, with her longtime boyfriend Damian Village and ragdoll cat Marvin.
Pierson's hobbies include rock climbing
, scuba diving
, and photography
. She also enjoys travelling to other countries and taught English as a foreign language in Sri Lanka
during the winter of 2003-2004.
Pierson comes from a family of adventurers. Her father was a lieutenant-commander on submarines in the Royal Navy
and her mother was a nurse. Her older brother Ross is married with twin girls and lives in Wales; her sister (a student) regularly visits an orphanage
in Nepal
; and her younger brother James does free running
, from which Pierson says he "has broken almost every bone in his body".
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress. She is best known for her role as Anna Thornton-Wilton in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television drama Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
.
Pierson has appeared in many television programmes, including Days Like These
Days Like These
Days Like These is a British TV series remake of the popular American sitcom That '70s Show. Directed by Bob Spiers, it was broadcast Fridays at 8.30pm on ITV in 1999 and used many of the same names , or slight alterations . It was set in Dunstable, Bedfordshire...
, Beast
Beast (TV series)
Beast is a BBC One sitcom based in a veterinary surgery. Two series of six episodes each were made, with the first broadcast in early 2000 and the second in early 2001...
, I Saw You, Charles II
Charles II: The Power and The Passion
Charles II: The Power and the Passion is an award-winning British television mini-series, broadcast on BBC One in 2003, and produced by the BBC in association with the A&E Network in the United States...
, The Worst Week of My Life
The Worst Week of My Life
The Worst Week of My Life is a British comedy television series, first broadcast on BBC One between March and April 2004. A second series was aired between November and December 2005 and a three-part Christmas special, The Worst Christmas of My Life was shown during December 2006...
, Bloodlines
Bloodlines (TV drama)
Bloodlines is a one-off 2005 detective thriller starring a released suspect played by Kevin McNally and on-screen daughter Emma Pierson as a new police officer keen to investigate the circumstances of her mother's recent death....
, Coupling
Coupling (UK TV series)
Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating and sexual adventures and mishaps of six friends in their thirties, often depicting the three women and the three...
and Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please is a British sitcom. Commissioned by Sky One, it was primarily written by Richard Herring and Al Murray and ran for two series between 2000 and 2002.- Premise and characters :...
. Her more recent projects include the film Lives of the Saints.
Biography
The daughter of a nurse and a Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
submariner, Pierson was born Emma Jane Pierson on 30 April 1981 in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. Her father, Charles, was stationed at Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
where Emma spent the first four years of her life.
When she was in her teens, Pierson lived with her parents and three siblings in North Bradley
North Bradley
The village of North Bradley, Wiltshire, England, lies between the towns of Trowbridge and Westbury, and is now separated from the former by only a couple of fields.Most of the hamlet of Yarnbrook is part of North Bradley...
, near Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, and began taking acting lessons while attending St. Laurence School in nearby Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists....
.
After leaving school in 1997, Pierson performed in amateur productions with the North Bradley players, appearing in Chekov plays, such as Uncle Vanya
Uncle Vanya
Uncle Vanya is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897 and received its Moscow première in 1899 in a production by the Moscow Art Theatre, under the direction of Konstantin Stanislavski....
.
Pierson gained the role of Becky Radcliffe in the BBC children's drama series Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
while studying law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the City of Bath College
City of Bath College
City of Bath College is a Further Education college in the centre of Bath, Somerset, England.-History:The college was formed in 1892 under the combined names of Bath City Science, Art, and Technical Schools...
.
Work and profile
After leaving Grange Hill, Pierson took on the role of Jackie Burgett in Days Like TheseDays Like These
Days Like These is a British TV series remake of the popular American sitcom That '70s Show. Directed by Bob Spiers, it was broadcast Fridays at 8.30pm on ITV in 1999 and used many of the same names , or slight alterations . It was set in Dunstable, Bedfordshire...
, a British show set in Luton and adapted from the US comedy That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
. However, Days Like These proved unsuccessful and the series was cancelled after only ten of its thirteen episodes were aired.
Pierson has continued to appear in comedy series, including various episodes of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
sketch show Armstrong and Miller, Beast with Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Armstrong (comedian)
Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong is a British comedian, actor and television presenter.-Early life and career:Armstrong was born in Rothbury, Northumberland, the youngest of three children, to Henry Angus Armstrong and his wife Emma Virginia Peronnet Thompson-McCausland, daughter of Lucius...
and The Worst Week of My Life
The Worst Week of My Life
The Worst Week of My Life is a British comedy television series, first broadcast on BBC One between March and April 2004. A second series was aired between November and December 2005 and a three-part Christmas special, The Worst Christmas of My Life was shown during December 2006...
with Ben Miller
Ben Miller
Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television...
.
In 2002, following the departure from the series of Julia Sawalha
Julia Sawalha
Julia Sawalha is an English actress well known for her roles as Saffron Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous, Lynda Day, editor of The Junior Gazette in Press Gang and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 television miniseries of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She also played Dorcas Lane in the BBC's costume...
, Pierson played new character student barmaid Connie in the second series of sitcom Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please is a British sitcom. Commissioned by Sky One, it was primarily written by Richard Herring and Al Murray and ran for two series between 2000 and 2002.- Premise and characters :...
, written by Al Murray
Al Murray
Alastair James Hay "Al" Murray , is a British comedian best known for his stand-up persona, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy...
and Richard Herring
Richard Herring
Richard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring...
, and appeared in an episode of the sitcom Coupling
Coupling (UK TV series)
Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating and sexual adventures and mishaps of six friends in their thirties, often depicting the three women and the three...
.
Pierson’s career has also included roles in comedy dramas such as Bedtime and Legend of the Tamworth Two. Also Emma in 2010 is starring in the Radio 4 comedy series "House on Fire".
Pierson has also appeared many dramas, including Stranded, the Hallmark channel's version of Swiss Family Robinson, BBC political drama The Project
The Project
The Project can refer to:*The Project , an Australian talk show*The Project , a British drama...
, Charles II and an as yet unreleased low budget British movie, The Engagement, from the director of Sirens
Sirens (film)
Sirens is a 1993 film, written and directed by John Duigan, and set in Australia between the two World Wars.Sirens, along with Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bitter Moon—all released in the U.S...
, John Duigan
John Duigan
John Duigan, is an Australian film director.Duigan emigrated to Australia in 1961, having been born to an Australian father...
.
In 2005, Pierson played the role of policewoman Justine Hopkin in the two-part ITV drama, Bloodlines. She has since acted in many more dramas, such as Riot at the Rite, a period drama about Russian dancer Nijinsky
Nijinsky
Nijinsky can refer to:*Vaslav Nijinsky , ballet dancer and choreographer*Bronislava Nijinska , dancer, choreographer and teacher*Nijinksy , starring Alan Bates Harry Saltzman as Vaslav Nijinsky*Nijinsky II, race horse...
, and Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon
Hotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
, a BBC series based on the book of the same name
Hotel Babylon (novel)
Hotel Babylon is a book by British journalist Imogen Edwards-Jones and "anonymous". It describes a fictional hour-by-hour account of life in a top London hotel. It exposes the exploits of the staff and guests alike....
by Imogen Edwards-Jones
Imogen Edwards-Jones
-Work:Edwards-Jones is best known for the Babylon series of exposés based on her 2004 novel, Hotel Babylon from an insider's view of the non-stop world of the hotel staff and guests alike....
and portraying life behind the scenes in a London hotel.
British indie movie The Lives of the Saints, which was co-directed by Chris Cottam and photographer Rankin and in which Emma played a character called Tina, was released in 2006. This was Pierson’s first major movie role, after brief roles in Virtual Sexuality and Guest House Paradiso early in her career.
Personal life
Pierson has three siblings: Ross, James and Sara. She lives in IslingtonIslington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with her longtime boyfriend Damian Village and ragdoll cat Marvin.
Pierson's hobbies include rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. She also enjoys travelling to other countries and taught English as a foreign language in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
during the winter of 2003-2004.
Pierson comes from a family of adventurers. Her father was a lieutenant-commander on submarines in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and her mother was a nurse. Her older brother Ross is married with twin girls and lives in Wales; her sister (a student) regularly visits an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
; and her younger brother James does free running
Free running
Freerunning is a form of urban acrobatics in which participants, known as freerunners , use the city and rural landscape to perform movements through its structures...
, from which Pierson says he "has broken almost every bone in his body".
Film
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Barbie in A Mermaid Tale Barbie in A Mermaid Tale Barbie in A Mermaid Tale is a computer animated direct-to-video movie and part of the Barbie film series. It was released on March 9, 2010. This is Kelly Sheridan's last film as Barbie.-Plot:... |
Kayla |
| 2006 | The Lives of the Saints | Tina |
| 2005 | Riot at the Rite | Romola |
| 2005 | Bloodlines | Justine Hopkin |
| 2005 | Angell's Hell | Flo |
| 2004 | The Legend of the Tamworth Two | Jenny West |
| 2003 | Uncle Douglas | Sarah Tomkinson |
| 2002 | The Project The Project (2002 television programme) The Project was a BBC two-part 2002 television drama, directed by Peter Kosminsky from a script by Leigh Jackson.The series presented a fictionalised account , seen through the experiences of three young activists, of developments in the Labour Party and its progress into Blairism, from the party's... aka: Les Années Tony Blair |
Juliette |
| 2002 | I Saw You | Zoë |
| 2002 | Stranded Stranded - Music :* Stranded , a 1973 album by Roxy Music* Stranded, the first album by Australian rock group The Saints** " Stranded" , the first single from the album... |
Sarah Robinson |
| 2001 | Dumping Elaine | Waitress |
| 1999 | Guest House Paradiso Guest House Paradiso Guest House Paradiso is a 1999 British slapstick comedy film written by and starring comic duo Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, and directed by Edmondson his directorial debut. The film is semi-officially based on their comedy television series Bottom... |
Saucy Wood Nymph |
| 1999 | Virtual Sexuality Virtual Sexuality Virtual Sexuality is a 1999 film about a young woman who designs the perfect man at a virtual reality convention, but then an accident occurs causing the man to be brought to life.-Synopsis:... |
Fiona |
Television
| Year | Show | Episode(s) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Money | (Both Episodes) | Selina Street |
| 2008 | Little Dorrit Little Dorrit (TV serial) Little Dorrit is a 2008 British television serial directed by Adam Smith, Dearbhla Walsh, and Diarmuid Lawrence. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the serial novel of the same title by Charles Dickens, originally published between 1855 and 1857.... |
(Various) | Fanny Dorrit |
| 2007 | Who Gets the Dog Who Gets the Dog? (ITV drama) Who Gets the Dog? is a one-off British television comedy drama starring Kevin Whately, Alison Steadman, Stephen Mangan and Emma Pierson. It was written by Guy Hibbert and directed by Nicholas Renton and premieres on ITV on Sunday 2 December 2007 at 9pm.... |
(One Episode Only) | Tara |
| 2007 | Talk To Me Talk to Me (TV series) Talk to Me is a British television serial, written by writer Danny Brocklehurst, produced by Company Pictures for ITV. The four-part serial began on 10 June 2007 and stars Max Beesley as Mitch Moore, a womanising radio host whose producer is also his best mate and about to get married to Claire... |
(Various) | Ally |
| 2006-9 | Hotel Babylon Hotel Babylon Hotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One... |
(Regular Cast) | Anna Thornton-Wilton |
| 2006 | Morning Glory Morning Glory (TV series) Morning Glory was the fourth attempt at breakfast television live programming on Channel 4. It was presented by Dermot O'Leary every weekday morning from 8.30 - 9 am. Due to low ratings, despite having Big Brother's Little Breakfast as a lead in show, it was not renewed.... |
"1.10" | Herself |
| 2005 | The Brief | "Forever on the Mind" | Kelly Byrne |
| 2005 | Twisted Tales | "The Irredeemable Brain of Dr. Heinrich Hunsecker" | Jane |
| 2004 | The Last Chancers The Last Chancers The Last Chancers was originally a one-off television sitcom, screened under the Comedy Lab banner at 11:40pm on Thursday 21 November 2002. This show was later developed into a five part series which was broadcast on E4 in December 2002... |
(Regular Cast) | Kirby |
| 2004 | The Worst Week of My Life The Worst Week of My Life The Worst Week of My Life is a British comedy television series, first broadcast on BBC One between March and April 2004. A second series was aired between November and December 2005 and a three-part Christmas special, The Worst Christmas of My Life was shown during December 2006... |
(Regular Cast) | Sophie Cook |
| 2003 | Charles II: The Power and The Passion Charles II: The Power and The Passion Charles II: The Power and the Passion is an award-winning British television mini-series, broadcast on BBC One in 2003, and produced by the BBC in association with the A&E Network in the United States... |
(One Episode Only) | Nell Gwynn |
| 2003 | My Hero | "Big" | Dr. Chelsea |
| 2003 | A Touch of Frost A Touch of Frost (TV series) A Touch of Frost is a television detective series produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from 1992 until 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield.... |
"Held in Trust" | Alice Thompson |
| 2002 | Time Gentlemen Please Time Gentlemen Please Time Gentlemen Please is a British sitcom. Commissioned by Sky One, it was primarily written by Richard Herring and Al Murray and ran for two series between 2000 and 2002.- Premise and characters :... |
Season 2 | Connie |
| 2002 | Coupling Coupling (UK TV series) Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating and sexual adventures and mishaps of six friends in their thirties, often depicting the three women and the three... |
"The Girl with One Heart" | Jennifer |
| 2001 | Bedtime Bedtime (TV series) Bedtime was a British comedy-drama written and directed by Andy Hamilton and broadcast by the BBC. It ran for three series for a total of fifteen episodes between August 2001 and December 2003. The first two series had six episodes each and the third series had three episodes... |
Season 1 | Sapphire |
| 2001 | Absolutely Fabulous Absolutely Fabulous Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks... |
"Small Opening" | Kasha |
| 2001 | Armstrong and Miller aka: The Armstrong and Miller Show |
(Various) | ? |
| 2000 | Beast Beast (TV series) Beast is a BBC One sitcom based in a veterinary surgery. Two series of six episodes each were made, with the first broadcast in early 2000 and the second in early 2001... |
(Regular Cast) | Jade |
| 1999 | Grange Hill Grange Hill Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television... |
? | Becky Radcliffe |
| 1999 | Days Like These Days Like These Days Like These is a British TV series remake of the popular American sitcom That '70s Show. Directed by Bob Spiers, it was broadcast Fridays at 8.30pm on ITV in 1999 and used many of the same names , or slight alterations . It was set in Dunstable, Bedfordshire... |
? | Jackie Burget |
Music videos
| Year | Artist | Track | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Thea Gilmore Thea Gilmore Thea Eve Gilmore is a British female singer-songwriter. She began her career working in a recording studio, where she was discovered by her now long-time collaborator, producer and sometime co-songwriter Nigel Stonier, whom she married in October 2005.-Career:Gilmore was born in Oxford to Irish... |
"Juliet" | Girl In A Cage |