--- name: "Judy Davis" canonical: "https://film.one/person/judy-davis" fi1m_id: "judy-davis" imdb_id: "nm0001114" tmdb_id: 351 wikidata_id: "Q307882" roles: ["Actor"] born: "23 April 1955" reviewed_on_fi1m: 9 average_fi1m_score: 74 average_as: "actor" average_over: 9 updated: "2026-10-07T19:20:08.529770+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Judy Davis ## Identity Judy Davis - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/judy-davis - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** judy-davis - **IMDb ID:** nm0001114 - **TMDB ID:** 351 - **Wikidata ID:** Q307882 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Davis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q307882, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001114/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/351 Actor. Born 23 April 1955 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 23 April 1955, Perth, Western Australia, Australia - **Active:** 1979–present - **Frequently works with:** [Woody Allen](https://film.one/person/woody-allen.md) - **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 3 Emmys (3 won) - **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 9 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 82 (1), 1980s 71 (1), 1990s 79 (4), 2000s 64 (2), 2010s 70 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 68 across 9 titles - **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 4 of 9 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 8, Comedy 4, Romance 3, History 2, Thriller 2, Adventure 1 - **Screen time:** 17 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $329m across 7 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Davis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q307882, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001114/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/351 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Deconstructing Harry*](https://film.one/film/deconstructing-harry.md) (72), [*A Passage to India*](https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india.md) (71) - **The Roku Channel:** [*Husbands and Wives*](https://film.one/film/husbands-and-wives.md) (83) - **HBO Max:** [*My Brilliant Career*](https://film.one/film/my-brilliant-career.md) (82) - **Netflix:** [*Marie Antoinette*](https://film.one/film/marie-antoinette.md) (74) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Judy Davis > Judy Davis makes intelligence look restless, impatient and sometimes exhausting to live with. We value the small gestures that disclose a mood, though her sharper mannerisms can make a complicated woman seem merely difficult. Watch the quick, jerky shake of Judy Davis's head: she can make it look as though a thought has arrived and been rejected in the same second. Her nervous energy gives her intelligent, volatile characters something to do before they speak. We like her most when those small movements let us follow a change of mood. Sometimes she pushes too hard, making a character seem ridiculous before we have had a chance to understand her. *My Brilliant Career* (1979) established her in a leading role as Sybylla Melvyn, with a rawness that still explains much of her appeal. David Lean's *A Passage to India* (1984), in which she played Adela Quested, brought further international recognition. The 1990s put her in different company: the Coens for *Barton Fink* (1991), Cronenberg for *Naked Lunch* (1991), and repeated work with Woody Allen. Those supporting parts are worth following as closely as the leads. In *Barton Fink*, her Audrey Taylor is part of a sharply acted ensemble, with John Turturro and John Goodman especially good. We laughed uneasily because the Coens keep their unhappy writer's troubles funny while making Hollywood feel unnerving. The treatment of that writer grows repetitive, but the performances help keep the discomfort worth sitting through. It is a good place to encounter Davis in a smaller role, though we would recommend it for the cast together rather than for her alone. Allen directed her in five films, and Sally in *Husbands and Wives* (1992) is a useful test of how much Davis works for us. The quick intelligence and emotional volatility suit her, but the mannerisms can become overinsistent. We admire the precision while sometimes wishing she would let a moment pass without stressing it. That reservation matters with an actor whose nervous energy is so often the attraction. Her television work includes Judy Garland in *Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows* (2001), a substantial part of her reputation beyond cinema. Later supporting roles, including *The Dressmaker* (2015), keep the smaller appearances worth seeking out. Start with *Barton Fink* for the ensemble, then try *Husbands and Wives* for a less restful evening. ## Biography Judy Davis is an Australian actress. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1977 and began her career on stage and in Australian films. She rose to prominence with her leading role in *My Brilliant Career* (1979). Davis has appeared in *Barton Fink* (1991) as Audrey Taylor, *Naked Lunch* (1991) as Joan Frost and *Husbands and Wives* (1992) as Sally. Other credits include *The Dressmaker* (2015) and the series *Ratched* (2020). She has received nine AACTA Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (9) - *Page Eight* (2011), Fi1m 70, as Jill Tankard — [page](https://film.one/film/page-eight.md) - *Marie Antoinette* (2006), Fi1m 74, as Comtesse de Noailles — [page](https://film.one/film/marie-antoinette.md) - *The Break-Up* (2006), Fi1m 55, as Marilyn Dean — [page](https://film.one/film/the-break-up.md) - *Deconstructing Harry* (1997), Fi1m 72, as Lucy — [page](https://film.one/film/deconstructing-harry.md) - *Husbands and Wives* (1992), Fi1m 83, as Sally — [page](https://film.one/film/husbands-and-wives.md) - *Barton Fink* (1991), Fi1m 83, as Audrey Taylor — [page](https://film.one/film/barton-fink.md) - *Naked Lunch* (1991), Fi1m 78, as Joan Frost — [page](https://film.one/film/naked-lunch.md) - *A Passage to India* (1984), Fi1m 71, as Adela Quested — [page](https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india.md) - *My Brilliant Career* (1979), Fi1m 82, as Sybylla Melvyn — [page](https://film.one/film/my-brilliant-career.md) ## Complete filmography (67) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Holy Days* (2026), as Sister Agnes - *Roar* (2022), series, as Rosey - *Nitram* (2021), as Mother - *Ratched* (2020), series, as Betsy Bucket - *Mystery Road* (2018), series, as Detective Emma James, Emma James - *FEUD* (2017), series, as Hedda Hopper - *The Dressmaker* (2015), as Molly Dunnage - *Salting the Battlefield* (2014), as Jill Tankard - *The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet* (2013), as G.H. Jibsen - *Dark Blood* (2012), as Buffy Fletcher - *To Rome with Love* (2012), as Phyllis - *The Eye of the Storm* (2011), as Dorothy de Lascabanes · Executive Producer - *Page Eight* (2011), as Jill Tankard — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/page-eight.md) - *Diamonds* (2009), series, Actor - *Diamonds* (2009), as Joan Cameron - *The Starter Wife* (2008), series, as Joan McAllister - *Masters of Science Fiction* (2007), series, Actor - *The Starter Wife* (2007), series, as Joan McAllister - *The Break-Up* (2006), as Marilyn Dean — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/the-break-up.md) - *Marie Antoinette* (2006), as Comtesse de Noailles — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/marie-antoinette.md) - *A Little Thing Called Murder* (2006), as Sante Kimes - *Coast to Coast* (2004), as Maxine Pierce - *The Reagans* (2003), as Nancy Reagan - *The Reagans* (2003), series, as Nancy Reagan - *Swimming Upstream* (2003), as Dora Fingleton - *The Man Who Sued God* (2001), as Anna Redmond - *Gaudi Afternoon* (2001), as Cassandra - *Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows* (2001), series, as Judy Garland - *A Cooler Climate* (1999), as Paula - *Dash and Lilly* (1999), as Lillian Hellman - *Celebrity* (1998), as Robin Simon - *The Echo of Thunder* (1998), as Gladwyn Ritchie - *Deconstructing Harry* (1997), as Lucy — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/deconstructing-harry.md) - *Absolute Power* (1997), as Gloria Russell - *Children of the Revolution* (1996), as Joan Fraser Welch - *Blood and Wine* (1996), as Suzanne - *Serving in Silence - The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story* (1995), as Diane - *The New Age* (1994), as Katherine Witner - *The Ref* (1994), as Caroline Chasseur - *On My Own* (1993), as The Mother - *Husbands and Wives* (1992), as Sally — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/husbands-and-wives.md) - *Naked Lunch* (1991), as Joan Frost — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/naked-lunch.md) - *One Against the Wind* (1991), as Countess Mary Lindell - *Barton Fink* (1991), as Audrey Taylor — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/barton-fink.md) - *Where Angels Fear to Tread* (1991), as Harriet Herriton - *Impromptu* (1991), as George Sand - *Alice* (1990), as Vicky - *Georgia* (1989), as Nina Bailley / Georgia White - *High Tide* (1987), as Lillie - *A Pair of One* (1987), as Narrator (voice) - *Kangaroo* (1986), as Harriet Somers - *Rocket to the Moon* (1986), as Cleo - *A Passage to India* (1984), as Adela Quested — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india.md) - *The Merry Wives of Windsor* (1982), as Mistress Ford - *Who Dares Wins* (1982), as Frankie Leith - *A Woman Called Golda* (1982), as Young Golda - *Heatwave* (1982), as Kate Dean - *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Cleo Singer - *Hoodwink* (1981), as Sarah - *Winter of Our Dreams* (1981), as Lou - *Water Under the Bridge* (1980), series, as Carrie Mazzini - *Ciné regards: Judy Davis* (1980), as Interviewee - *My Brilliant Career* (1979), as Sybylla Melvyn — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/my-brilliant-career.md) - *The BBC Television Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Mistress Ford - *High Rolling* (1977), as Lynn - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Mary Lindell, Gladwyn Ritchie - *Butterfly Stroke*, as Ruth ## Gallery - ![Judy Davis](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-901414bcd3ed.jpg) Judy Davis — Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Judy_Davis_-_Eye_of_The_Storm.jpg/1280px-Judy_Davis_-_Eye_of_The_Storm.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Theatre advertisement for the film, My Brilliant Career. 15 February, 1980.](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-235a88f4a9b8.jpg) Theatre advertisement for the film, My Brilliant Career. 15 February, 1980. — Analysis Film Releasing Corporation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/My_Brilliant_Career_ad_-_15_February_1980.jpg/1280px-My_Brilliant_Career_ad_-_15_February_1980.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Judy Davis](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-73b1e37a8093.jpg) Judy Davis — Image via TMDB - ![Judy Davis](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-a6d143635dbc.jpg) Judy Davis — Image via TMDB - ![Judy Davis](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-08504722bf7f.jpg) Judy Davis — Image via TMDB - ![Judy Davis](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-886ab4917ee4.jpg) Judy Davis — Image via TMDB - ![Judy Davis](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-050865900acf.jpg) Judy Davis — Image via TMDB - ![Judy Davis](https://film.one/media/person/78481/gallery-8d5e70501b23.jpg) Judy Davis — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated - 1993: Best Supporting Actress (nominated), for *Husbands and Wives* - 1985: Best Actress (nominated), for *A Passage to India* ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 3 won - 2007: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *The Starter Wife* - 2001: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows* - 1995: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/judy-davis