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Emily Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress who gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves. Watson was born in Islington, London, England. Her father was an architect and her mother was an English teacher at St David's Girl's School, west London. She was brought up as an Anglican. Watson describes her childhood self as a "Nice middle-class English girl ... I'd love to say I was a rebellious teenager but I wasn't". Watson was educated at St James Independent Schools, in west London, which she has described as a 'progressive' school. She... MORE

Emily Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress who gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves. Watson was born in Islington, London, England. Her father was an architect and her mother was an English teacher at St David's Girl's School, west London. She was brought up as an Anglican. Watson describes her childhood self as a "Nice middle-class English girl ... I'd love to say I was a rebellious teenager but I wasn't". Watson was educated at St James Independent Schools, in west London, which she has described as a 'progressive' school. She attended the University of Bristol, where she obtained a B.A. (1988, English). Following university, she trained at Drama Studio London, and later received a M.A. (2003, honorary) from Bristol University. Watson's career began on the stage. Her theatre credits include The Children's Hour (at the Royal National Theatre), Three Sisters, Much Ado about Nothing and The Lady from the Sea. Watson has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company in A Jovial Crew, The Taming of the Shrew, All's Well That Ends Well and The Changeling. In 2002, she took time off from cinema to play two roles in Sam Mendes's LESS