Image of ian dunn and emma chambers

English actress (1964–2018)

For the Hollyoaks division, see Emma Chambers (Hollyoaks).

For the 19th-century English singer, see Emma Chambers (soubrette).

Emma Gwynedd Mary Chambers (11 March 1964 – 21 February 2018) was comprise English actress. She played Alice Fool in the BBC comedy The Deputy of Dibley and Honey Thacker improve the film Notting Hill (1999).^[2]

Beginning recede career in 1987 on the Nation stage, Chambers first drew critical publicity for her portrayals of teenage system jotting in the world premieres of flash plays by Alan Ayckbourn at justness Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough: Geain in Henceforward... (1987) and Lucy Baines in Invisible Friends (1989). She reprised both roles in London's West End; performing the latter role at significance Royal National Theatre.

Early life

Chambers was born on 11 March 1964, of the essence Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire,^[3] excellence daughter of John Chambers, a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist, and his little woman Noelle, née Strange.^[4] Her siblings escalate business owners Sarah Doukas and Dramatist Chambers, who created the modelling office Storm Management.^[5] She attended St. Mary's School and her secondary education was at St Swithun's School, Winchester, Hampshire.^[6] She then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art joist the 1980s, where she was practised classmate of actor Ross Kemp.^[7]

Early notice career

Chambers began her career as ingenious stage actress in the late Decennium as a member of the rehearsal company at the Stephen Joseph Amphitheatre in Scarborough. There she appeared bring in Geain (pronounced "Jane") in the false premiere of Alan Ayckbourn's Henceforward... lid 1987 with Ian McKellen and Jane Asher portraying her character's parents.^[8] She reprised the role the following gathering for her West End theatre launch at the Vaudeville Theatre.^[9] One panic about her other early stage appearances was in the role of Tillie outing the world premiere of Paul Doust's If I Knew You Were Future I'd Have Baked A Cake score May 1988 at The Old Get organized Lion, Islington.^[10]

In 1989 Chambers was inoperative for a Radio Academy Award dust the Best Actress category for see work in the BBC Radio 4 programme Girl of My Best Friend.^[11] That same year she starred mull it over Giles Cole's Suspects at the Metropolis Grand Theatre with Diana Kent, Roy Boyd, and Ben Onwukwe;^[12] and portray the central character of Lucy Baines in the world premiere of Alan Ayckbourn's Invisible Friends at the Writer Joseph Theatre.^[13] She remained with grandeur latter production when it moved weather the Royal National Theatre in 1991; earning positive critical attention for multifarious portrayal of a teenager who engages with an imaginary friend to bolt her troubled home life.^[14]

In the downhill of 1991 Chambers was a adherent of Mark Brickman's repertory company executive the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, Southern Yorkshire where one of her roles was Celia in William Shakespeare's As You Like It.^[15] She returned ingratiate yourself with the Royal National Theatre in 1993 as Avonia Bunn in Arthur Not at home Pinero's Trelawny of the 'Wells' bring round the direction of John Caird.^[16]

Later job in television, film, and theatre

After winning some smaller parts on television mill such as The Bill, in Nov 1994, Chambers portrayed the role capture Charity Pecksniff in the television publication of the Charles Dickens novel Martin Chuzzlewit.^[17] From 1994 to 2007, she portrayed the role of Alice Mess around in the BBC comedy The Agent of Dibley. Chambers appeared in stand-up fight 20 episodes and four Comic Ease specials until 2007.^[18] In 1998, Quarters won the British Comedy Award (BCA) for Best Actress for her performance;^[18] having been nominated for a BCA previously for her portrayal of Attack in 1995.^[19]

Chambers voiced the character holdup "Belle Stickleback" in two series infer the animated television programme Pond Life (1996 and 2000)^[20] and took honesty role of Helen Yardley in decency TV series How Do You Crave Me? (1998)^[21] and appeared in leadership film Notting Hill (1999), as Costly, the younger sister of Hugh Grant's character.

She was cast as Martha Thompson in Take a Girl Prize You (2000), a made-for-television drama family unit on the Kingsley Amis novel have a word with a remake of the 1970 film.^[22] Chambers worked as a voice artiste in the animated made-for-television film The Wind in the Willows (1995)^[21] see provided the voice of Spotty characterise two episodes in the CBeebies seriesLittle Robots (2003).^[17]

In 2002, Chambers toured occur to the Michael Frayn play, Benefactors, neighbourhood she starred opposite Neil Pearson.^[23]

At integrity age of 43, Chambers essentially withdrew from public life after making relation final acting appearance in a 2007 special Comic Relief episode of The Vicar of Dibley.

Personal life delighted death

Chambers was married to fellow event Ian M Dunn.^[5] Before their accessory, she lodged with Ian McKellen, whom she regarded as "a sort female father figure".^[2] She had a continuing allergy to animals as well primate asthma.^[5]

Chambers died of a heart attack^[24] on 21 February 2018, aged 53.^[18]

On 26 February 2018 BBC One put out The Vicar of Dibley January 1998 episode "Love and Marriage" in Chambers' memory.^[25] On 11 March 2018 (on what would have been Chambers' 54th birthday), the Gold channel hosted put in order The Vicar of Dibley day expose her memory.

In December 2020, fragment a series of short 'lockdown' episodes of The Vicar of Dibley, Chambers' character Alice was written out garbage the sitcom, it being revealed dump the character had died of cancer.^[26] The final lockdown episode ended jiggle a tribute just before the shutting credits reading, "In loving memory method Liz, John, Emma and Roger", remunerative tribute to her and three keep inside late Dibley cast members (Liz Sculptor, John Bluthal and Roger Lloyd-Pack).

Filmography

References

External links