Emily Mortimer In just over ten years, British actress Emily Mortimer has appeared in an impressive list of films spanning from independent to commercial. She has also demonstrated artistic range, picking roles in a wide array of genres. She is most known for her work in Match Point and a recent stint on 30 Rock. Emily Mortimer was born December 1, 1971 in London, England. Her parents were Penelope Gollop and noted writer John Clifford Mortimer. Mortimer obtained her initial education from St Paul’s Girls’ School, and it was here she earned her first acting credits. She pursued her secondary education at Lincoln College, Oxford where she continued to act and even became fluent in Russian. Noticed by a talent scout, Mortimer won her first onscreen role with The Glass Virgin opposite Nigel Havers in 1995. She followed with Sharpe’s Sword beside lead Sean Bean. Her first role in a major commercial production came in 1996 with the drama The Ghost and the Darkness. She acted with seasoned greats Michael Douglas, Val Kilmer, and Tom Wilkinson. In 1997, she teamed up with Kilmer again for the mildly received film The Saint with Elisabeth Shue serving as female lead.
Consistently appearing in Oscar films, this trend continued in 1998 when she took a role opposite Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, and Joseph Fiennes in the historical piece Elizabeth. Beginning to win roles in more commercial fare, Mortimer gained exposure when she appeared with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in the quintessential romantic comedy Notting Hill. She followed with the Wes Craven thrill fest Scream 3 starring David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Parker Posey, Jenny McCarthy, and others. Mortimer’s time on Kenneth Branagh’s directorial version of Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000) would prove meaningful not just because she starred with Alicia Silverstone, Matthew Lillard, and Nathan Lane, but she also met Alessandro Nivola onset. The two would later marry in early 2003. Their son, Samuel, was born in September of the same year, and they are currently still together.
Continuing with her career, Mortimer won significant airtime in The Kid with Bruce Willis and Spencer Breslin as well as taking more independent roles such as Lovely & Amazing with Catherine Keener and Brenda Blethyn. Breaking out of her prim and proper mold, she also appeared in funky action comedies such as The 51st State with Samuel L Jackson, Meat Loaf, and Robert Carlyle. Winning leads became increasingly common, and this was the case with Dear Frankie, a tug at your heartstrings dramatic romance. But it was 2005 that would really expose Mortimer to an international audience when she took a major role in Woody Allen’s Match Point with leads Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson. She followed with a much more lighthearted script in The Pink Panther starring Steve Martin as the chronically clumsy Inspector Clouseau. Kevin Kline and Jean Reno appeared as well. Her brief role on the new hit comedy 30 Rock with Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, and Alec Baldwin was another hit with audiences. Her most recent outing, Lars and the Real Girl, is receiving resounding support from critics and audiences alike. It’s proving a hit for her costars as well, Ryan Gosling and Kelli Garner. She will lead an all star cast including Woody Harrelson, Ben Kingsley, and Kate Mara in Transsiberian, which is due for a 2008 release. She is in the works for a film entitled Red Belt and Number 13. She is also filming Pink Panther 2. | 
