# Emma Cunniffe

Emma Cunniffe (born 3 July 1973) is an English film, stage and television actress.

## Early life

Cunniffe was raised in Frodsham, Cheshire and attended Frodsham High School. She was in the local Frodsham panto group whilst growing up and was once in a pantomime with Gary Barlow. Originally it was dance she was into, until she went to theatre school at the age of 13 and fell in love with drama.

## Career

Her television credits include Hetty Wainthrop Investigates (Chrissie in 'Safe as Houses', 1996), The Lakes (BBC 1997, 1999), "Biddy" in a TV adaptation of Great Expectations, All the King's Men, Clash of the Santas, alongside Robson Green and Mark Benton, Clocking Off (BBC), and Flesh and Blood with Christopher Eccleston. She played DS Tina Murray in New Tricks (S3:E4 Diamond Geezers, 2006.). She also appeared in the sixth series Doctor Who episode "Night Terrors", alongside the Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith. She appeared in the BBC documentary The Genius of Mozart as Constanze, Wolfgang's wife. In 2009, she played Carol Boynton in the ITV adaptation of Appointment with Death, in series 11 of Agatha Christie's Poirot. In mid-2014, she played DS Hawthorn in Coronation Street, investigating the circumstances of the attack on and subsequent death of Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) and on 5 January 2015, she played Kenzie Calhoun's mother, Ailsa in Waterloo Road
On stage, she won the UK Theatre Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in The Master Builder in 2000. Her other stage work includes Tales from Hollywood, Losing Louis at the Trafalgar Studios in London and in 2006 Women Beware Women for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. She was nominated for "what's on stage" award in 2011 for her role as Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible at Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park.
In 2015 she appeared as Mabel Grayson in the BBC TV series Father Brown episode 3.9 "The Truth in the Wine". The same year, she appeared as the eponymous monarch in the RSC's production of Helen Edmundson's Queen Anne. In September 2019, she appeared in four episodes of Doctors as Dr Janet Fielding.

## Personal life

Cunniffe lives in London. She married Rufus Jones in 2008 but the pair subsequently divorced.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Cuts | Karen | TV film |
| 1997 | The Ruby Ring | Noreen/Nellie | TV film |
| 1998 | Among Giants | Barmaid | |
| 1999 | Great Expectations | Biddy | TV film |
| 1999 | Underground | Caz | TV film |
| 1999 | Dreaming of Joseph Lees | Red-Haired Girl | |
| 1999 | Tube Tales | Drained Young Woman | TV film |
| 1999 | All the King's Men | Peggy Batterbee | TV film |
| 2000 | Blue Murder | Vanessa | TV film |
| 2000 | Innocents | Sharon Peacock | TV film |
| 2001 | The Whistle-Blower | Kathy Enfield | TV film |
| 2001 | Love or Money | Samantha | TV film |
| 2002 | The Cry | Christine Rearden | TV film |
| 2002 | Plain Jane | Jane | TV film |
| 2002 | Flesh and Blood | Cath Broughton | TV film |
| 2004 | Rabbit on the Moon | Tania Bower | |
| 2004 | Undone | Laura | Short film |
| 2005 | Cherished | Claire Connolly | TV film |
| 2008 | Clash of the Santas | Alice | TV film |
| 2014 | MOTH (Man of the House) | Ruth | Short film |
| 2016 | Their Finest | Ettie | Uncredited |
| 2020 | Miss Marx | Laura Marx | |
| 2021 | The Mezzotint | Mrs. Filcher | TV film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Woof! | Minicab Girl | Episode: "Get Me to the Church" |
| 1994 | Cracker | Sarah Jennings | Episode: "The Big Crunch" |
| 1995 | The Upper Hand | Nurse | Episode: "Second Thoughts" |
| 1995 | Dangerfield | Penny Noakes | Episode: "The Norfolk Holiday" |
| 1995 | The Bill | Annie Barlow | Episode: "A Quiet Night In" |
| 1996 | The 10%ers | Vanessa | Series 2 |
| 1996 | A Touch of Frost | Michelle Robins | Episode: "Paying the Price" |
| 1996 | Hetty Wainthropp Investigates | Chrissie | Episode: "Safe as Houses" |
| 1996 | Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... | Avril | Episode: "Don't Dilly Dally on the Way" |
| 1996 | Life After Birth | Alison | Series regular, 6 episodes |
| 1997 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Karen Spillings | Episode: "Exit Lanes" |
| 1997–1999 | The Lakes | Emma Kavanagh | Series regular, 13 episodes |
| 1998 | Maisie Raine | Cheryl Slayburn | Episode: "A Blast from the Past" |
| 2002 | Clocking Off | Kim Anderson | Recurring role, 3 episodes |
| 2004 | The Genius of Mozart | Constanze Mozart | Mini-series, 3 episodes |
| 2004 | Silent Witness | Rosa Christie | Episode: "Body 21" |
| 2006 | New Tricks | D.S. Tina Murray | Episode: "Diamond Geezers" |
| 2006 | Holby City | Hazel Keel | Episode: "Just Another Day" |
| 2007 | John and Karen | Karen | TV short |
| 2008 | Banged Up Abroad | Camilla | Episode: "Nightmare in Chechnya" |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Carol Boynton | Episode: "Appointment with Death" |
| 2008 | Place of Execution | Ruth Hawkin | Mini-series, 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Casualty | Karen Clarkson | Episode: "Someone's Lucky Night" |
| 2008 | Midsomer Murders | Sally Fielding | Episode: "Blood Wedding" |
| 2009 | The Bill | Maggie Reaney | Episode: "Fall Out" |
| 2011 | Casualty | Detective Inspector Joanne Collins | Episode: "Boys Will Be Boys" |
| 2011 | Doctor Who | Claire | Episode: "Night Terrors" |
| 2012 | Good Cop | Eva Bays | Mini-series, 1 episode |
| 2013 | The Other Child | Emma Beckett | Mini-series, 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Jo | Anabelle | Episode: "Place Vendôme" |
| 2013 | Southcliffe | Annie Gould | Mini-series, 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Moving On | Louise | Episode: "Hush Little Baby" |
| 2014 | Coronation Street | D.S. Hawthorn | Recurring role, 13 episodes |
| 2015 | Father Brown | Mrs. Mabel Grayson | Episode: "The Truth in the Wine" |
| 2015 | Waterloo Road | Ailsa Calhoun | Recurring role, 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Inspector George Gently | Anita Magath | Episode: "Gently Among Friends" |
| 2015 | Holby City | Elaine Owen | Episode: "Spiral Staircases" |
| 2015 | Lewis | Bryony Willet | Episode: "One for Sorrow" |
| 2016 | Midsomer Murders | Reverend Melissa Ackers | Episode: "Habeas Corpus" |
| 2017 | Unforgotten | Janet | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2019 | Doctors | Dr. Janet Fielding | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Silent Witness | Jess Fisher | Episode: "Deadhead" |
| 2020 | Endeavour | Rosemary Prince | Episode: "Raga" |
| 2020 | Roadkill | Sydney | Mini-series, 4 episodes |
| 2021 | The Irregulars | Laura Machin | Episode: "The Ghosts of 221B" |
| 2021 | Agatha Raisin | Fran Tamworthy | Episode: "Kissing Christmas Goodbye" |
| 2021 | The Mezzotint | Mrs Filcher | Television film |
| 2023 | Doctors | Christine Barker-Smith | Episode: "A Matter of a Moment" |

## Theatre credits

| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 1996 | Hamlet | Ophelia | UK Tour |
| 1997 | Caravan | Kelly | Bush Theatre, London |
| 1999 | The Master Builder | | UK Tour |
| 2001 | Tales from Hollywood | | Donmar Warehouse, London |
| 2002 | A Buyer's Market | Rosie Delaware | Bush Theatre, London |
| 2003 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Madame de Tourvel | Bristol Old Vic, Bristol |
| 2003 | Twelfth Night | Viola | Royal Exchange, Manchester |
| 2004 | Major Barbara | Major Barbara Undershaft | Royal Exchange, Manchester |
| 2005 | As You Like It | Rosalind | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh |
| 2005 | Losing Louis | Bobbie Ellis | Hampstead Theatre, London & Trafalgar Theatre, London |
| 2006 | Women Beware Women | Isabella | Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
| 2006 | The Glass Room | Tara | Hampstead Theatre, London |
| 2007 | The Entertainer | Jean | The Old Vic, London |
| 2008 | Three Sisters | Masha | Royal Exchange, Manchester |
| 2009 | Educating Rita | Rita | Citizens Theatre, Glasgow |
| 2009 | Amongst Friends | Caitlin | Hampstead Theatre, London |
| 2010 | The Crucible | Elizabeth Proctor | Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London |
| 2010 | Dumb Show | Liz | Rose Theatre Kingston, Kingston upon Thames |
| 2011 | Edward II | Isabella of France | Royal Exchange, Manchester |
| 2011 | A Doll's House | Nora Helmer | The Lowry, Salford |
| 2012 | The Conquest of the South Pole | La Braukmann | Arcola Theatre, London |
| 2013 | Proof | Claire | Menier Chocolate Factory, London |
| 2013 | Wendy & Peter Pan | Mrs. Darling | Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
| 2017 | Queen Anne | Anne, Queen of Great Britain | Theatre Royal Haymarket, London |
| 2018 | The Art of Success | Louisa | Rose Theatre Kingston, Kingston upon Thames |
| 2018 | The Taste of the Town | Mrs. Bascombe | Rose Theatre Kingston, Kingston upon Thames |
| 2021 | Romeo and Juliet | Nurse | Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London |