Emily Browning

Emily Jane Browning (born 7 December 1988) is an Australian actress. She made her film debut in the television film The Echo of Thunder (1998), and subsequently appeared in television shows such as High Flyers (1999), Something in the Air (2000–2001), and Blue Heelers (2000–2002). Her breakthrough role was in the 2002 horror film Ghost Ship, which introduced her to a wider audience. In 2005, Browning won the Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Violet Baudelaire in the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004).
Browning is also known for her roles in the horror film The Uninvited (2009), the action film Sucker Punch (2011), and the independent drama Sleeping Beauty (2011). She was named the Breakthrough Performer of The Year by Hamptons International Film Festival in 2011 for her role in Sleeping Beauty. Browning's other films include Summer in February, Plush (both 2013), Pompeii (2014), and Legend (2015). She is currently starring as Laura Moon in the Starz TV series American Gods (2017–2021).
== Early life and education ==
Browning was born in Melbourne, Victoria, the daughter of Andrew and Shelley Browning. She attended Hurstbridge Learning Co-op and Eltham High School. Browning has two younger brothers, Nicholas and Matthew.[1][2]
== Career ==
=== 1998–2007 ===
Browning's debut acting role was in the 1998 Hallmark Channel movie The Echo of Thunder.[3] Additional roles in Australian film and television productions soon followed, including recurring roles in the television series Blue Heelers from 2000 to 2002, and Something in the Air from 2000 to 2001. In 2001, Browning appeared as the daughter of the character played by Billy Connolly in The Man Who Sued God.[4]
She made her American film debut in 2002's Ghost Ship, and won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Young Actress, the same year.[5] In 2003, she appeared opposite Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom in 2003's Ned Kelly, and reunited with Connolly the following year in the film adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, in which she played Violet Baudelaire.[6]
In 2006, Browning appeared in the music video for Evermore's "Light Surrounding You". In the behind-the-scenes video for the clip, the band stated, "[We] suck as actors, so we decided to get Emily".[7] She attended the L'OrealFashion Festival as a festival ambassador on 1 February 2007.[8]
=== 2008–2011 ===
Browning played the lead role in the 2009 horror film The Uninvited, an American remake of the 2003 South Korean film A Tale of Two Sisters. She turned down a request to audition for the role of Bella Swan in Twilight, citing exhaustion, despite an endorsement from series author Stephenie Meyer.[9][10] In 2009, she was cast as Babydoll in Zack Snyder's action film Sucker Punch, as a replacement for Amanda Seyfried, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.[11] Filming took place in Vancouver from September 2009 to January 2010,[12] and the film was released on 25 March 2011.[13] In an interview at Comic-Con, she confirmed that she would be singing in the film, while claiming that her audition tape brought tears to her casting agent's eyes and the song she selected ("Killing Me Softly") was one of Zack Snyder's wife Deborah's favourites, which Browning referred to as the "selling point" on her being cast in the role.[14]
In February 2010, it was announced that Browning would play the lead role in the independent Australian film Sleeping Beauty, directed by Julia Leigh.[15][16]She replaced Mia Wasikowska, who was committed to a film adaptation of Jane Eyre at the time.[17] The film screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and the Sydney Film Festival. In a review from the festival, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called the film "Technically elegant with vehemence and control ... Emily Browning gives a fierce and powerful performance ... There is force and originality in Leigh's work".[18] Fionnuala Halligan in Screen International wrote "Browning has gone the distance for her director and together, they have delivered something here that sometimes catches your breath".[19] At the festival Browning said, "Even reading the screenplay, it made me feel uncomfortable. But that was something that attracted me to it. I would prefer to polarise an audience as opposed to making an entertaining film everybody feels ambivalent about."[20]
=== 2012–present ===
In 2012, she replaced English actress Ophelia Lovibond as the female lead in the film Summer in February.[21] The film is based on the book of the same title, by Jonathan Smith.[22] In July 2012, Browning was cast in God Help the Girl, a musical film by Belle and Sebastian front-man Stuart Murdoch.[23] Browning played Eve, and the role required live singing.[24] Filming on the production began on 8 July 2012 and wrapped on 12 August 2012.[25]
Browning was cast in Catherine Hardwicke's Plush alongside Cam Gigandet,[26]replacing Evan Rachel Wood (who was originally attached to the project) due to scheduling conflicts.[27] Browning also starred alongside Xavier Samuel[28]whom she met on the set during filming. Magic Magic, directed by Sebastián Silva, screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Film.com designated the film as a "Top Pick".[29]
Browning starred in the 2014 film Pompeii. The project was filmed in Torontoand the actual city of Pompeii itself.[30] Browning took a break from filming on Pompeii, and returned home to Australia to film a music video directed by Guy Franklin for the song "No Matter What You Say" by the band Imperial Teen. The video follows Browning as the lead character, conducting a 'live art-piece'.[31][32]
In 2014, Browning filmed Shangri-La Suite, directed by Eddie O'Keefe. The story follows two young lovers who break out of a mental hospital in 1974 and set out on a road trip to Los Angeles to fulfill the boy's lifelong dream of killing his idol Elvis Presley, who appears as a supporting character. Luke Grimes and Avan Jogia co-star.[33] The same year, she appeared in Years & Years's "Take Shelter" music video.[34]
In 2015, Browning starred in the biopic crime thriller movie Legend, alongside Tom Hardy, who portrayed twin brothers and infamous 1960s London gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray. She portrayed Frances Shea, the first wife of Reggie Kray.[35]
Browning was cast in American Gods as Laura Moon. Neil Gaiman, author of the novel, said, "I've been fascinated by Emily Browning since A Series of Unfortunate Events. She has a challenge ahead of her: Laura is a tricky character, and the Laura on the screen is even trickier and more dangerous than the one on the page. She's going to have a wonderful time bringing Laura to life".[36]
== Filmography ==
=== Feature Films ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
2001	The Man Who Sued God 	Rebecca Myers 	
2002	Ghost Ship 	Katie Harwood 	
2003	Darkness Falls 	Young Caitlin Greene 	
2003	Ned Kelly 	Grace Kelly 	
2004	Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events	Violet Baudelaire 	
2005	Stranded 	Penny 	
2009	The Uninvited 	Anna Ivers 	
2011	Sucker Punch 	Babydoll 	
2011	Sleeping Beauty 	Lucy 	
2013	Magic Magic 	Sara 	
2013	The Host 	Pet / Wanderer "Wanda"	Uncredited cameo
2013	Summer in February 	Florence Carter-Wood 	
2013	Plush 	Hayley 	
2014	God Help the Girl 	Eve 	
2014	Pompeii 	Cassia 	
2015	Legend 	Frances Shea 	
2015	Shangri-La Suite 	Karen 	
2017	Golden Exits 	Naomi 	
2019	Hisa 	Morgana 	Voice; English dub
2021	Monica 	Laura 	Post-production
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1998 	The Echo of Thunder 	Opal Ritchie 	Television film
1999 	High Flyers 	Phoebe Mason 	13 episodes
2000 	Thunderstone 	Clio 	13 episodes
2001 	Blonde 	Fleece 	Television film
2000–2002	Blue Heelers 	Hayley Fulton 	9 episodes
2000–2001	Something in the Air 	Alicia 	5 episodes
2001 	Halifax f.p: Playing God	Kristy O'Connor 	Episode: "Playing God"
2003 	After the Deluge 	Maddy 	Television film
2017–2021	American Gods 	Laura Moon, Essie MacGowan	Main cast
2018-2019	The Affair 	Sierra 	Recurring role (Season 4-5)
=== Music videos ===
Year	Title 	Artist(s)
2006	"Light Surrounding You" 	Evermore
2013	"No Matter What You Say"	Imperial Teen
2014	"Take Shelter" 	Years & Years
=== Video games ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
2004	Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events	Violet Baudelaire	Voice
 	 	 	
 	 	 	
== Awards and nominations ==
List of awards and nominations
Year	Association 	Category 	Work 	Result
2002	Australian Film Institute 	Young Actor's Award 	Halifax f.p. 	Won
2005	Australian Film Institute 	International Award for Best Actress[37] 	Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events	Won
2005	BFCA Awards 	Best Young Actress 	Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events	Nominated
2005	Young Artist Awards 	Best Performance in a Feature Film, Leading Young Actress	Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events	Nominated
2011	Hamptons International Film Festival	Breakthrough Performer[38] 	Sleeping Beauty 	Won
Category:1988 births
Category:20th-century Australian actresses
Category:21st-century Australian actresses
Category:Actresses from Melbourne
Category:Australian child actresses
Category:Australian film actresses
Category:Australian television actresses
Category:Australian video game actresses
Category:Australian voice actresses
Category:Australian expatriate actresses in the United States
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century Australian singers
Category:21st-century Australian women singers
Category:Voice actors