Emily Watson is an Oscar nominated actress who was born in 1967 in London, England. Even though she was originally rejected from drama school, Watson is best known for her breakout role in the 1996 movie, Breaking the Waves. In the movie she portrayed a woman who turns to prostitution because she believes it will heal her husband who's paralyzed. Originally Helena Bonham Carter was supposed to play the lead, but dropped out of the project, allowing Watson to have the role.

Even though it was her first time to ever appear in a motion picture, Watson won several Critics Circle Awards as well as the US National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress and was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.

She later received a second Oscar nomination for the 1998 role in Hilary and Jackie. In the film she plays a cellist. To better herself in the film she actually learned to play the cello, and this authenticity in the character is part of what helped get her the nomination.

Since then she has starred in several other films, including Angela's Ashes, Cradle Will Rock, Gosford Park, Red Dragon, Punch-Drunk Love, and Equilibrium. Watson took some time off from making films in order to work on the theater productions Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night. She received favorable criticism for her roles and even received an Olivier Award nomination. This prestigious theater award was originally known as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, but was renamed after Laurence Olivier in 1976.

In 2004 she starred as Anne Howe in the HBO biopic movie, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Her portrayal of the infamous star's first wife earned her a Golden Globe nomination. In 2005 Watson starred in three movies, Wah-Wah, The Proposition, and Separate Lies. She was also the vocal talent in Tim Burton's film Corpse Bride.

In 1995 Emily Watson married Jack Waters and they have a daughter, Juliet, who was born in 2005.