Emma Chambers
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Emma Gwynedd Mary Chambers (11 March 1964 – 21 February 2018) was an English actress who performed in television, film, and the theatre. Beginning her career in 1987 on the British stage, Chambers first drew critical attention for her portrayals of teenage characters in the world premieres of two plays by
Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of ...
at the
Stephen Joseph Theatre The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a theatre in the round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in the round in Britain. In 1955, Joseph established a tiny theatre in the round on the f ...
in Scarborough: Geain in '' Henceforward...'' (1987) and Lucy Baines in ''
Invisible Friends ''Invisible Friends'' is a 1989 children's play by the British playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It was written as a starring vehicle for actress Emma Chambers who portrayed the central character of teenager Lucy Baines in the original production at t ...
'' (1989). She reprised both roles in London's West End; performing the latter role at the
Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
. She is best known for her portrayal of the characters Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy '' The Vicar of Dibley'' and Honey Thacker in the film '' Notting Hill'' (1999).


Early life

Chambers was born on 11 March 1964, in Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire the daughter of John Chambers, a consultant obstetrician and
gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with ...
, and his wife Noelle, ''née'' Strange. Her siblings are business owners Sarah and Simon, who created the modelling agency Storm Management. She attended St. Mary's School and her secondary education was at St Swithun's School, Winchester, Hampshire. She then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in the 1980s, where she was a classmate of actor Ross Kemp.


Early stage career

Chambers began her career as a stage actress in the late 1980s as a member of the repertory company at the
Stephen Joseph Theatre The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a theatre in the round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in the round in Britain. In 1955, Joseph established a tiny theatre in the round on the f ...
in Scarborough. There she appeared as Geain (pronounced "Jane") in the world premiere of
Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of ...
's '' Henceforward...'' in 1987 with
Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
and Jane Asher portraying her character's parents. She reprised the role the following year for her West End theatre debut at the Vaudeville Theatre. One of her other early stage appearances was in the role of Tillie in the world premiere of Paul Doust's ''If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake'' in May 1988 at The Old Red Lion, Islington. In 1989 Chambers was nominated for a
Radio Academy Award The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy ...
in the Best Actress category for her work in the BBC Radio 4 program ''Girl of My Best Friend''. That same year she starred in Giles Cole's ''Suspects'' at the
Swansea Grand Theatre Swansea Grand Theatre is a performing arts venue in the centre of Swansea, Wales. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes and touring theatrical acts visiting Swansea. Swansea Grand Theatre was the base for the UK's only Russian ballet company, the ...
with Diana Kent,
Roy Boyd Roy Boyd (born 18 August 1938) is an English actor best known for his roles on television between 1963 and 2010. His TV credits include '' The Saint'', '' Counterstrike'', ''The Borderers'', ''Codename'', ''Colditz'', ''The Zoo Gang'', '' The ...
, and Ben Onwukwe; and portrayed the central character of Lucy Baines in the world premiere of Alan Ayckbourn's ''
Invisible Friends ''Invisible Friends'' is a 1989 children's play by the British playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It was written as a starring vehicle for actress Emma Chambers who portrayed the central character of teenager Lucy Baines in the original production at t ...
'' at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. She remained with the latter production when it moved to the
Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
in 1991; earning positive critical attention for her portrayal of a teenager who engages with an imaginary friend to escape her troubled home life. In the Fall of 1991 Chambers was a member of Mark Brickman's repertory company at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire where one of her roles was Celia in William Shakespeare's ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
''. She returned to the Royal National Theatre in 1993 as Avonia Bunn in
Arthur Wing Pinero Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (24 May 185523 November 1934) was an English playwright and, early in his career, actor. Pinero was drawn to the theatre from an early age, and became a professional actor at the age of 19. He gained experience as a supp ...
's ''
Trelawny of the 'Wells' ''Trelawny of the "Wells"'' is an 1898 comic play by Arthur Wing Pinero. It tells the story of a theatre star who attempts to give up the stage for love, but is unable to fit into conventional society. Synopsis ''Trelawny of the "Wells"'' te ...
'' under the direction of John Caird.


Later career in television, film, and theatre

After taking some smaller parts on television productions such as '' The Bill'', in November 1994, Chambers portrayed the role of Charity Pecksniff in the television serialisation of the Charles Dickens novel '' Martin Chuzzlewit''. From 1994 to 2007, she portrayed the role of Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy '' The Vicar of Dibley''. Chambers appeared in all 20 episodes and four Comic Relief specials until 2007. In 1998, Chambers won the British Comedy Award (BCA) for Best Actress for her performance; having been nominated for a BCA previously for her portrayal of Alice in 1995. Chambers voiced the character of "Belle Stickleback" in two series of the animated television programme ''Pond Life'' (1996 and 2000) and took the role of Helen Yardley in the TV series ''
How Do You Want Me? ''How Do You Want Me?'' is a British television sitcom, produced by Kensington Films & Television, written by Simon Nye, and directed by John Henderson. Plot Dylan Moran starred as boy next door Ian Lyons, who recently eloped with country girl ...
'' (1998) and appeared in the film '' Notting Hill'' (1999), as Honey, the younger sister of Hugh Grant's character. She was cast as Martha Thompson in '' Take a Girl Like You'' (2000), a made-for-television drama based on the Kingsley Amis novel and a remake of the 1970 film. Chambers worked as a voice performer in the animated made-for-television film '' The Wind in the Willows'' (1995) and provided the voice of Spotty for two episodes in the CBeebies series''
Little Robots ''Little Robots'' is a British stop-motion animated children's television series, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Create TV & Film and broadcast on CBeebies (the BBC's children's channel). The series was based on the eponymous book by Mi ...
'' (2003). In 2002, Chambers toured with the Michael Frayn play, ''
Benefactors Benefactor may refer to: * ''Benefactor'' (album), a 1982 album by Romeo Void * Benefactor (law) for a person whose actions benefit another or a person that gives back to others * Benefication (metallurgy) In the mining Mining is the ext ...
'', where she starred opposite
Neil Pearson Neil John Pearson (born 27 April 1959) is a British actor, known for his work on television. He was nominated for the 1994 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for '' Between the Lines'' (1992–1994). His other television roles include ''Drop the D ...
.


Personal life and death

Chambers was married to fellow actor Ian M Dunn. Before their marriage, she lodged with
Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
, whom she regarded as "a sort of father figure". She had a chronic allergy to animals as well as asthma. Chambers died of a heart attack on 21 February 2018, aged 53. On 26 February 2018 BBC One broadcast ''The Vicar of Dibley'' January 1998 episode "
Love and Marriage "Love and Marriage" is a 1955 song with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. It is published by Barton Music Corporation ( ASCAP). Frank Sinatra versions "Love and Marriage" was introduced by Frank Sinatra in the 1955 televi ...
" in Chambers' memory. In a similar vein, on 11 March 2018 (on what would have been Chambers' 54th birthday), the Gold channel hosted a ''The Vicar of Dibley'' day in her memory. In December 2020, in a series of shorter ' lockdown' episodes of ''The Vicar of Dibley'', Chambers' character Alice was written out of the sitcom, it being revealed that the character had died of cancer. Similarly the final lockdown episode ended with a tribute just before the closing credits reading, "In loving memory of Liz, John, Emma and Roger", paying tribute to Chambers and also three other late ''Dibley'' cast members ( Liz Smith,
John Bluthal John Bluthal (born Isaac Bluthal; 12 August 1929 – 15 November 2018) was a Polish-born Australian actor and comedian, noted for his six-decade career internationally in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. He started his career ...
and Roger Lloyd-Pack).


Filmography


References


External links


Emma Chambers
at the British Film Institute * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chambers, Emma 1964 births 2018 deaths 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actors from Doncaster Actresses from Hampshire Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art English film actresses English soap opera actresses English television actresses English voice actresses People educated at Hill House School, South Yorkshire People educated at St Swithun's School, Winchester People from Lymington