Emma Handy


Emma Handy is a British actress best known for her West End stage work and her role as DC Paula McIntyre in the ITV1 award-winning drama series Wire in the Blood in which she appeared for five series.

Early life

Handy trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. During the summer of her second year she was invited to Hungary to play the leading role in the first English translation of Csongor és Tünde by Peter Zollman at the Merlin International Theatre, Budapest.

Career

During her final year at drama school Handy was offered the part of Yuliya in a new translation of Chekhov's The Wood Demon by Frank Dwyer at the Playhouse Theatre in London's West End. She went straight onto the Royal Shakespeare Company to play Jessica in Merchant of Venice and to create the role of Rhona in the premiere of Robert Holman's Bad Weather.
Much of Handy's stage work has been involved with new writing creating many roles including Anna Van Gogh in Nicholas Wright's multi award-winning play Vincent in Brixton directed by Richard Eyre for the Royal National Theatre; Rhona in Robert Holman's Bad Weather directed by Steven Pimlott for the Royal Shakespeare Company; Lou in Murray Gold's 50 Revolutions directed by Dominic Dromgoole for the Trafalgar Studios and Cathy in Polly Teale's award-winning Speechless for Shared Experience at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Handy played Maudie Miller in Trevor Nunn's 2011 revival of Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket marking the centenary of Terence Rattigan's birth.
In January 2013, she performed at the Adelaide Festival in Australia in the premiere of Thursday by the acclaimed playwright Bryony Lavery in a collaboration with Australian-based theatre company Brink Productions and English Touring Theatre.
Handy performed a lead role, the young Queen Elizabeth ll, 'Liz' in Moira Buffini's critically acclaimed play Handbagged examining the relationship between the Queen and prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The production toured the UK in 2015, including performances at the Theatre Royale in Bath, the Cambridge Arts Theatre, and also at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham. In 2016, Handy talked about playing the queen in an interview timed to coincide with the monarch's 90th birthday.
In 2021, Handy played the role of Ida in the BBC Radio 4 drama series Faith, Hope and Glory.

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000Black CabJemTV series
2000Pretending to be JudithKeeley2 episodes
2001The BillLisa HayesEpisode: "Real Crime"
2002The American EmbassyJules BrodyTV series
2002The BillJodie White1 episode
−2002InnocentsNurseTV movie
2003Hear the SilenceAnnTV movie
−2003Vincent in BrixtonAnna Van GoghTV movie
2004William and MaryTracy Mellor4 episodes
2004Silent WitnessDS Gwenda Newton2 episodes
2004See MeJoTV movie
2005Beneath the SkinLouisaTV movie
2003–2008Wire in the BloodDC Paula McIntyre24 episodes
2010DoctorsLinda Stow4 episodes
2011ThreesomeDr CartwrightTV series
2011Holby CityKatie BlakemanEpisode "See You on the Ice"
2016The CoronerDebbie PattersonEpisode: "Crash"
2016The Worst WitchMrs Hallow3 episodes
2017Doctor WhoMotherEpisode: "The Lie of the Land"
2015-2022Doc MartinSamantha Trappett7 episodes
2023The Beaker GirlsMrs CookSeries regular

Film

YearTitleRoleDirector
1997Velvet GoldmineJeanTodd Haynes
2001IrisPC KeatonRichard Eyre
2002Club Le MondeRaSimon Rumley
2003VacuumsMargeLuke Cresswell & Steve McNicholas
2003Vincent in BrixtonAnna Van GoghRichard Eyre
2006Balham vs ClaphamEmilyTom Yarwood
2012Fast GirlsRebecca- Team GB OfficialRegan Hall

Theatre

YearTitleAuthorRoleDirectorNotes
1996Csongor és TündePeter ZollmanTundeLazlo MagacsMerlin International Theatre, Budapest
1997The Wood DemonAnton ChekhovYuliyaAnthony ClarkThe Playhouse Theatre, London
1997–1999Twelfth NightWilliam ShakespeareLady in WaitingAdrian NobleRoyal Shakespeare Company
1997–1999The Merchant of VeniceWilliam ShakespeareJessicaGregory DoranRoyal Shakespeare Company
1997–1999Bad WeatherRobert HolmanRhonaSteven PimlottRoyal Shakespeare Company
199950 RevolutionsMurray GoldLouDominic DromgooleTrafalgar Studios
2002–2003Vincent in BrixtonNicholas WrightAnna Van GoghRichard EyreNational Theatre London, Wyndham's Theatre London, Playhouse Theatre, London
2007A Midsummer Night's DreamWilliam ShakespeareHermiaTito Celestino da CostaInternational Opera Festival, Lisbon
2008Crown MatrimonialRoyce RytonElizabeth, Duchess of YorkDavid GrindleyACT Productions
2009Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of LonelinessAnthony NeilsonMadame PouletSteve MarmionHeadlong
2010"Speechless"Polly TealeCathyPolly TealeShared Experience, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh
2011Flare PathTerence RattiganMaudie MillerTrevor NunnHaymarket Theatre, London
2012The Boy who Fell into a BookAlan AyckbournMoniqueSteve MarmionSoho Theatre
2013"Thursday"Bryony LaveryBonita D'OliveraChris DrummondETT and BRINK Productions for the Adelaide Festival, Australia
2014"Miss Julie"August Strindberg / Rebecca LenkiewiczKristinJamie Glover Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival-
2015"Handbagged"Moira BuffiniLizIndhu RubasinghamUK tour