Emma McDonald
Emma Katherine McDonald is an English actress. She began her career in theatre. On television, she is known for her roles in the AMC+ series Moonhaven and the Starz series The Serpent Queen. Her films include 7 Keys and Low Rider.
Early life
McDonald grew up around Brixton and Camberwell, South London. McDonald attended St Marylebone School. She was discovered in a school play by Michael Frayn. Before pursuing acting professionally, McDonald graduated with a degree in maths and psychology from the University of Nottingham. During her time at university, she took part in Nottingham New Theatre student productions.Career
After leaving Nottingham, in 2015, McDonald made her professional stage debut as Georgiana Darcy in Pride and Prejudice at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. She then played Hero in the Iris Theatre production of Much Ado About Nothing at St Paul's, Covent Garden in 2016. McDonald joined the Watermill Theatre company, appearing in productions and tours of Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night and The Picture of Dorian Gray in 2017, A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2019 and Macbeth in 2020. Also in 2019, McDonald played Anna Lamb in The Sweet Science of Brusing at Wilton's Music Hall.Amid 2020 and 2021, McDonald starred as Eve opposite May Kelly in the film Get Luke Lowe and appeared in digital productions of The Picture of Dorian Gray alongside Fionn Whitehead and Alfred Enoch and Going the Distance. She made her television debut as Yasmin Hayes in the second series of the Acorn TV series Queens of Mystery.
Announced in 2021, McDonald was cast in her first lead role as Bella Sway in the 2022 AMC+ science fiction series Moonhaven. In 2024, she replaced Sennia Nanua as Rahima in the second season of the Starz historical drama The Serpent Queen. She had a supporting role as Areej in Amrou Al-Kadhi's film Layla and starred as Lena in Joy Wilkinson's 7 Keys and Quinn in Campbell X's Low Rider. McDonald returned to the stage in Foreverland at Southwark Playhouse and the Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Constant Wife.