Mackenzie Davis
Davis at TIFF 2015
Born
Mackenzie Rio Davis

(1987-04-01) April 1, 1987 (age 36)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma materMcGill University
OccupationActress
Years active2005–present
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]

Mackenzie Rio Davis (born April 1, 1987)[2] is a Canadian actress. She made her feature film debut in the drama film Smashed (2012). In 2013, she appeared in the film The F Word, for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. From 2014 to 2017, she starred as computer programmer Cameron Howe in the AMC period drama series Halt and Catch Fire.

Davis co-starred as Yorkie in the Emmy Award-winning Black Mirror episode "San Junipero", for which she received critical acclaim. She appeared in the films The Martian (2015), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and portrayed the title character in the comedy-drama film Tully (2018). She then starred as the augmented super-soldier Grace in Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), and co-starred in the comedy film Happiest Season (2020). In 2021, she had a lead role in the miniseries Station Eleven, which earned her a Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series.

Early life

Davis was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Lotte, a graphic designer, and John Davis, a hairdresser from Liverpool, England.[3] Her parents own AG Hair. She graduated from Collingwood School in West Vancouver in 2005 and then attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. She went on to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.[4][5]

Career

Davis's first feature film was Smashed. In 2015, she appeared in The Martian as NASA satellite communications engineer Mindy Park.

From 2014 to 2017, she played programming prodigy Cameron Howe in Halt and Catch Fire for the duration of its four-season run.[6][7]

In 2016, she co-starred as Yorkie in "San Junipero", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror, which received two Emmy Awards.[8] She was also cast as Mariette in Blade Runner 2049.[9]

Davis at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con

In 2019, she appeared as one of the new characters in Terminator: Dark Fate, where she portrayed an augmented super soldier who is sent from the future to protect Dani Ramos. In October 2019, she was cast in the lead role in the HBO Max miniseries Station Eleven.[10]

In 2020, Davis starred as Kate in The Turning, opposite Finn Wolfhard and Brooklynn Prince. The film is a modern adaptation of the 1898 horror novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. She also starred as Diana Hastings in Irresistible, a film by Jon Stewart about the outsized influence of money on the American electoral system. She also starred in the 2020 rom-com Happiest Season co-starring Kristen Stewart.[11][12][13]

In February to April 2023 she played the role of Isolde in Phaedra in an updated version by Simon Stone at the National Theatre in London.

Upcoming projects

In June 2020, it was announced that Davis would be part of the ensemble cast of Zellner Brothers' science-fiction comedy Alpha Gang, which includes Jon Hamm, Andrea Riseborough, Nicholas Hoult, Sofia Boutella and Steven Yeun.[14]

In May 2022, she signed to star in Justin Anderson’s directorial debut Swimming Home, an adaptation of the Booker Prize-nominated novel of the same name by Deborah Levy, alongside Christopher Abbott and Ariane Labed.[15]

Her short film WOACA, her directorial debut, is slated to screen in the Short Cuts program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[16]

Acting credits

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Alex Terri Short film
2012 Smashed Millie
The Hat Goes Wild Cathy Credited as Mackenzie Rio Davis
2013 Breathe In Lauren Reynolds
The F Word Nicole Alternative title: What If?
Bad Turn Worse Sue
Plato's Reality Machine Sophia
Moontown Shayna Short film
2014 That Awkward Moment Chelsea
Emptied Charlotte Laurence Short film
2015 Freaks of Nature Petra Lane
A Country Called Home Reno
Memory Box Isabelle Short film
The Martian Mindy Park
2016 Always Shine Anna
2017 Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town Izzy
Blade Runner 2049 Mariette
2018 Boomerang Jenifer Short film
Tully Tully
2019 Terminator: Dark Fate Grace Harper
2020 The Turning Kate Mandell
Irresistible Diana Hastings
Happiest Season Harper Caldwell
2023 WOACA Writer, Director, Producer Short film, Post-Production
2024 Swimming Home Isabel Premiere at IFFR[17]
Speak No Evil Louise Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2012 I Just Want My Pants Back Lucie Episode: "Safety Nets"
2014–2017 Halt and Catch Fire Cameron Howe Main role (40 episodes)
2016 Black Mirror Yorkie Episode: "San Junipero"
2017 No Activity Patricia / "Pat the Rat" Episode: "The Witness"
2020 Home Movie: The Princess Bride Princess Buttercup Episode: "Chapter Two: The Shrieking Eels"[18]
2021–2022 Station Eleven Kirsten Raymonde Main role (10 episodes)
2022 Love, Death & Robots Martha Kivelson Episode: "The Very Pulse of the Machine"

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
2023 Phaedra Isolde National Theatre, London

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2014 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role The F Word Nominated
2016 Monster Fest Best Performance in a Feature Film (Female) Always Shine Won[19]
Tribeca Film Festival Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Won[20]
2017 Napa Valley Film Festival Special Jury Award – Best Breakout Performance Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town Won
Tacoma Film Festival Best Performance (shared with Jun Zhao) Won
International Online Cinema Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie "San Junipero" Nominated
2018 Best Supporting Actress Tully Nominated
Indiana Film Journalists Association Nominated
2019 Women's Image Network Awards Supporting Actress Feature Film Nominated
CinemaCon Ensemble Award (shared with Linda Hamilton, Natalia Reyes and Gabriel Luna) Terminator: Dark Fate Won
2022 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series Station Eleven Won

References

  1. ^ Zhong, Fan (March 2013). "On the Verge: Mackenzie Davis". W. Sebastian Kim (photography). Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  2. ^ Olsen, Mark (September 21, 2013). "'We Gotta Get Out of This Place' actress Mackenzie Davis breaks out". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  3. ^ "10 things you need to know about AG Hair Cosmetics". Behind the Chair. 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  4. ^ "Mackenzie Davis". Interview Magazine. June 2, 2017. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  5. ^ Smith, Krista. "Mackenzie Davis Talks The Martian, Halt and Catch Fire, and More". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  6. ^ "Mackenzie Davis on Halt and Catch Fire and Blade Runner 2049". Collider. September 16, 2017. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Fetters, Ashley. "Mackenzie Davis, the Girl Genius of 'Halt and Catch Fire'". GQ. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  8. ^ "69th Emmy Award Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on September 19, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  9. ^ Kit, Borys (June 7, 2016). "'Martian' Actress Mackenzie Davis Joins 'Blade Runner' Sequel (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Mackenzie Davis & Himesh Patel To Star In 'Station Eleven' HBO Max Limited Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  11. ^ "Like Everyone Else, Mackenzie Davis and Charlize Theron Discuss "Happiest Season"". Interview Magazine. December 2, 2020. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Halliwell, Kate (November 27, 2020). "An Ode to the Height Difference in 'Happiest Season'". The Ringer. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  13. ^ Specter, Emma. "Mackenzie Davis on "Happiest Season," Working With Clea DuVall, and That One Black Mirror Episode". Vogue. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  14. ^ "'Alpha Gang' Assembles With Jon Hamm, Andrea Riseborough, Nicholas Hoult Leading Ensemble". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  15. ^ Tutt, Louise. "Ariane Labed, Christopher Abbott, Mackenzie Davis to star in 'Swimming Home' for Bankside". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  16. ^ Anthony D'Alessandro, "TIFF Shorts Lineup Includes ‘Dammi’ Starring Riz Ahmed; Works By Mackenzie Davis, Yann Demange & More" Archived August 10, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. Deadline Hollywood, August 9, 2023.
  17. ^ Calnan, Ellie (December 18, 2023). "'Swimming Home' to world premiere at Rotterdam 2024 as part of Tiger competition line-up". ScreenDaily. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  18. ^ Breznican, Anthony (June 26, 2020). "Watch the Celebrity-Filled Fan-Film Version of The Princess Bride". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  19. ^ "MONSTER FEST Announces 2016 Award Winners". Monster Fest. November 29, 2016. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  20. ^ "Tribeca Film Festival Announces 'Dean,' 'Junction 48' and Other Award-Winners". Indiewire. April 21, 2016. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.

Further reading

External links

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