So I sat there last Tuesday, channel hopping because there was absolutely nothing decent on telly. Stumbled across The Vanishing on Film4. Never heard of it before, but the Scottish scenery looked promising enough.
After twenty minutes pass, I’m obsessed. Truly not because of the story, which was alright, but because of this actress I had never seen before. Her acting was totally natural, having no theatrical nonsense or over-the-top facial expressions. Just proper acting.
I actually had to rewind to verify the name in the credits. Emma King. Never heard of her.
Turns Out She’s Been Around Ages
Started googling straight away, didn’t I? Turns out Emma King’s been making films for years. Just quietly getting on with it whilst everyone else is busy being famous on Instagram.
Born sometime in the early 1980s, though she’s one of those sensible actors who doesn’t broadcast her exact age. Good on her. She married Alex Hassell back in 2011, the person you might know from The Boys or Cowboy Bebop. They seem to keep themselves to themselves, which is rather refreshing these days.
Found her on social media eventually, but she barely posts anything. Last tweet was about three months ago, something about supporting a charity walk. No selfies, no “blessed” captions, no pictures of her breakfast. Brilliant.
Going back through her filmography, Emma has put in the work building her career since the early 2010s. Her previous work includes Down the Road (2013), where she gained her grounding in independent British film, and Miss In Her Teens (2014). Then came Two Down (2015), which proved she was committed to taking interesting projects over easy paychecks.
Her Film Work Is Properly Good
The Vanishing came out in 2018, and it’s genuinely unsettling. Set on this remote Scottish island, where three lighthouse keepers go missing. Emma plays one of the wives back on the mainland, worried sick about her husband. Could’ve been a nothing role, really. Just the concerned woman at home.
But she makes it matter. Every phone call, every worried glance out the window, you believe it completely. That’s proper skill, that is.
In the same year, she was in The Isle. Completely different beast; historical drama set in the 1840s. Shows her range, doesn’t it? From modern psychological thriller to period piece without missing a beat. Her latest film, Dagr, came out in 2024. Still doing the festival circuit, so I haven’t managed to catch it yet. Early word suggests it’s another corker, though.
Her latest film, Dagr, came out in 2024, where she takes on a lead role for the first time. Still doing the festival circuit, so I haven’t managed to catch it yet. Early word suggests it’s another corker, though. It’s about time she got a proper starring part, AS she’s certainly earned it after years of supporting work.
Why Emma King Movies Work
Here’s the thing about her films: they’re all quite small. No massive budgets, no explosion-filled action sequences. Just people being people, dealing with actual problems.
Take The Vanishing again. It’s basically about guilt and paranoia and what men will do when they think nobody’s watching. Heavy stuff, but Emma grounds it all. Her scenes feel real when everything else is getting a bit mental.
The Isle focuses on faith and community in rural Scotland. Again, it could’ve been worthy and dull in the wrong hands. But the casting was fabulous, Emma included, and that made the movie compelling.
She picks projects that actually have something to say. Not interested in the latest Marvel nonsense or generic rom-coms where everyone’s impossibly attractive and lives in massive flats they could never afford.
The Alex Hassell Partnership
It must be nice being married to someone who gets the job, mustn’t it? Acting’s a weird profession that has irregular hours, constant rejection, and pretending to be other people for a living. Having a partner who understands all that must help.
They rarely do red carpet events together. When they do appear publicly, it’s usually for something worthwhile, such as charity dos or serious film premieres. None of this celebrity couple nonsense.
Alex has had the flashier career, having big Netflix shows and Hollywood films. But Emma’s path seems more sustainable, somehow. Less dramatic ups and downs.
What She’s Not Doing
Never seen her on a chat show sofa, giggling about her latest project. Doesn’t seem to have a publicist pushing her for magazine covers. No endorsement deals or fashion partnerships that I can find.
She’s just acting. Picking good scripts, working with decent directors, and building something that’ll last. A bit old-fashioned, really, in the best possible way.
Most actors her age are desperately chasing fame or trying to stay relevant on social media. Emma King movies suggest someone more interested in the actual craft.
The British Film Scene Needs More Like Her
Independent British cinema can be a bit hit-and-miss, can’t it? Too many worthy social realism or period pieces that look lovely but say nothing.
Emma’s filmography avoids both traps. Her characters feel like real people, not political statements or historical curiosities. She brings warmth and intelligence to roles that could easily become stereotypes.
The Cry on BBC was another example. Supporting role, but she made every scene count. Dealt with some incredibly difficult subject matter, such as child loss, media scrutiny, and marriage breakdown. Never felt exploitative or manipulative.
That takes serious skill and judgement. It’s one thing to handle heavy, dramatic material in a feature film where you’ve got time to develop the character. Quite another to make an impact in a television role where every moment counts.
Looking Ahead
With Dagr getting decent festival buzz, hopefully, more people will start noticing her work. She deserves a bigger profile, though something tells me she’s not particularly bothered either way.
There’s something quite admirable about actors who just get on with the job. No drama, no publicity stunts, no Twitter meltdowns. Just solid, consistent work year after year.
Emma King movies might not make headlines or break box office records. But they stick with you afterwards. They make you think or feel something you weren’t expecting.
That’s worth more than all the superhero blockbusters in the world, isn’t it?
