Emerald Fennell

Fennell in 2019, photo by DFree/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Emerald Lilly Fennell

Place of Birth: Hammersmith, London, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 1 October, 1985

Ethnicity: English, Scottish, Irish

Emerald Fennell is a British actress, author, and filmmaker. She has directed and written the films Promising Young Woman, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Saltburn. She has also written episodes of Drifters and Killing Eve, the latter of which she has been a showrunner of; and the book for the musical Cinderella (2020). She has also appeared on the shows Call the Midwife and The Crown, and in the films Albert Nobbs, Anna Karenina (2012), The Danish Girl, Vita & Virginia, and Barbie (2023).

Emerald is the daughter of author Louise Fennell and jewellery and silverware designer Theo Fennell. Her sister is fashion designer Coco Fennell. Her father was born in Moascar, Egypt, to British parents, while his father was in the army. Emerald has two children with her partner, film and advertising director and producer Chris Vernon.

Emerald’s paternal grandfather was Major Alister Ivor Fennell (the son of Arthur Barney Fennell and Violet Edith Brown). Alister was born in Farnham, Surrey. Violet was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Emerald’s paternal grandmother was Beryl Ruth Verity Frith (the daughter of William Robert Frith and Helen Sybil Cleaver). Beryl was born in Hampstead, London. William was the son of William Robert Frith, who was born in Dundalk, co. Louth, Ireland, and of Ruth Maria Smith, whose mother was Irish. Helen was the daughter of Harris Peugeot Cleaver and Helen Frances Phoebe Makin.

Emerald’s maternal grandfather was named Alasdair MacGregor.

Emerald’s maternal grandmother was Jennifer S. Tod (who likely was the daughter of David Tod and Shirley Lamplough). Shirley was the daughter of Wharram Henry Lamplough and Gladys Shirley Eastlake Smith.

Emerald is a second cousin of actor Toby Kebbell. Emerald’s paternal great-grandparents, Arthur Barney Fennell and Violet Edith Brown, were also Toby’s maternal great-grandparents.