Emily Taaffe

Emily Taaffe, born Emily Anne Taaffe on 10 January 1984 in Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland, is a versatile Irish actress whose career spans stage, television, and film. The youngest of five children of Noeleen and Eamonn Taaffe, she spent her early childhood in Tullyallen near Drogheda before moving to Dublin for university studies. She earned a First‑Class Honours B.A. from Trinity College Dublin in 2005, demonstrating early dedication to the arts and literature. Following her graduation, Emily secured a place at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), where she refined her craft and emerged with a strong foundation in classical and contemporary performance techniques. Her training at LAMDA was pivotal, allowing her to transition seamlessly into professional theatre work across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Since completing her studies, Emily has been continuously active in the entertainment industry, establishing herself as a reliable and compelling presence on both stage and screen. Her journey from a small Irish town to the bustling theatres of London exemplifies a commitment to artistic growth and cultural exchange.

On the stage, Emily has delivered striking performances in a range of productions, from Terry Pratchett’s Nation where she portrayed Daphne, to Howard Davies’ The Cherry Orchard as Dunyasha at the National Theatre. She has tackled Shakespearean roles—including The Comedy of Errors, The Tempest, and Twelfth Night—with the Royal Shakespeare Company, showcasing her versatility and command of classical language. Additional notable theatre credits include The Crucible at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, multiple productions of Three Sisters, and The American Plan at the Theatre Royal Bath. Transitioning to screen, Emily's television work features nuanced roles in the CBC series X Company, the gritty detective drama Ripper Street, and BBC's adaptation of War and Peace. Guest appearances on popular shows such as New Tricks, Call the Midwife, Atlantis, Death in Paradise, and Informer further illustrate her adaptability. In recent years she has appeared in ITV’s Vera, The Borgias, and the 2025 Paramount production Little Disasters. In her personal life, Emily married writer Ben Schiffer in the summer of 2016, and the couple resides in South London, where she continues to contribute to the performing arts.