Hope Davis' on Stage Career

The acting career of Hope Davis includes starring roles in over 20 feature films and numerous parts on television. However, while most people may know her primarily for her roles on the screen, Davis boasts a long and successful career as a stage actress as well.

A shining star on stage

Davis’ professional stage career began in Chicago, in 1992, when she took over the role of “Karen” in Joel Schumacher’s production of David Mamet’s play Speed-the-Plow. The play received critical acclaim, and Davis soon found herself in high-demand with offers for many more onstage roles. In that same year, Davis made her Broadway debut as “Miss Anne Holland” in Richard Nelson’s play, Two Shakespearean Actors. Since then, Davis has performed numerous roles. In Chicago, Davis performed at the prestigious Goodman Theatre, including lead roles in Macbeth and The Iceman Cometh. In New York, the actress has landed parts both on and off Broadway; notable off-Broadway appearances include Nicky Silver’s plays Pterodactyls and The Food Chain, while productions such as Ivanov and Spinning into Butter brought Davis to the Broadway stage.

Catching up with the actress

Although Davis’ demanding schedule as a film actress has left her little time for stage work recently, she continues to perform in the theatre. In 2009, Davis returned to the stage for the Broadway production of Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage, where her role as “Annette” led to a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Performance for a Leading Actress.

Hope Davis is perhaps best known for her work in film and on television. However, without an exploration of her career on the stage, one is left with only half of the picture of this brilliant, talented actress.