If you hadn’t heard of Emerald Fennell before 2021, you’ve certainly heard of her now.
Fennell herself picked up three nominations for writing, directing, and producing the film (viaDeadline).
And as if that wasn’t enough, Fennell is also a published author.
It’s safe to say that this powerhouse is one of the busiest creatives around.
So, how did Fennell manage to rack up so many successes so early in her career?
Well, her life story can give us a few clues.
Here is the stunning transformation of Emerald Fennell.
Emerald Fennell grew up in a well-off creative family
Emerald Fennellhad a few advantages growing up.
As she told theWall Street Journal Magazine, Fennell is quite cognizant about how this privileged upbringing helped her.
Nevertheless, instead of taking advantage of her luck, Fennell said it only made her trajectory harder.
For instance, when Fennell wanted to get a belly-button piercing, her mom threatened to do the same.
As she toldThe Times, “My parents have always been much cooler than my sister and me.”
Even when she was young, Fennell found it difficult to sleep.
“I had really badinsomnia,” she told theWall Street Journal Magazine.
“And reading has always been kind of a lifeboat.”
Instead of sleeping, Fennell turned to stories, first reading books, then writing her own.
As Fennell explained toEmpire, her imagination could get pretty dark during her sleepless nights.
“I thought about things a lot,” she continued.
“About things that would go wrong.
People climbing in through the window and taking my sister away.
While these twisted imaginings were clearly pretty troubling, they led to a manic creativity.
Of course, acting was also in Fennell’s DNA.
I think acting is one of those things you feel you have to do.”
A drunk girl, Fennell said, is often portrayed as an “object of desire.”
By the sound of things, Fennell experienced this problematic culture first-hand before she stopped drinking.
I found it very disturbing."
The pair quickly became good friends thanks to their dark imaginations and love of twisted comedy (viaGrazia).
As she toldThe Times, she’d never want to star in her own work.
However, despite their slightly different approaches to their work, these two women are great friends.
Waller-Bridge once gushed about Fennell toThe Telegraphsaying she was “the most stylish person I’ve ever met.
Talk about friendship goals!
She playedPatsy Mount, the red-headed, no-nonsense nurse.
As she later toldRadio Times, Fennell learnt a lot from the experience.
Despite her rising fame as a BBC star, Fennell kept her feet solidly on the ground.
In 2013, her first book, “Shiverton Hall,” was published.
The children’s book follows a young boy at a creepy boarding school.
AsThe Guardiannoted, the book had some disturbing psychological parts, but was still perfect for intelligent young readers.
As Fennell explained to theEvening Standard, the book was a result of her childhood obsession with horror.
“I loved all that stuff when I was a kid,” she recalled.
She added that she’d wanted to write a kid’s horror book similar to “Point Horror.”
Clearly, the book was a big success, as a sequel was published just one year later.
We have to say, we’re super impressed by Fennell’s work ethic she never seems to stop!
The characteristically creepy book was, unsurprisingly, a big success.
In an interview with theEvening Standard, Fennell explained the book’s premise.
Clearly Fennell’s own twisted imagination as a child led to her successful novel.
By the sounds of things, she’s just as good a fiction writer as she is an actress.
We are pretty impressed.
I really feel that Emerald captured the heart of the show and the characters.”
And, of course, as a close friend of Waller-Bridge, it was an easy transition.
“It gives you so much experience and confidence,” she shared.
“And other people confidence, because I think it still is difficult for women.”
As she toldVogueat the time, she had had her eye on the role for years.
It sounds like Fennell has more than a few things in common with her character.
She was “over the moon” to be cast and even a little “terrified.”
Luckily, her performance was just what the show needed.
As she toldThe Telegraph, she only had a three week break in her schedule.
“We were filming ‘Promising Young Woman’ until three weeks before I gave birth,” she recalled.
The production crew even moved to a house near Fennell’s home so she could stay involved.
Not surprisingly, becoming a parent has taught Fennell a few things about herself.
“There is something very primal about the process,” she continued.
Having her child also made Fennell realize the importance of supporting young mothers.
“It’s impossible to have a young family and work in this industry.”
Fortunately for everyone, Fennell seems to have found a way to make it work anyway!
The film featured Fennell’s recognizable mixture of dark moments, wry humor, and aesthetic style.
As Fennell toldVogue, the idea first came to her as a single scene.
Additionally, the feminist nature of the film led to it being dubbed a “#MeToo-era film.”
But, as Fennell explained, this was never her intention.
As a result, Fennell earned the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for her work.
However, when the film was released and swept up numerous award nods, she was blown away.
It’s been incredible."
“It’s beyond.”
For Fennell, these reactions were even more meaningful than the awards.
As Webber toldVariety, Fennell proved herself once again to be a tour de force with the script.
“She’s a very, very exciting writer, she’s brilliant.”
As for Fennell, the project was another opportunity to write a female-led story.
