Silent Witness' Emilia Fox makes emotional statement in rare admission about famous family

The beloved Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has admitted to becoming increasingly aware of her mortality and also that of her parents, and she said that these next few years with them "feel precious". The 50-year-old comes from a lineage of stellar actors, including her parents, the acclaimed thespians Edward Fox and Joanna David, who are recognised for their TV and film roles spanning over six decades.

She explained: "My dad is 88 now, and so I want to spend time with them in an area of the world, which I love, which is Dorset." Work is a constant in her life, and as part of her latest off-screen role, a partnership with My Pension Expert for a campaign that encourages Britons to seek pension advice, she has been planning for her future. "I have written a [bucket] list," Emilia reveals. "I love nature, plants, and flowers. I'd like to learn more about them properly and have another learning experience in life."
The actress is also looking forward to keeping "fit and healthy," which she says "definitely gives me more confidence".

Emilia's great-great-grandfather, Samson Fox, was the first in his lineage to break free of being an industrial worker, as she discovered during filming of a 2011 episode of the BBC's popular genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?

"He was a great lover of the arts in all areas, music, theatre, and had a theatre built in Harrogate," she says.

Emilia's grandfather, Robin Fox, was a famed theatrical agent and the chairman of the English Stage Company. Her mother starred in hit TV shows such as Miss Marple, Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, and Downton Abbey.

While her father, Edward, is a three-time BAFTA award winner whose roles include playing the eponymous assassin in The Day of the Jackal, Gandhi, The Go-Between, A Bridge Too Far, and Edward & Mrs. Simpson.

The illustrious Fox acting dynasty also extends to Emilia's brother, who has starred in White House Farm and Slow Horses, plus her award-winning uncle James Fox, cousins Jack and Lydia Fox, and the actor-turned-controversial political activist Laurence Fox.

But being surrounded by so many talents wasn't always easy, the actress admits, especially as she was "conscious of not wanting to be seen to be doing it because other members of the family were".

Yet now at a time in her life where she feels at ease with her achievements, Emilia is happy about her path into acting. She landed her big break playing Georgiana Darcy, the shy younger sister of Colin Firth's Mr Darcy while studying English at university.

Despite her talent, Emilia hasn't entirely escaped the derogatory label "nepo baby", which describes the offspring of famous parents whose success in show business is said to be tied to their own and confesses she was "worried" about the conversations surrounding nepotism because of her family's respected reputation in the acting world.

"When I first started, it made me fight harder to not be 'that'," she says. Happily, her mindset on the topic has since changed.

"Now I aim to forge my own path through it, and I hope, and a number of years later, I've been able to go, I've done it in my own right. But I feel very proud of what my parents have achieved or past generations too, that's with the benefit of hindsight."

Emilia Fox joins campaign with My Pension Expert, encouraging Brits to seek pension advice and take control of their future.