Office star Lucy Davis unrecognisable in throwback snap before finding fame

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Fans loved Lucy as Dawn on the Office, as she battled to control David Brent (Image: Lucy Davis/Instagram)
Fans loved Lucy as Dawn on the Office, as she battled to control David Brent (Image: Lucy Davis/Instagram)

Lucy Davis looks worlds away from tormented Dawn Tinsley as she uploaded a throwback photo years before she found fame.

The actress, who stared as the long-suffering receptionist in Ricky Gervais’ BBC comedy classic The Office, is the daughter of funnyman Jasper Carrott. She now lives in LA but clearly hasn't forgotten home.

Like her character, she jetted off to America for a new life and has gone on to star in the Wonder Woman movie and also appeared in Ugly Betty and Garfield. She keeps in touch with her fans, friends and family on social media and couldn't resist posting a snap of herself as a teenager sitting on a mattress on the floor.

Captioning the Instagram photo, Lucy wrote: "Me at 18 just moved into my new London digs to go to drama school. Soooo many good memories in that place. I lived there for 13 years (with slightly more furniture eventually..) #flashback #likeanotherlifetimeago."

Office star Lucy Davis unrecognisable in throwback snap before finding fame qhiqqxiqtiqdrinvShe uploaded a photo of herself as a teenager on Instagram

Her life hasn't been straightforward and previously spoke about her battle with bulimia, which she has been open about. She said this was at its worst when she was going through a divorce from fellow actor Owain Yeoman in 2011.

EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likenessEastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness

“In my 30s, I would have hated to look like this,” she told The Telegraph. “I probably wouldn’t have gone out much. I’d diet for a week and then eat all the food I hadn’t consumed in the previous seven days in a single day. This period of binge and purge was at its worst when my marriage came to an end.”

The star has had a number of health problems and back in 1997 had a kidney transplant, using an organ donated by her mother. In 2005 she suffered kidney failure but made a full recovery.

She told Diabetes UK: "When you are first diagnosed with diabetes it can seem overwhelming and frightening. It could seem easier to bury your head in the sand and hope it will go away. But I think the most important thing to remember is that must be in control of your diabetes and not the other way around.

Office star Lucy Davis unrecognisable in throwback snap before finding fameNow life is very different for the much-loved actress
Office star Lucy Davis unrecognisable in throwback snap before finding fameShe found love with Tim and gave us the happy ever after we all wanted (BBC)

"I've known people who allow their difficulties in life to define them. They say "Why me?". But I have to say to myself "Why not me?". Many people deal with difficult challenges every day of their lives, and we are lucky that we have medicines and technology available to us that others didn't many years ago.

'One adjustment that I found hard at first was always having to plan ahead – where was I going to be that day? What food would be available? Did I have all the insulin I needed? Did I have spare glucose tablets with me? But after a very short time, this became second nature, like remembering to take my purse out with me or my keys.

"Many things come along in everyone's lives to test us. What makes us stand out from the crowd is how we deal with them. Diabetes can be as easy or as difficult as we make it. And by controlling it and keeping ourselves healthy, we can help prevent the side-effects of diabetes later in life."

"Be vigilant about your health and your medications. Don't let yourself view it as a chore. Then go out and live your life, and grasp your dreams with both hands."

Sam Elliott-Gibbs

Showbiz Snapchat, BBC, Ricky Gervais, Lucy Davis, Jasper Carrott

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