Silent Witness star Emilia Fox never wanted to act but did for this reason

Emilia Fox revealed that she had no initial plans to pursue acting, only turning to it when she needed funds for a holiday.

Despite starring as Dr Nikki Alexander on Silent Witness for 20 years, Emila was deterred from the profession after witnessing the ups and downs within her family.

Emilia, 50, is part of the famous Fox family, of which several members have been in the acting profession over a number of generations.

She is the grandchild of Robin Fox, an actor and theatrical agent and his wife Angela Worthington, actress and daughter of the English playwright Frederick Lonsdale.

Emilia's mother, Joanna David and Edward Fox are both actors. The TV star is also the cousin of fellow actor turned political activist Laurence Fox.

Speaking to The Mirror, Emilia admitted: "Acting was not something I wanted to do, I went to university and wanted to do journalism or write creatively."

She added: "I had grown up around actors' lives and my rose tinted spectacles were absolutely off, I had seen the highs and lows of the profession."

However, necessity led her to audition for a role in the 1995 TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which spared her from waitressing to fund her holiday.

She told The Express in 2015: "I was at university at the time, so it was a holiday job and meant that I didn’t have to waitress!"

Her career took a significant turn when she landed the part of 'the second Mrs de Winter' in the 1997 adaptation of Rebecca, a role her mother Joanna David had famously played in 1979.

Yet, she disclosed that the casting director was unaware of her famous surname at the time.

"They took my name off the tapes because no one wanted to link us together," she explained.

Emilia stressed the importance of making her own mark in the industry, stating: "For me it was nice because I was concerned that if I walked into a room, people would think I was another member of the Fox family.

"I think for all of us the challenge has been to make sure we can do it in our own way so we get our own work, get work through you rather than the name."