Lucy Davis made an emotional return to the public eye this weekend, speaking to fans and well-wishers at the For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi convention at London’s ExCeL.
The appearance came just 11 days after she announced that she has been living with incurable stage four breast cancer for approximately 18 months.
The 53-year-old actress, beloved for her portrayal of Dawn Tinsley in The Office, joined Shaun of the Dead co-star Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright on stage, where she expressed her gratitude to the convention crowd.
“It’s like this whole second family you never knew you had; everyone is like a community, friendly, supportive of not only us but you guys and each other,” she told the audience.
Lucy Davis at New York Comic-Con 2018
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GETTY
“We need a bit more niceness in the world, so I’m grateful.”
Prior to the panel, Ms Davis had spent time signing autographs and posing for photographs with fans.
Ms Davis revealed her diagnosis on Instagram on August 11, explaining that the cancer had metastasised to her bones, affecting her spine, right hip and ribs. She said it was “too late” for chemotherapy.
The actress also revealed that the first indication had been a very small hard area in her breast, which she nearly chose not to have examined. She urged others not to dismiss any bodily changes.
“As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can,” she wrote. “I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it.”
The scale of the public response took her by surprise as she described the reaction as “utterly overwhelming” in a follow-up post.
When an audience member asked what guidance she would offer to those hoping to break into the film industry, Ms Davis delivered a response that drew applause from the crowd.
“Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do or be anything you want to do or be,” she said.
“We all grow up with a different life, with a different world telling us we all have limitations. None of us do, our only limitations are things that we think are limiting. We can do anything, or be anybody, and don’t apologise for that.”
Several fans posing questions told the actress, “I love you so much” during the half-hour session.
Ms Davis required assistance getting on and off the stage for the panel and was not questioned directly about her health during the appearance.
The actress also shared warm recollections of making Shaun of the Dead, singling out the camaraderie among the cast as her fondest memory.
“I loved when we all pretended to be zombies and walked across the square; it was like being naughty school kids,” she said.
Mr Pegg told the audience that nobody involved had anticipated the film becoming a cult favourite. “We had no expectations,” he said. “We didn’t know if it would be seen by anybody other than our parents.”
As the panel concluded, Mr Wright embraced Ms Davis on stage before the pair departed arm in arm.
Ms Davis first rose to prominence in 2001 as the lovable receptionist Dawn Tinsley in Ricky Gervais’s BBC sitcom The Office, where her slow-burning romance with Martin Freeman’s Tim Canterbury became one of British television’s most cherished storylines.
Her subsequent career spanned both sides of the Atlantic, with roles in Wonder Woman, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Ugly Betty, Black Books and Death in Paradise. She is the daughter of comedian Jasper Carrott.
Despite the physical challenges posed by her illness, Ms Davis has expressed her determination to continue acting and to pursue her animal rights campaigning.
She has also stressed the importance of humour, asking loved ones to keep making fun of her rather than treating her as a sick person.