Born in New Zealand, Emma Harrison was raised in Australia. She attended St. Hilda's School for Girls in Southport, Queensland. There, she was a House Captain and a Senior School Prefect. Emma started modeling at the age of 15, when she was spotted in the audience of a beauty contest and immediately signed by a local agency. She began her career with numerous television commercials including Palmolive Soap and Kentucky Fried Chicken. This was the first step in a career that has made her a household name in more than 50 countries around the world. Shortly after Emma left for college, she attracted the attention of several prominent casting agents, who persuaded her to embark on an acting career. Her striking looks and unique qualities caught the attention of established directors. In short order, she landed parts in television productions of Time Trax (1993) and Mission: Impossible (1988). Emboldened by these early successes, Emma felt ready to pursue acting in earnest and made the move to Sydney. Her career exploded after she was discovered by the casting director of the popular 'soap' series Neighbours (1985). Taken with her talent, charisma, and sensational looks, the team behind the number-one show decided to write her into the program as part of the starring cast. For three seasons, Emma took the viewing public by storm playing Joanna Hartman, resulting in a nomination for Best New Talent at the Australian Logie Awards. Fresh from her conquest of Australia, Emma traveled to England in 1998 where she was already a celebrity thanks to Neighbours (1985). While in the UK, she hosted two television programs, appeared on the covers of dozens of magazines such as FHM, Loaded, Maxim, and Inside Sport and was selected as a presenter for the prestigious BAFTA Awards. In 2000 Emma took some time off from her acting and modeling work and went backpacking. She took a trip through the South American rainforest and hiked the Inca Trail up to the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. Fresh from her sabbatical, Emma relocated to the United States in 2002. Show less «