Actress Lucy Davis made her first public appearance on Saturday since revealing her stage four breast cancer diagnosis, addressing fans at the For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi convention at London's ExCeL. The 53-year-old star, known for her role as Dawn Tinsley in the BBC comedy The Office, urged attendees to embrace positivity and resilience.
"We need a bit more niceness in the world, and we get it here," Davis told the assembled crowd, referring to the supportive community at the event. "So I’m grateful for you guys."
Davis, who revealed her incurable cancer diagnosis earlier this year, emphasized the importance of self-belief and pushing past perceived limitations. "Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do or be anything that you want to do or be," she advised. "We all grow up just with lies from the world telling us that we all have limitations, and none of us do. Our only limitations are the things that we think are limiting us. You can do anything and be anybody, and don’t apologise for it."
Her appearance at the convention, where she reunited with director Edgar Wright and actor Simon Pegg, also touched upon her role as aspiring actress Dianne in the 2004 zombie comedy horror film Shaun of the Dead. She reminisced about filming, describing a scene where the cast pretended to be zombies as being "like being naughty schoolkids."
Davis announced her diagnosis in an Instagram post approximately two weeks prior to her convention appearance. She shared that the cancer had metastasized to her bones, and that it was too late for chemotherapy. Despite the gravity of her condition, she expressed a sense of peace, stating, "I'm not scared of whatever comes next. I'm at peace with it."
She detailed discovering a "tiny, hard spot" in her breast a year prior to her diagnosis and urged others not to ignore any concerning physical changes. "So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything - get everything checked out," she advised.
In her initial announcement, Davis expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support she received. She also noted that while standing and walking for extended periods can be difficult, requiring her to use a wheelchair at times, humor and support from loved ones have been vital. She specifically requested that friends and family not treat her as a sick person, emphasizing that such treatment can make one feel unwell.
Davis stated her intention to continue her work for animal rights and to keep acting, describing it as one of the greatest joys in her life. She concluded her public message with well wishes for others on a similar journey, acknowledging the physical and mental toll of cancer.