Editing Julia Davis (section)

===1998–2006: Career beginnings, ''Human Remains'' and ''Nighty Night''===
Davis decided to become a comedian after a long illness.<ref name=bfi/> She secured her first comedy commission, ''Five Squeezy Pieces'', from [[BBC Radio 4]] in 1998.<ref name="genome.ch.bbc.co.uk">{{cite web |title=Five Squeezy Pieces |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5e91f011f309481db02c03dfb43d9d00 |website=BBC Programme Index |date=18 November 1998 |publisher=BBC |access-date=29 April 2022 |quote=18th Nov 1998, 23:00 on [[BBC Radio 4]] FM ( Source: Radio Times)}}</ref> The series was an all-female sketch comedy show, with [[Meera Syal]], [[Arabella Weir]], [[Maria McErlane]], and [[Mel Calman#Personal life|Claire Calman]].<ref name="theguardian/2004/dec/17">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/dec/17/broadcasting.arts|title=I am drawn to extremes|first=Stuart|last=Jeffries|date=17 December 2004|website=The Guardian|access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="thetimes-655mqq8qxx8">{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/something-of-the-night-655mqq8qxx8|title=Something of the night|quote=This led to her being cast in the all-female sketch show Five Squeezy Pieces in ...|date=11 November 2018|access-date=11 November 2018|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/jan/03/comedy.television|title=Interview: comedy writer Julia Davis|first=Sam|last=Delaney|date=3 January 2004|website=The Guardian|access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="laughing-in-dark"/>

She first appeared on television in 1998 in the BBC sketch show ''[[Comedy Nation]]''.<ref name=bfi/> During their radio sketch series ''Five Squeezy Pieces'', [[Arabella Weir]] introduced Davis to [[Arthur Mathews (writer)|Arthur Mathews]] and [[Graham Linehan]] who cast her as a regular cast member in the television sketch show ''[[Big Train]]'' (1998).<ref name="thetimes-655mqq8qxx8"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/oct/22/julia-davis-im-worried-theres-going-to-be-a-backlashsally4ever|title=Julia Davis: 'I'm worried there's going to be a backlash'|first=Harriet|last=Gibsone|date=22 October 2018|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref> Her career gained a further boost in 1998 after she sent a tape of various characters to [[Steve Coogan]], who invited her to write for and participate in his shows during his 1998 national tour.<ref name="laughing-in-dark"/> [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris]], director of the ''Big Train'' pilot, cast her for his 1997–1999 radio series ''[[Blue Jam]]'', its successor March–April 2000 TV show ''[[Jam (TV series)|Jam]]'', and ''[[Brass Eye]]''.<ref name="laughing-in-dark"/> Davis went on to appear in many comedy television shows including ''[[I'm Alan Partridge]]'', ''[[I Am Not an Animal]]'', ''[[Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible]]'', ''[[Ideal (TV series)|Ideal]]'' and ''[[Nathan Barley]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independenttalent.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=get_clients_cv_pdf&client_id=4225 |title=Curriculum Vitae: Julia Davis|website=[[Independent Talent Group]]|access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independenttalent.com/actors/julia-davis/|title=Julia Davis|website=[[Independent Talent Group]]|access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref>

In November 2000, [[Human Remains (TV series)|''Human Remains'']], a dark comedy television series produced by [[Steve Coogan]]'s production company Baby Cow,<ref name=bfi/> co-written by and co-starring [[Rob Brydon]] and Davis, debuted on [[BBC Two]]. In the six-part series, Brydon and Davis played six different couples talking to camera about their unusual relationships. The last episode of ''[[The Office (British TV series)|The Office]]'' features Davis, who is heard on the phone as the voice of a woman from a dating agency in conversation with [[David Brent]]. Davis also appeared in 2003 film ''[[Love Actually]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Read |first1=Bridget |title=Julia Davis's Signature Comedy of Discomfort Lands Stateside |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/sally4ever-julia-davis-interview-hbo |website=Vogue |date=9 November 2018 |access-date=4 March 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref>

In 2004 and 2005, Davis wrote and starred in two series of the [[BBC Three]] dark comedy ''[[Nighty Night]]''. The show is centred on her character of peroxide "blonde" [[Psychopathy|sociopathic]] beauty therapist Jill Tyrell.<ref name=bfi/>