Emily Hampshire emerged as one of Canada's most versatile and recognizable character actors, celebrated for her sharp wit and ability to inhabit a wide spectrum of roles, from the acerbic motel clerk in the beloved sitcom Schitt's Creek to the complex time-traveler in the sci-fi drama 12 Monkeys. Born in Montreal, Quebec, she demonstrated an early passion for performance, which led her to professional acting roles while still a teenager. Her breakthrough arrived with the role of Angelina in the 1998 romantic comedy Boy Meets Girl, a part that set her on a path in the industry and established her claim to fame.

Her career built steadily through the early 2000s with appearances in various television series and films. She delivered a poignant performance opposite Sigourney Weaver in the 2006 drama Snow Cake, showcasing her dramatic depth, while simultaneously lending her distinctive voice to the title character in the animated series Ruby Gloom. This period of diverse work honed her craft and prepared her for the defining roles that would catapult her to wider acclaim. In 2006, she married Matthew Smith, though the couple later divorced.

The year 2015 proved to be a pivotal turning point, as Hampshire secured two series-regular roles that showcased her remarkable range. She portrayed the brilliant, unpredictable, and often volatile Jennifer Goines across all four seasons of the critically acclaimed Syfy series 12 Monkeys, a performance that earned her a dedicated fanbase. Concurrently, she began her role as the deadpan, eye-rolling motel manager Stevie Budd on Dan Levy and Eugene Levy's CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek. As the Rose family's journey unfolded, Stevie evolved from a sarcastic local into a beloved central figure, with Hampshire's nuanced performance becoming integral to the show's heart and its historic sweep of Emmy Awards.

Following the conclusion of both Schitt's Creek and 12 Monkeys, Hampshire continued to choose compelling projects that defied easy categorization. She stepped into the gothic horror of Chapelwaite, an adaptation of a Stephen King story, playing the formidable Rebecca Morgan. She then joined the ensemble cast of the supernatural thriller The Rig, further demonstrating her affinity for genre storytelling. With each role, Emily Hampshire reaffirms her status as a dynamic and indispensable presence on screen, seamlessly moving between comedy and drama with intelligence and a uniquely captivating charisma.