Born in the United States, Emma Greenwell moved back with her family back to her father's native England when she was a young child. She grew up in London, performing in school plays, and decided to apply to drama schools, eventually ending up at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After trying her luck on the London stage, Greenwell came to Los Angeles for pilot season and was cast as a replacement for the role of Mandy Milkovich, one of the supporting characters on the second season of "Shameless" (Showtime, 2011-16). The role quickly became more substantial and Greenwell became a series regular. She also appeared in a multi-episode arc on "True Blood" (HBO, 2008-2014) in 2012. Then, in 2016 she appeared in two features "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (2016), and "Love & Friendship" (2016), as well as a series regular role on "The Path" (Hulu, 2016-18).