Her breakthrough performance in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education (2019–2023) earned her a British Academy Television Award nomination.

[7] She grew up in Sablé-sur-Sarthe,[8] and received her baccalauréat in 2013 with High Honours in l'académie de Nantes, a French school district,[1] subsequently moving to England to study English language and literature at the University of Leeds.

[17] The Hindustan Times wrote, "Emma Mackey, as Maeve, is a revelation; perhaps the best performance by a young British actress I've seen since I discovered Florence Pugh.

[21] Review site DoItInParis stated that Mackey "radiates mischief in the boots of a rebellious and entire provincial bourgeoisie, a bit capricious but madly endearing.

"[22] The following year, she starred in the mystery thriller film Death on the Nile,[23] a sequel to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, in the supporting role of Jacqueline de Bellefort.