In addition to his cinematic work, Embeth Davidtz has established himself as a constant presence on the small screen, with multi-episode arcs on shows like “Mad Men”, “In Treatment” and “Californication”. But starting in 2013, Davidtz took a big hiatus from acting, with his 2016 appearance on Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” being “the first time I’ve actually been back in the pool,” according to an interview with Vulture. The reason for the breakup is that in 2013 Davidtz was diagnosed with breast cancer.

As she told Vulture, her treatment went well and allowed her to recover, but it also changed her body. Sonia Kovitzky, an art dealer fronting Russian drug traffickers, was Davidtz’s first since treatment, and instead of covering it up, she and producer David Hollander worked to incorporate her medical background and her mastectomy in the show, including a sex. scene where Sonia confronted protagonist Ray (Liev Schreiber) to find out if he was still able to find her beautiful in light of the changes imposed on her body by cancer. ThinkProgress called it a “captivating scene, shamelessly sexual and honest,” and Davidtz’s contribution helped elevate season 4 of “Ray Donovan,” which was hailed for its new focus on women’s issues.

Since then, Davidtz has been able to get back into acting, with a guest spot on Apple TV + ‘“The Morning Show” and a role in M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film “Old”.