Alex Michael JenningsCBE (born 10 May 1957) is an English actor of the stage and screen who has worked extensively with theRoyal Shakespeare Company and theRoyal National Theatre. For his work on the London stage, Jennings has received threeOlivier Awards, winning forToo Clever by Half (1988),Peer Gynt (1996), andMy Fair Lady (2003). He is the only performer to have won Olivier awards in the drama, musical, and comedy categories.^[1][2][3]

Jennings is known for his film work, in particular for his performance as Prince Charles inStephen Frears's filmThe Queen (2006) oppositeHelen Mirren. His other film appearances includeThe Wings of the Dove (1997),Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004),Babel (2006),Belle (2013), andThe Lady in the Van (2015) starringMaggie Smith.

Jennings has won acclaim for his performances in television, including for his portrayal ofEdward VIII, theDuke of Windsor, in theNetflix seriesThe Crown oppositeClaire Foy.^[4] He also starred asLeopold I of Belgium in theITV seriesVictoria (2016–2019) oppositeJenna Coleman. His other roles includeStephen Frears'sA Very English Scandal (2018) alongsideHugh Grant andBen Whishaw, and inSteve McQueen'sSmall Axe: Mangrove (2020) starringLetitia Wright.

Jennings was born inRomford,Essex, the son of Peggy Patricia (née Mahoney) and Michael Thomas Jennings. He attended Abbs Cross Technical High School inHornchurch and studied English and Theatre studies at theUniversity of Warwick, graduating in 1978. He said he saw his first theatre while in high school and went to theOld Vic Theatre, which inspired him to be an actor.^[5]

Jennings trained as an actor for two years at theBristol Old Vic Theatre School.^[6]

In the early 1980s, Jennings began his career in regional repertory theatre. In 1985, playing a range of roles includingMaximilien Robespierre inThe Scarlet Pimpernel. Jennings met directorNicholas Hytner during this production and has worked with him many times since.^[1] For his performance as Gloumov inToo Clever by Half at theOld Vic, he won theOlivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in 1988. He was nominated in the same category the following year for portraying Dorante inThe Liar. He has performed for theRoyal National Theatre in a number of plays, including Leontes inThe Winter's Tale and the title role inAlbert Speer.

Jennings's work in television includes appearances inThe State Within,Smiley's People,The Franchise Affair,Inspector Morse,Lewis,Alfonso Bonzo, the title role inAshenden,Dead Poets Society,Inspector Alleyn,Hard Times,Bad Blood, andPeter Ackroyd'sLondon. His many radio credits includeCasino Royale,The Way of the World,Strange Meeting, Vorbis inSmall Gods, andThe Old Curiosity Shop.

Jennings'sRoyal Shakespeare Company roles include the title role inPeer Gynt (for which he won an Olivier Award 1995-06 for Best Actor), the title role inRichard II (oppositeAnton Lesser as Henry Bolingbroke), Theseus/Oberon inA Midsummer Night's Dream (UK, American tour and Broadway),^[7] Angelo inMeasure for Measure, and the title role inHamlet.^[8]

Jennings also appeared inWar Requiem, the RSC's film version ofA Midsummer Night's Dream, andJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999). Jennings also appeared as Lord Mark in the romantic drama filmThe Wings of the Dove starringHelena Bonham Carter,Elizabeth McGovern,Charlotte Rampling, andSir Michael Gambon. The film received great acclaim and many awards nominations including fourAcademy Award nominations and fiveBritish Academy Film Award nominations.

In 2002, Jennings appeared in theCameron Mackintosh/Trevor Nunn revival ofMy Fair Lady at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane and won anOlivier Award as Best Actor in a Musical. He was an Associate Artist at theRoyal Shakespeare Company.^[7] That year he also appeared inThe Four Feathers (2002) as Colonel Hamilton alongsideHeath Ledger,Kate Hudson, andMichael Sheen.

In 2006, Jennings made his breakthrough film role asCharles, Prince of Wales oppositeHelen Mirren asQueen Elizabeth II inThe Queen.^[1] The film was directed byStephen Frears, and written byPeter Morgan. The film depicts thedeath of Diana, Princess of Wales on 31 August 1997 and the reaction from the British public and theBritish royal family. The film was an immense critical and box office success after it premiered at theVenice Film Festival. The film received sixAcademy Award nominations including a win for Mirren's performance.

In 2007, Jennings played the role of Garry Essendine inNoël Coward'sPresent Laughter at theNT.^[1] Also in 2007, he portrayed the Rev. Hutton in theBBC miniseriesCranford starringJudi Dench. He also playedJohn Le Mesurier in the one-off BBC dramaHancock and Joan. In 2009, he appeared inThe Habit of Art asBenjamin Britten.

In June 2008, Jennings made his debut in the Operetta at the ENO inRobert Carsen's production of Bernstein'sCandide, in which he playedVoltaire and Doctor Pangloss.

Jennings has recorded the audio versions of the books:Sins of the Father byJeffrey Archer,The Kraken Wakes byJohn Wyndham,The Horse and His Boy,Out of the Silent Planet, andPerelandra byC.S. Lewis,Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas byJules Verne, andAttention All Shipping byCharlie Connelly, which was selected in June 2008 as one of the top 40 audiobooks of all time. In 2006, he recorded an abridgement ofA Spot of Bother byMark Haddon. He is also a regular narrator on BBC Radio 4'sBook at Bedtime. He was also a member of theBBC'sRadio Drama Company.^[9]

In 2010, Jennings played Captain Shipshape in the CBeebies second series ofGrandpa in my Pocket and starred in the filmBelle. After that, he playedHenry Tizard inCastles in the Sky.In 2011, he playedMikhail Bulgakov in the National Theatre's production ofCollaborators. In 2014, he played the role ofWilly Wonka inCharlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical, which was directed bySam Mendes and was performed on London's West End theatre district.^[2][10] He took over the role fromDouglas Hodge in 2014.^[6]

From 2011 to 2014, Jennings played Alan Cowdrey QC in the BBC One legal dramaSilk.^[11] He has also appeared in the ITV television seriesLewis (2012), andFoyle's War (2015).

Jennings portrayed playwrightAlan Bennett in the 2015 filmThe Lady in the Van oppositeAcademy Award winnerDame Maggie Smith in thetitle role.^[12] The film is directed byNicolas Hytner, who is a long-time collaborator from the theatre.^[1] The film also featured performances fromJim Broadbent,Claire Foy,Frances de la Tour, andJames Corden. The film premiered at the 2015Toronto International Film Festival to great acclaim, specifically for Smith's performance. To promote the film Maggie Smith, and Jennings, appeared onThe Graham Norton Show, this is Smith's first chat show appearance in over 40 years.

In 2016, Jennings reprised his role as ProfessorHenry Higgins in the Australian 60th anniversary production ofMy Fair Lady, directed byJulie Andrews.^[13]On television, from 2016 to 2017, he appeared in theNetflix seriesThe Crown alongsideClaire Foy andJared Harris, asPrince Edward, Duke of Windsor, uncle to Queen Elizabeth and great-uncle to Prince Charles (whom Jennings played inThe Queen). The series has received widespread acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Jennings also portrayed KingLeopold I of Belgium in theITV/PBS seriesVictoria (2016–2019) alongsideJenna Coleman.

In 2018, Jennings played Liberal MPPeter Bessell in theBBC One series,A Very English Scandal alongsideHugh Grant, andBen Whishaw, a miniseries about theJeremy Thorpe affair directed byStephen Frears.^[14] The film received widespread critical acclaim with a 97% onRotten Tomatoes with the critics consensus reading, "Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw impress in A Very English Scandal, an equally absorbing and appalling look at British politics and society".^[15] The series also received fourPrimetime Emmy Award nominations including a win for Whishaw for his performance.

In 2019, Jennings played Andrew Aldridge, a Conservative MP, in the American TV miniseriesFour Weddings and a Funeral.^[16]

In 2020, Jennings appeared in theSmall Axe miniseries directed bySteve McQueen, specifically the television movie,Mangrove as Judge Edward Clarke alongsideLetitia Wright as physician andBritish Black PantherAltheia Jones-LeCointe. InMangrove, the story revolves around the true story based on theMangrove Nine who were British black activists tried for inciting a riot at a protest, in 1970, against the police targeting of theMangrove restaurant,Notting Hill, in west London. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with the critics consensus onRotten Tomatoes reading, "Anchored by strong performances and an even stronger sense of conviction,Mangrove is a powerful indictment of institutional racism."^[17]

Filmed Theatrical Events

• 1999:Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Butler
• 2010:National Theatre Live: The Habit of Art as Henry / Benjamin Britten
• 2011:National Theatre Live: Collaborators as Mikhail Bulgakov
• 2013:National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage as Henry Higgins
• 2019:National Theatre Live: Hansard as Robin Hesketh

Jennings was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2024 Birthday Honours for services to drama.^[26]

• Alex Jennings atIMDb
• Alex Jennings at theInternet Broadway Database

• 1957 births
• Living people
• Actors from the London Borough of Havering
• Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
• Alumni of the University of Warwick
• Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
• Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners
• English male film actors
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• English male radio actors
• English male Shakespearean actors
• English male stage actors
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• Laurence Olivier Award winners
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