Damian Lewis | |
|---|---|
 Lewis in 2015 | |
| Born | Damian Watcyn Lewis (1971-02-11)11 February 1971 (age 55) London, England |
| Education | Guildhall School of Music and Drama (BA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Alison Mosshart (2022–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
|
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Labels | Decca |
Musical artist | |
Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is a British actor and musician. He rose to prominence portraying U.S. Army MajorRichard Winters in theHBO miniseriesBand of Brothers. Lewis won aPrimetime Emmy Award and aGolden Globe Award for his portrayal of U.S. Marine SergeantNicholas Brody in theShowtime seriesHomeland, and received nominations for his performance asHenry VIII of England inWolf Hall. He portrayed Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime seriesBillions in six out of seven seasons, and appeared inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) as actorSteve McQueen.
Damian Watcyn Lewis was born on 11 February 1971 atSt John's Wood,London, the eldest son of Charlotte Mary (née Bowater) and John "J." Watcyn Lewis, aCityinsurance broker withLloyd's.[3][4][5] His paternal grandparents wereWelsh,[6] and he says he considers himself "London Welsh".[7] His maternal grandfather wasLt-Col.Sir Ian Bowater,Lord Mayor of London, and his great-great-grandfather was the eminent naval shipbuilder and philanthropistSir Alfred Yarrow,1st Baronet (seeYarrow Shipbuilders), who was of partialSephardic Jewishdescent.[8] His brother is writer, producer, and director, Gareth Lewis.[9] Lewis has said that he "went to English boarding schools and grew up around people very much like [his character] Soames and in amilieu very much likethe Forsytes'".[10]
As a child, Lewis made several visits to the US to visit relatives during summer breaks.[11][12] He decided to become an actor at the age of 16.[5]
He was educated at the independentAshdown House School inForest Row,East Sussex, thenEton College,[3] and graduatedB.A. from theGuildhall School of Music and Drama in 1993.[13]
Lewis once worked as atelemarketer selling car alarms.[14] His first television appearance was as a medical student in "Hickory Dickory Dock", a feature-length episode ofAgatha Christie's Poirot, anITV Studios TV production, broadcast in 1995.[15] He also appeared as a rakish student in an early episode of the drama seriesA Touch of Frost (1996). He appeared inRobinson Crusoe (1997) as Patrick Conner.
At this time he was also working as an actor with theRoyal Shakespeare Company, playing among other roles Borgheim inAdrian Noble's production ofHenrik Ibsen'sLittle Eyolf and Posthumus Leonatus inWilliam Shakespeare'sCymbeline.[16] He would later go on to star in another of Ibsen's plays, as Karsten Bernick inPillars of the Community at the National Theatre in November 2005.[17]
He also appeared inJonathan Kent's production ofHamlet, playingLaertes. This production was seen bySteven Spielberg, who later cast Lewis as lead roleRichard Winters, respected leader ofEasy Company[18] inBand of Brothers (2001), the first role of several that required him to have a credible American accent.[11]
He was in the 2000 series calledHearts and Bones as the love interest of Dervla Kirwan. Subsequently, Lewis portrayed Soames Forsyte in theITV seriesThe Forsyte Saga, which earned him positive reviews.[19] He returned to the US to star inDreamcatcher, aLawrence Kasdan film about a man who becomes possessed by an evil alien. The character is American but when possessed he takes on a British accent.[11] On the heels of this role, he starred inKeane as a Manhattanite with a fragile mental state who is searching for his missing daughter. Despite the film's poor box-office, Lewis's performance in the role was very well reviewed.[20][21][22]
He playedJeffrey Archer in the TV specialJeffrey Archer: The Truth. Since 2004, he has appeared in a number of films, as well as the 2005BBC TV adaptation of the Shakespeare comedyMuch Ado About Nothing, as part of theShakespeaRe-Told season. Lewis played the role ofYassen Gregorovich in the filmStormbreaker. In 2006, he appeared inStephen Poliakoff'sBBC dramaFriends and Crocodiles. He has appeared on BBC'sHave I Got News for You as guest host several times; on 10 November 2006, 1 May 2009, 18 November 2010, 27 April 9 November 2012 and 31 October 2014.[23][24][25]
In 2008, Lewis starred as the main character Charlie Crews in the American television seriesLife onNBC. The show premiered in the US on 26 September 2007 and was affected by the2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. Only half of the first season's shows were produced. Regardless, the show won a2008 AFI Award for best television series.[26] Although the show received critical acclaim, when it returned the following television season, it was shuffled from night to night, and eventually cancelled by NBC to clear its time slot forThe Jay Leno Show.[27][28]
Lewis appeared the following year in the lead role inThe Baker, a film directed by his brother, Gareth. Damian took a supporting role of Rizza inThe Escapist, which he also helped produce. He led the cast inMartin Crimp's version ofMolière's comedy,The Misanthrope, which opened in December 2009 at theComedy Theatre, London.[29] Other cast members includedTara Fitzgerald,Keira Knightley andDominic Rowan.[30]
Lewis playedToryPrime Minister Simon Laity in two seasons ofNumber 10 onBBC Radio 4.[31][32] He played Gareth, the father of an 11-year-oldLiverpool F.C. fan, in the 2011 filmWill.[33] From 2011 to 2013, Lewis had a starring role asGunnery Sergeant Nicholas Brody in theShowtime seriesHomeland, for which he won aPrimetime Emmy Award.[34] In 2013, he narrated poetry forThe Love Book App, an "interactive anthology of love literature developed byAllie Byrne Esiri".[35]
In 2016 he began starring as billionairehedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime seriesBillions.[36] He left the show in 2021 after five seasons, but returned for half of season 7. In 2016 he appeared in the British spy filmOur Kind of Traitor. In 2024, he played a dual role as Peter Radley and his brother Will Radley, alongsideKelly Macdonald in the vampire comedy filmThe Radleys.[37][38]
In an interview withThe Guardian in October 2022, Lewis said that he had long-standing ambitions to be a musician, and had been collaborating with jazz artistGiacomo Smith, firstly on cover songs and then writing new material for an album that would be released in 2023: "I started writing and found out there was lots that I actually did want to write, and before we knew it we had a record's worth of songs. We’ve ended up with a rootsy, jazzy, rock’n’rolly, singer-songwritery-type album."[39] Lewis released his debut single, "Down On the Bowery", on 13 April 2023.[40] His debut album,Mission Creep, was released in June that year onDecca Records.[41] On 9 July 2023, he sang thenational anthem at theBritish Grand Prix, accompanied by asaxophonist.[42]
In 2009 Lewis featured inInspired By Music, a book commissioned bythe Prince's Trust, written and photographed by celebrity photographerCambridge Jones,[43] and sponsored byStarbucks.[44][45] It features personal reflections by 36 celebrities as well as four ordinary people helped by The Prince's Trust,[46] about musical lyrics that inspired them.[44] Lewis's photo portrait also featured in Jones's exhibitionTalking Pictures, featuring famous people of Welsh descent, that toured the world from 2010.[47]
In 2010, Lewis became a Trade Justice ambassador for the charityChristian Aid.[48] In May 2006, June 2016, June 2018, and June 2022, he played for England inSoccer Aid,[49][50][51] and played golf for Europe in theAll*Star Cup in August 2006, both shown onITV.[52]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Lewis and his wifeHelen McCrory supportedFeed NHS, a fundraiser to give food from high street restaurants toNHSstaff. By April 2020, they had raised £1 million for the charity. The initiative started in London, but following its success, plans were announced to roll it out to other cities throughout the UK.[53]
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Lewis suffered a period ofdepression following a motorcycle accident innorth London in 1998.[54][55] He is a supporter ofLiverpool F.C.[56]
Having previously datedKatie Razzall,Kristin Davis, andSophia Myles,[57] Lewis married actressHelen McCrory on 4 July 2007. They have a daughter and a son.[58] McCrory died of cancer on 16 April 2021, aged 52.[59][39] Since 2022, he has been in a relationship with singerAlison Mosshart.[60][61][62]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Robinson Crusoe | Patrick | ||
| 2003 | Dreamcatcher | Gary "Jonesy" Jones | ||
| 2004 | Keane | William Keane | ||
| Brides | Norman Harris | Original Greek Title:Νύφες | ||
| 2005 | Chromophobia | Marcus Aylesbury | ||
| An Unfinished Life | Gary Winston | |||
| 2006 | The Situation | Dan Murphy | ||
| Stormbreaker | Yasha "Yassen" Gregorovich | Released in the United States asAlex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker | ||
| 2007 | The Baker | Milo "The Baker" Shakespeare | Also producer; also known asAssassin in Love | |
| The Escapist | Rizza | |||
| 2011 | Your Highness | Boremont | ||
| Will | Gareth | |||
| 2012 | The Sweeney | Detective Chief Inspector Frank Haskins | ||
| 2013 | Romeo & Juliet | Lord Capulet | ||
| 2014 | The Silent Storm | Balor McNeil | ||
| 2015 | Queen of the Desert | Lt-Col. Charles Doughty-Wylie, VC | ||
| Bill | Sir Richard Hawkins | |||
| 2016 | Our Kind of Traitor | Hector | ||
| 2019 | Run This Town[63] | Rob Ford | ||
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Steve McQueen | |||
| 2020 | Dream Horse | Howard Davies | ||
| 2024 | The Radleys | Peter Radley / Will Radley | [37][38][64] | |
| 2025 | Orwell: 2+2=5 | George Orwell | [65] | |
| Fackham Hall | Lord Davenport | |||
| 2026 | Pressure† | Field MarshalBernard Montgomery | Post-production | |
| TBA | The Runner† | TBA | Post-production | |
| Jack of Spades† | TBA | Post-production[66] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Micky Love | Clive | Television film | |
| 1995 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Leonard Bateson | Episode: "Hickory Dickory Dock" | |
| 1996 | A Touch of Frost | Adam Weston | Episode: "Deep Waters" | |
| 1999 | Warriors | Lt. Neil Loughrey | Television film | |
| 2000 | Life Force | Kurt Glemser | 5 episodes | |
| Hearts and Bones | Mark Rose | Main role (season 1) | ||
| 2001 | Band of Brothers | Maj.Richard D. Winters | Miniseries | |
| 2002 | Jeffrey Archer: The Truth | Jeffrey Archer | Television film | |
| 2002–2003 | The Forsyte Saga | Soames Forsyte | Main role | |
| 2003 | The Forsyte Saga: To Let | Soames Forsyte | Television film | |
| 2005 | Colditz | Cpl / Lt. Nicholas McGrade | 2 episodes | |
| Friends and Crocodiles | Paul | Television film | ||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Benedick | Television film | ||
| 2006–2020 | Have I Got News for You | Presenter | 7 episodes | |
| 2007–2009 | Life | Charlie Crews | Main role | |
| 2011 | Stolen | D.I. Anthony Carter | Television film | |
| 2011–2014 | Homeland | Nicholas Brody | Main role | |
| 2015 | Wolf Hall | Henry VIII | Miniseries | |
| 2016–2023 | Billions | Bobby Axelrod | Main role (seasons 1-5, 7) | |
| 2019 | Spy Wars | Host | 8 episodes | |
| 2022 | A Spy Among Friends[67] | Nicholas Elliott | Main role; also producer | |
| 2024 | Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light | Henry VIII | Miniseries | |
| 2025 | The American Revolution | KingGeorge III | TV documentary |
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The School for Wives | Horace | Almeida Theatre | |
| 1995 | Hamlet | Laertes | Belasco Theatre | |
| 1996 | Little Eyolf[16] | Borgheim | Swan Theatre | |
| 1997 | Cymbeline[16] | Posthumus Leonatus | Royal Shakespeare Theatre | |
| 1998 | Much Ado About Nothing | Don John | Barbican Theatre | |
| Into the Woods | The Wolf Cinderella's Prince | Donmar Warehouse | ||
| 2003–2004 | Five Gold Rings | Daniel | Almeida Theatre | |
| 2005 | Pillars of the Community[17] | Karsten Bernick | National Theatre | |
| 2009 | The Misanthrope | Alceste | Comedy Theatre | |
| 2015 | American Buffalo | Teach | Wyndham's Theatre | |
| 2017 | The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? | Martin Gray | Theatre Royal Haymarket |
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Mission Creep |
|
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Down On the Bowery"[40] | 2023 | Mission Creep |
| "Zaragoza" | ||
| "Makin' Plans" | ||
| "She Comes"[1] |
| Title | Year | Credited artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "William I - Introduction by Damien Lewis" | 2021 | Damian Lewis | Music of Kings and Queens |
| "Henry VIII - Introduction by Damien Lewis" | |||
| "Charles II - Introduction by Damien Lewis" | |||
| "George II - Introduction by Damien Lewis" | |||
| "George VI - Introduction by Damien Lewis" |
Lewis was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in2014 for "services to drama"[68] and promotedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in2022 for "services to drama and charity".[69][70]
Lewis' portrayal of U.S. Army MajorRichard Winters in theHBO miniseriesBand of Brothers earned him aGolden Globe nomination.[71] Lewis' performance as U.S. Marine Gunnery SergeantNicholas Brody in theShowtime seriesHomeland won him aPrimetime Emmy Award and aGolden Globe Award in 2012.[72] His performance asHenry VIII of England inWolf Hall earned him his third Primetime Emmy nomination and fourth Golden Globe nomination.[73][74]
Cambridge Jones's "Talking Pictures" appears at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts through Nov. 27. The exhibit will launch in early 2011 at theChateau Marmont before moving to theLos Angeles Municipal Art Gallery March 3.
