Sam Riley | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Riley in 2024 | |
| Born | (1980-01-08)8 January 1980 (age 45) Menston, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Samuel Peter W. Riley (born 8 January 1980)[1] is an English actor and singer.[2] He is best known for his performance in the 2007biographical filmControl about the life ofIan Curtis, as protagonist Sal Paradise in the2012 adaptation of theJack Kerouac novelOn the Road, and asDiaval in the 2014 filmMaleficent. Riley received renown for his portrayal ofFitzwilliam Darcy in the 2016 filmPride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Riley was born inMenston, Bradford, West Yorkshire, the son of Amanda, a nursery school teacher, and Andrew Riley, a textile agent.[2][3] He was educated atMalsis School, an independent school in the village ofCross Hills inNorth Yorkshire, and atUppingham School, an independent school in themarket town ofUppingham inRutland.[2]
His breakthrough performance came when he played the role ofIan Curtis in the filmControl, a biopic about the lead singer of the 1970spost-punk bandJoy Division.[2] The film received high critical acclaim due in good part to Riley's performance,[4] which won him a selection of awards including theBritish Independent Film Award for "Most Promising Newcomer"[5] aBAFTA "Rising Star" nomination;[2] and a Mark Kermode nod for Best Actor 2007.
Prior to his portrayal of Ian Curtis, Riley playedthe Fall frontmanMark E. Smith in theMichael Winterbottom film24 Hour Party People, which details theFactory Records era and featuredSean Harris as Ian Curtis.[2] Riley's scenes, however, were omitted from the final cut.[2]
In September 2007, Riley was cast inGerald McMorrow's British science fiction filmFranklyn. He starred as the lead role in13, an English language remake of the French thriller13 Tzameti, released in the U.S. 28 October 2011. He played the role ofPinkie Brown inBrighton Rock alongsideHelen Mirren, an adaption ofGraham Greene's novel,[6] released 4 February 2011.[2] He also starred inWalter Salles' film adaptation ofJack Kerouac's autobiographicalOn the Road playing the narrator and protagonist Sal Paradise.[2] He also has a small role in the 2011 German comedyWoman in Love [de], in which his wifeAlexandra Maria Lara plays the female lead. His role is listed as "Wagenmeister".
InByzantium (2012), a film directed byNeil Jordan, he appears alongsideGemma Arterton andSaoirse Ronan as Darvell.
In 2012, Riley was cast as Diaval inDisney'sMaleficent, alongsideAngelina Jolie.[4] The film was released May 2014.
In 2015, he played Benoit Labarie inSaul Dibb's film adaptation ofIrène Némirovsky's novelSuite Française, oppositeMichelle Williams,Matthias Schoenaerts,Kristin Scott Thomas andRuth Wilson.
Riley was also cast as Fitzwilliam Darcy (Mr. Darcy) in the film,Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,[7] released in February 2016.
Riley played the 'not-so welcome' returning prodigal brother David in the 2018 filmHappy New Year, Colin Burstead[8] byBen Wheatley.
He featured in the autumn/winter 2008 publicity campaign for the British fashion houseBurberry, supervised byChristopher Bailey and shot byMario Testino.[9] He modelled the fall/winter 2014Stefano Pilati-designed couture collection ofErmenegildo Zegna.[10] He was named one ofGQ's 50 best dressed British men in 2015.[11]
For a few years Riley was the lead singer of theLeeds band 10,000 Things, with whom he achieved moderate success. After their first release on indie label Voltage Records in 2002, they signed to major labelPolydor for one self-titled album.[2] They disbanded in 2005.
As of 2011, Riley lives inBerlin with his wife,Romanian-German actressAlexandra Maria Lara.[2] They met while filmingControl, married in August 2009 and have a son born in January 2014.[12][13][14]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | SS-GB | Douglas Archer | BBC One mini-series |
…actor Sam Riley in 1980 (age 38)
