David Thewlis | |
|---|---|
 Thewlis in 2025 | |
| Born | David Wheeler (1963-03-20)20 March 1963 (age 62) Blackpool,Lancashire, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouses | |
| Partner(s) | Anna Friel (2001–2010) |
| Children | 1 |
David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known asDavid Thewlis (/ˈθjuːlɪs/), is an English actor and filmmaker. He has won oneCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and received nominations for twoBAFTA Awards, oneGolden Globe Award, onePrimetime Emmy Award, and oneScreen Actors Guild Award.
Thewlis made his film debut inLittle Dorrit (1987) and had his breakthrough with roles in theMike Leigh filmsLife Is Sweet (1990) andNaked (1993), winning theCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for the latter. He appeared in films such asBlack Beauty (1994),Restoration (1995),James and the Giant Peach (1996),Dragonheart (1996),Seven Years in Tibet (1997),The Big Lebowski (1998),Gangster No. 1 (2000), and asRemus Lupin in theHarry Potter franchise (2004–2011). Other film roles includeKingdom of Heaven (2005),The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008),War Horse (2011),The Theory of Everything (2014),Anomalisa (2015),Wonder Woman (2017),I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), andEnola Holmes 2 (2022).
Thewlis's most notable television roles includeV. M. Varga in thethird season ofFX'sFargo (2017), the voice of the Shame Wizard in theNetflix animated sitcomsBig Mouth (2017–2025) andHuman Resources (2022–2023), Christopher Edwards in theHBO miniseriesLandscapers (2021),John Dee in the Netflix drama seriesThe Sandman (2022), andFagin in theDisney+ TV seriesThe Artful Dodger (2023). His performance inFargo earned him nominations for anEmmy, aGolden Globe, and aCritics' Choice Award.
Thewlis was born David Wheeler inBlackpool on 20 March 1963,[1] the middle child of Maureen (née Thewlis) and Alec Raymond Wheeler.[2][3] His parents ran a toy and wallpaper shop.[2][3] As a teenager, he played in a rock band called QED and played lead guitar with apunk rock band called Door 66.[4] He was educated atHighfield High School in Blackpool'sMarton area. He later joined London'sGuildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1984.[5]
Wheeler decided to use his mother's maiden name, Thewlis, for his stage name after attempting to register with the actors' union and discovering that his birth name, David Wheeler, was already used by someone else.[6] His first professional role after doing so was in the playBuddy Holly at the Regal inGreenwich[5] and in a commercial forKellogg's Bran Flakes. In theatre, Thewlis has starred inSam Mendes'The Sea atthe Royal National Theatre,Max Stafford-Clark'sIce Cream at theRoyal Court Theatre,The Ruffian on the Stairs/The Woolley atFarnham, andThe Lady and the Clarinet atthe King's Head Theatre.[7]
He went on to play small roles in high-profile series such asBBC'sOnly Fools and Horses in 1985 andThe Singing Detective in 1986, before being offered a more significant part inAlan Clarke'sRoad and in theITV sitcomValentine Park in 1987. That same year, Thewlis made his film debut inLittle Dorrit.[8]
His first big-screen leading role was oppositeClive Owen inVroom, directed byBeeban Kidron in 1988, and he starred inPaul Greengrass's anti-Falkland War dramaResurrected in 1989, playing a presumed-dead soldier who returns to Britain. He collaborated withMike Leigh onLife Is Sweet in 1990, in which he playedJane Horrocks' character's lover. He continued playing low-key supporting roles in films such asDamage in 1992, directed byLouis Malle andThe Trial in 1993 directed byDavid Hugh Jones.
Thewlis's breakout role was 1993'sNaked directed by Mike Leigh, as the main character Johnny, a homeless, highly intelligent, embittered, rambling street philosopher, for which Thewlis was named Best Actor by theNational Society of Film Critics, theLondon Film Critics Circle, theEvening Standard, theNew York Film Critics' Circle and theCannes Film Festival. That same year, he appeared on television as a sexual predator named James Jackson inPrime Suspect 3, oppositeHelen Mirren andCiarán Hinds.
During the 1990s, Thewlis appeared in a variety of films, mostlyfantasy andperiod pieces, includingRestoration (1995),Black Beauty (1994),Total Eclipse (1995) withLeonardo DiCaprio,The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996),Dragonheart (1996), andSeven Years in Tibet (1997), oppositeBrad Pitt. He was nominated for aBritish Independent Film Award forDivorcing Jack (1998), and playedClov in a television film ofSamuel Beckett'sEndgame (2000). Notable appearances includedBernardo Bertolucci'sBesieged (1998), theCoen brothers'The Big Lebowski (1998), andPaul McGuigan'sGangster No. 1 (2000), oppositePaul Bettany andMalcolm McDowell.
Thewlis auditioned for the role ofQuirinus Quirrell in theChris Columbus directed filmHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but the part went toIan Hart. Despite missing out on the first film, he was cast in 2004 as ProfessorRemus Lupin inHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He did not have to audition as he was directorAlfonso Cuarón's first choice for the role.[9] Thewlis reprised the role in four other films in the series.
Thewlis appeared as an SS Commandant of a Nazi death camp and father of the main character inThe Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which was well received. His other credits includeRidley Scott'sKingdom of Heaven (2005),Terrence Malick'sThe New World (2005), andThe Omen (2006).
Thewlis played DrMichael Aris, husband ofAung San Suu Kyi, with Malaysian actressMichelle Yeoh as Suu Kyi, in the biopicThe Lady directed byLuc Besson. In 2012, he received anInternational Festival of Independent Cinema Off Plus Camera Award. In the same year, he played inSeparate We Come, Separate We Go, directed byBonnie Wright.
In June 2015, Thewlis was reported to be filming scenes for aDonald Crowhurst biopic,The Mercy, on the beach atTeignmouth, Devon, playing Donald Crowhurst's press agent, Rodney Hallworth, whileColin Firth would play Donald Crowhurst.[10] He starred inRegression, a thriller released in autumn 2015. In September 2015, Thewlis starred as Inspector Goole inHelen Edmundson's BBC TV adaptation ofJ. B. Priestley'sAn Inspector Calls. In October 2015, he playedKing Duncan in the filmMacbeth.
Thewlis portrayedAres inWonder Woman (2017), theDC Comics film featuring the characterWonder Woman.[11][12] He briefly reprised his role as Ares inJustice League (2017). That same year, he appeared asV. M. Varga, the main antagonist of thethird season ofFargo. His performance was critically acclaimed,[13][14][15] and earned him nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award,Critics' Choice Television Award andGolden Globe Award as a supporting actor.
He has voiced the Shame Wizard in the Netflix animated sitcomBig Mouth (2017–2025) and its spin-offHuman Resources (2022–2023).
Thewlis starred in the Netflix filmI'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), theHBO miniseriesLandscapers (2021), the Netflix drama seriesThe Sandman (2022), the Netflix filmEnola Holmes 2 (2022), and the animated filmThe Amazing Maurice (2022). In 2023, he playedFagin inThe Artful Dodger and in 2024,Hades inKaos.
Thewlis directedHello, Hello, Hello in 1995, for which he was nominated for aBAFTA Award for Best Short Film at the49th British Academy Film Awards.[16] He also wrote, directed and starred in the featureCheeky (2003).[17]
Thewlis'sblack comedy novel set in the art world,The Late Hector Kipling, was published bySimon & Schuster in 2007.[18] His second book,Shooting Martha, was published byWeidenfeld & Nicolson in 2021.[19]
Thewlis married Welsh director and actressSara Sugarman in 1992 and they divorced in 1994.[6] He later dated English actressKate Hardie for three years.[6] He began a relationship with English actressAnna Friel in 2000,[20] and they had a daughter named Gracie (born 2005)[21][22] before they split up in 2010.[23]
Thewlis married French designer and artist Hermine Poitou on 6 August 2016.[24][25] They live inSunningdale.[26]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Up the Elephant and Round the Castle | The Mugger | Episode: "A Taxing Problem" (non-speaking) |
| Summer Season | Jim Dench | Episode: "Radio Pictures" | |
| Only Fools and Horses | Stew | Episode: "It's Only Rock and Roll" | |
| 1986 | The Singing Detective | Second Soldier | Miniseries |
| 1987–1988 | Valentine Park | Max | 12 episodes |
| 1987–1991 | ScreenPlay | Joey / Terry | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | A Bit of a Do | Paul Simcock | 6 episodes |
| Skulduggery | Tony | Television film | |
| 1990 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Doctor | Miniseries |
| 1991 | Shrinks | Terry Slater | Episode #1.5 |
| 1991–1992 | Screen One | Crematorium Attendant / Tim Shanks | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Frank Stubbs Promotes | Mike Bence | Episode: "Striker" |
| Prime Suspect 3 | James Jackson | Episode: "Keeper of Souls: Parts 1 and 2" | |
| 1994 | Dandelion Dead | Oswald Martin | Miniseries |
| 2001 | Endgame | Clov | Television film |
| Hammilton Mattress | Hammilton Mattress | Voice role, television film | |
| 2002 | Dinotopia | Cyrus Crabb | Miniseries |
| 2007 | The Street | Harry Jennerson / Joe Jennerson | Episode: "Twins" |
| 2014 | Family Guy | British Father | Voice role, Episode: "Chap Stewie" |
| 2015 | An Inspector Calls | The Inspector | Television film |
| 2017 | Fargo | V. M. Varga / Robot | 10 episodes |
| 2018–2025 | Big Mouth | Shame Wizard | Voice role, 19 episodes |
| 2019 | The Feed | Lawrence Hatfield | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Barkskins | Monsieur Claude Trepagny | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Landscapers | Christopher Edwards | Miniseries |
| 2022–2023 | Human Resources | Lionel St. Swithens / Shame Wizard | Voice role, 20 episodes |
| 2022 | The Sandman | John Burgess | Co-starring; 4 episodes |
| 2023–present | The Artful Dodger | Fagin | Main role |
| 2024 | Kaos | Hades | Regular role |
| 2025 | Sherlock & Daughter | Sherlock Holmes | Lead role |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | World of Warcraft: Cataclysm | Lord Darius Crowley |
| Year | Title | Artist | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "100% Endurance" | Yard Act | Performer |
Feature Film Debut: Little Dorrit (1987)
