Jaye Davidson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alfred Amey[1] Riverside, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Actor, model |
| Years active | 1992–1995 |
| Spouse | |
Jaye Davidson (bornAlfred Amey) is an English model, fashion stylist, and retired actor. He made his acting debut as Dil in the thriller filmThe Crying Game (1992), for which he received anAcademy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actor. Following his breakthrough, he portrayed the villainousRa in the commercially successful science fiction filmStargate (1994). Davidson retired from acting afterwards, disliking the fame that it brought him.
Davidson was born inRiverside, California, in the United States. He was raised inBorehamwood in Hertfordshire, England.[2][failed verification] His father is fromGhana and his mother is from England.[3] Davidson isgay. During his acting career, he said that his androgynous look alienated him within the gay community. He stated thatgay men "love very masculine men. And I'm not a very masculine person. I'm reasonably thin. I have long hair, which isn't very popular with gay men".[4]
In 2017, Davidson married Thomas Clarke.[5]
Davidson made his acting debut in the thriller filmThe Crying Game (1992).[1][3] The film's funders wanted directorNeil Jordan to cast a woman to play the transvestite character Dil, believing that it would be impossible to find an androgynous male actor who could pass as female.[6] Nevertheless, Davidson--who had no prior professional acting experience--was invited to audition forThe Crying Game after being discovered at awrap party forDerek Jarman'sEdward II.[7] He was cast in the role of Dil.[8] The film was a critical and commercial success.[9] It is known for a surprise plot twist: A love scene in which Dil undresses and main character Fergus (played byStephen Rea) is surprised to find that Dil is male. The scene required full-frontal nudity on Davidson's part.[10] Rea later said: "If Jaye hadn't been a completely convincing woman, my character would have looked stupid." When the film was released, Miramax requested that reviewers keep Davidson's gender a secret.[7]
For his work inThe Crying Game, Davidson was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor[11][12] and for theBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1993.[13] Davidson also received nominations for theChicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor[14] and theChicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress in 1993.[14]
Davidson starred asRa, an alien impersonatinga god,[15] in the 1994 science fiction adventure filmStargate.[16][17] He was surprised when his request to be paid $1 million was accepted.[18]
Davidson later retired from acting,[8] stating that he "genuinely hated the fame" he was receiving. He became more involved in modelling and has since worked on several high-profile photo shoots, in addition to working as a fashion stylist in Paris.[19][20]
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Crying Game | Dil | Neil Jordan | National Board of Review Award for Most Auspicious Debut[21] Nominated –National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor[22] Nominated –Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor[11][12] Nominated –BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role[13] Nominated –Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor[14] Nominated –Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress[14] |
| 1994 | Stargate | Ra | Roland Emmerich | |
| 1994 | Jiggery Pokery | Jo | Sophie Muller | Television film |
| 1995 | Catwalk | Himself | Robert Leacock | Documentary |
| 2009 | The Borghilde Project | Nazi photographer | Myles Grimsdale |
