Hugh Dancy | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Dancy at the2011 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Hugh Michael Horace Dancy (1975-06-19)19 June 1975 (age 49) Stoke-on-Trent,Staffordshire, England |
| Alma mater | St Peter's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | Jonathan Dancy |
Hugh Michael Horace Dancy (born 19 June 1975) is an English actor who rose to prominence for his role as thetitle character in the television film adaptation ofDavid Copperfield (2000) as well as for roles in feature films as Kurt Schmid inBlack Hawk Down (2001) and Prince Charmont inElla Enchanted (2004). Other film roles include Joe Conner inShooting Dogs (2005), Grigg Harris inThe Jane Austen Book Club (2007), Luke Brandon inConfessions of a Shopaholic (2009), Adam Raki inAdam (2009) and Ted inMartha Marcy May Marlene (2011). On television, he portrayed criminal profilerWill Graham in theNBC television seriesHannibal (2013–2015), Cal Roberts in theHulu original seriesThe Path (2016–2018) andRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, in theChannel 4 miniseriesElizabeth I (2005); the latter role earned him aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination. Dancy currently portrays Senior Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price onNBC's revival of the originalLaw & Order (2022–present).
Dancy was born inStoke-on-Trent,Staffordshire,[1] and raised inNewcastle-under-Lyme.[2] His mother, Sarah Ann Dancy (née Birley, born 1952),[3] works in academic publishing.[2] His father is philosophy professorJonathan Dancy (born 1946), who teaches at theUniversity of Reading and at theUniversity of Texas at Austin.[3][4]
Hugh is the oldest of three children, followed by brother Jack Dancy (born 1977), who is co-director of the travel company Trufflepig Travel,[3][5] and sister Katharine Sarah Redman (née Dancy, born 1980), who works forUNESCO. From the age of 5 to the age of 10, Dancy was educated at Edenhurst Preparatory School[6] in Newcastle-under-Lyme. At age 10, Dancy attended boarding school at theDragon School inOxford, then, at 13[1] atWinchester College.[2] At age 18, he acted in the Winchester College Players production ofTwelfth Night, which was performed in bothWinchester and at theMinack Theatre inCornwall. He went on to study English atSt Peter's College, Oxford.[1]
After graduation, Dancy moved toLondon, where a chance conversation in a cafe led to his meeting casting director Ros Hubbard and agent Dallas Smith, who signed him.[1] In 1999, Dancy appeared in the second series ofCold Feet in the role of Danny, who had a fleeting romance with Rachel, one of the show's main characters. In 2002, Dancy played Daniel Deronda in theBBC's adaptation ofGeorge Eliot's novelDaniel Deronda.[7]
Notable roles from film include Dancy'sPrince Charmont from the 2004 filmElla Enchanted alongsideAnne Hathaway and, from the same year,Galahad inKing Arthur alongside laterHannibal co-starMads Mikkelsen.[8] In 2005, he starred as Adam Raki inAdam, an independent film which premiered at theSundance Film Festival in 2009 and follows the story of a young man withautism.[9] He went on to appear in various other films.
In theatre, Dancy has appeared inMCC Theater'sThe Pride, written byAlexi Kaye Campbell, at theLucille Lortel Theatre in New York City. The off-Broadway production was directed byJoe Mantello and co-starredBen Whishaw andAndrea Riseborough. In 2007, Dancy had a starring role on Broadway as Captain Dennis Stanhope inJourney's End (Belasco Theatre). From 2010 until 2011, he starred inManhattan Theatre Club'sBroadway production ofVenus in Fur alongsideNina Arianda. His performance was praised byThe New York Times theatre critic Charles Isherwood.[10] In August 2018, it was announced he would appear withStockard Channing inRoundabout Theatre Company's off-Broadway premiere ofApologia, written by Alexi Kay Campbell, in the dual roles of Peter and Simon.[11]
In March 2012,NBC announced that Dancy had been cast asWill Graham inHannibal, the television adaptation based on the main character ofThomas Harris' 1981 novelRed Dragon.[12] The show received critical acclaim and was nominated for numerous awards. It was cancelled after three seasons and concluded in 2015, though there are hopes for its revival.[13] From 2016 to 2018, he appeared for three seasons as Cal Roberts, a lead character inHulu'sThe Path, alongsideAaron Paul andMichelle Monaghan.[14][15] In November 2021 Dancy was announced as one of the leads in NBC's 2022 revival ofLaw & Order, playing an assistantdistrict attorney.[16]
In 2006, Dancy met American actressClaire Danes on the set ofEvening.[17] They announced their engagement in February 2009 and married in France later that year.[17][18] They have three children: two sons born in 2012 and 2018,[19][20][21] and a daughter born in 2023.[22]
They live in theWest Village neighbourhood of New York City.[23]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Black Hawk Down | SFC Kurt Schmid | |
| Young Blades | D'Artagnan | ||
| 2003 | Tempo | Jack Ganzer | |
| The Sleeping Dictionary | John Truscott | ||
| 2004 | King Arthur | Galahad | |
| Ella Enchanted | Prince Charmont | ||
| 2005 | Shooting Dogs | Joe Connor | |
| 2006 | Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction | Adam Tower | |
| 2007 | The Jane Austen Book Club | Grigg Harris | |
| Evening | Buddy Wittenborn | ||
| Savage Grace | Sam Green | ||
| Blood & Chocolate | Aiden | ||
| 2009 | Confessions of a Shopaholic | Luke Brandon | |
| Adam | Adam Raki | Nominated–Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama | |
| 2010 | Coach | Nick | Direct-to-DVD |
| The Wildest Dream | Andrew Irvine | Voice; Documentary | |
| 2011 | Our Idiot Brother | Christian | |
| Martha Marcy May Marlene | Ted | Nominated–Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Performance | |
| Hysteria | Dr. Mortimer Granville | ||
| 2013 | Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return | Marshal Mallow | Voice |
| Poe | Edgar Allan Poe | ||
| 2018 | Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People | Alleyne Ireland | |
| 2019 | Late Night | Charlie Fain | |
| 2022 | Downton Abbey: A New Era | Jack Barber |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Trial & Retribution | Robert Belini | 2 episodes |
| The New Adventures of Robin Hood | Kyle | Episode: "Orphans" | |
| 1998–1999 | Dangerfield | Charlie Paige | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Cold Feet | Danny | 2 episodes |
| Kavanagh QC | Michael Woodley | Episode: "The More Loving One" | |
| 2000 | Relic Hunter | Michael Previn | Episode: "The Last Knight" |
| David Copperfield | David Copperfield | Television film | |
| Madame Bovary | Leon | ||
| 2002 | Daniel Deronda | Daniel Deronda | 4 episodes |
| 2005 | Elizabeth I | Earl of Essex | 2 episodes Nominated–Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated–Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television |
| 2011 | The Big C | Lee Fallon | 8 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Hannibal | Will Graham | 38 episodes International Online Cinema Award for Best Actor in Drama Series (2013) Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television (2015) Nominated–Chainsaw Award for Best TV Actor (2015, 2016) Nominated–Critics' Choice TV Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series (2014, 2016) Nominated–Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television (2014) |
| 2015 | Deadline Gallipoli | Ellis Ashmead Bartlett | 2 episodes Nominated–Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor(2016) |
| 2016, 2018 | Robot Chicken | Various voices | 2 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | The Path | Cal Roberts | 36 episodes; Also producer |
| 2020 | Homeland | John Zabel | 6 episodes |
| 2020–2021 | The Good Fight | Caleb Garlin | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | The Abominable Snow Baby | Albert (voice) | Television film |
| 2022 | Roar | Detective Bobby Bronson | Episode: "The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder" |
| 2022–present | Law & Order | EADA Nolan Price | 45 episodes (season 21–) |
| 2025 | Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man | Otto Octavius (voice) | 5 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Billy and the Crab Lady | Fred | Soho Theatre |
| 2000 | To the Green Fields Beyond | Mo | Donmar Warehouse |
| 2007 | Journey's End | Captain Dennis Stanhope | Belasco Theatre |
| 2010 | The Pride | Philip | Lucille Lortel Theatre MCC Theater |
| 2011–2012 | Venus in Fur | Thomas Novachek | Lyceum Theatre Nominated–Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play |
| 2018 | Apologia | Peter / Simon | Laura Pels Theater |
... tied the knot in a quiet ceremony in France a few weeks ago ...
