Daniel Francis (born February) is a British actor. He began his career in theatre. On television, he is known for his roles in '' Small Axe:

Education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

'' (2020) and the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

miniseries '' Stay Close'' (2021).

Early life and education

Francis was born to Jamaican parents and raised by his mother on a council estate in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

, South London. Having been shy growing up, he discovered acting through Pyramid Youth in

Clapham Clapham () is a district in south London, south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (including Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Ea ...

. When he was seventeen, under the mentorship of theatre director Sacha Wares, Francis was cast in ''Bintou'' at the

Arcola Theatre Arcola Theatre is in the London Borough of Hackney. It presents plays, operas and musicals featuring established and emerging artists. The theatre building, in the former Colourworks paint factory on Ashwin Street, Dalston, houses two studio ...

. He went on to train at the

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In ...

(LAMDA).

Career

Upon graduating from LAMDA, Francis landed small roles in the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

productions of '' The Comedy of Errors'' in Salford and ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' in Stratford-upon-Avon. He went on to star in ''

The Brothers Size The ''Brother/Sister Plays'' is a triptych of plays written by American playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. Synopsis A. ''In The Red and Brown Water'' The main character of ''In The Red and Brown Water'' is Oya, a young woman who is a tale ...

'' at the

Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Nadia Fall has been artistic director since 2025, succeeding ...

, the stage adaptation of ''The Hounding of David Oluwale'' as the titular

David Oluwale David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...

, and ''Off the Endz'' at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

. Francis landed his first major onscreen role as Sgt Carl Haleford in the 2012

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

war drama '' Homefront''. That same year, he made his feature film debut as Sean Warren in the sports drama ''

Fast Girls ''Fast Girls'' is a 2012 British sports drama film directed by Regan Hall, and produced by Damian Jones. The film was written by Jay Basu, Roy Williams, and Noel Clarke. The film stars Lenora Crichlow, Lily James, Bradley James, and Rupert ...

'' and played Black in ''Blackta'', returning to the Young Vic. The following year, he played the titular role in the

Singapore Repertory Theatre Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), is a non-profit professional theatre company founded in 1993. It is located at the KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT at 20 Merbau Road, Singapore. The current artistic director is Gaurav Kripalani while its mana ...

production of ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

''. In 2016, Francis played

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

Katori Hall Katori Hall (born May 10, 1981) is an American playwright and screenwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. Hall's best known works include the hit television series ''P-Valley'', the Tony-nominated ''Tina (musical), Tina: The Tina Turner Musical'', and p ...

's ''

The Mountaintop ''The Mountaintop'' is a play by American playwright Katori Hall. It is a fictional depiction of Martin Luther King Jr.'s last night on earth set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his assassination in 1968. Historical b ...

'' at the

New Vic Theatre The New Vic Theatre is a purpose-built theatre in the round in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. The theatre opened in 1986, replacing a converted cinema, the Victoria Theatre in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent. History In the early 1960s, Stephen ...

in Staffordshire. He joined the recurring cast of ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...

'' for its seventh and final season as Dr. Facilier or Baron Samdi. In the meantime, Francis has worked as a personal development coach and consultant, and as a community manager for Hedera Hashgraph. Francis played Esmond Smith in the ''

'' installment of

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...

's '' Small Axe'' anthology, which premiered in 2020. He also starred in ''Cops'' at

Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London with two venues, both located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They ident ...

. He was then cast in

Harlen Coben Harlan Coben (born January 4, 1962) is an American writer of Mystery fiction, mystery novels and Thriller (genre), thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or f ...

's 2021

mystery miniseries '' Stay Close'' as Dave Shaw. Francis starred in the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

series ''

Liaison Liaison or Liaisons may refer to: General usage * Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship * Collaboration * Co-operation * Liaison, an egg-based thickening used in cooking Arts and entertainment * Liaisons (''Desperate Housewives''), a 2007 ...

'', the second season of the

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adaptation of ''

The Wheel of Time ''The Wheel of Time'' is a series of high fantasy novels by the American author Robert Jordan, with American author Brandon Sanderson as co-writer of the final three installments. Originally planned as a trilogy, ''The Wheel of Time'' came to ...

'', and the third season of the

period drama ''

Bridgerton ''Bridgerton'' is an American alternative history regency romance television series created by Chris Van Dusen for Netflix. Based on the book series Bridgerton (novel series), of the same name by Julia Quinn, it is Shondaland's first scripted ...

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Daniel Living people 21st-century English male actors Actors from the London Borough of Wandsworth Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Black British male actors Male actors from London English male Shakespearean actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Jamaican descent People from Battersea 20th-century births