David Thewlis

David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis (), is an English actor and filmmaker. He has appeared in a variety of genres in both film and television. He has received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and nominations for two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Thewlis made his film debut in '' Little Dorrit'' (1987) and had his breakthrough with roles in the Mike Leigh films '' Life Is Sweet'' (1990) and '' Naked'' (1993), winning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for the latter. He appeared in films such as '' Black 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 as Remus Lupin in the ''Harry Potter'' franchise (2004–2011). Other film roles include '' Kingdom 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), and '' Enola Holmes 2'' (2022).

Thewlis's most notable television roles include V. M. Varga in the third season of FX's '' Fargo'' (2017), the voice of the Shame Wizard in the Netflix animated sitcoms '' Big Mouth'' (2017–2025) and ''Human Resources'' (2022–2023), Christopher Edwards in the HBO miniseries '' Landscapers'' (2021), John Dee in the Netflix drama series '' The Sandman'' (2022), and Fagin in the Disney+ TV series ''The Artful Dodger'' (2023). His performance in ''Fargo'' earned him nominations for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Critics' Choice Award.

Early life

Thewlis was born David Wheeler in Blackpool on 20 March 1963, the son of Maureen (née Thewlis) and Alec Raymond Wheeler. His parents ran a toy and wallpaper shop. He has an older and a younger sibling. As a teenager, he played in a rock band called QED and played lead guitar with a punk rock band called Door 66. He was educated at Highfield High School in Blackpool's Marton area. He later enrolled in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, graduating in 1984.

Career

Acting

He changed his surname to Thewlis, his mother's maiden name, after attempting to register with the actors' union and discovering that his birth name, David Wheeler, was already used by someone else. His first professional role after doing so was in the play ''Buddy Holly at the Regal'' in Greenwich and in a commercial for Kellogg's Bran Flakes. In theatre, Thewlis has starred in Sam Mendes' '' The Sea'' at the Royal National Theatre, Max Stafford-Clark's ''Ice Cream'' at the Royal Court Theatre, ''The Ruffian on the Stairs/The Woolley'' at Farnham, and ''The Lady and the Clarinet'' at the King's Head Theatre.

He went on to play small roles in high-profile series such as BBC's ''Only Fools and Horses'' in 1985 and '' The Singing Detective'' in 1986, before being offered a more significant part in Alan Clarke's ''Road'' and in the ITV sitcom ''Valentine Park'' in 1987. That same year Thewlis made his film debut in '' Little Dorrit''.

His first big-screen leading role was opposite Clive Owen in ''Vroom'', directed by Beeban Kidron in 1988, and he starred in Paul Greengrass's anti- Falkland War drama ''Resurrected'' in 1989, playing a presumed-dead soldier who returns to Britain. He collaborated with Mike Leigh on ''Life Is Sweet'' in 1990, in which he played Jane Horrocks' character's lover. He continued playing low-key supporting roles in films such as ''Damage'' in 1992, directed by Louis Malle and ''The Trial'' in 1993 directed by David Hugh Jones.

Thewlis's breakout role was 1993's '' Naked'' directed by Mike Leigh, as the main character Johnny, a homeless, highly intelligent, embittered, rambling street philosopher, for which Thewlis was established as one of the great actors of his generation and named Best Actor by the National Society of Film Critics, the London Film Critics Circle, the Evening Standard, the New York Film Critics' Circle and the Cannes Film Festival. That same year, he appeared on television as a sexual predator named James Jackson in '' Prime Suspect 3'', opposite Helen Mirren and Ciarán Hinds.

During the 1990s, Thewlis appeared in a variety of films, mostly fantasy and period, including '' Restoration'' (1995), '' Black Beauty'' (1994), '' Total Eclipse'' (1995) with Leonardo DiCaprio, '' The Island of Dr. Moreau'' (1996), ''Dragonheart'' (1996), and '' Seven Years in Tibet'' (1997), opposite Brad Pitt. He was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for '' Divorcing Jack'' (1998), and played Clov in a television film of Samuel Beckett's '' Endgame'' (2000). Notable appearances include Bernardo Bertolucci's '' Besieged'' (1998), the Coen brothers' '' The Big Lebowski'' (1998), and Paul McGuigan's '' Gangster No. 1'' (2000), opposite Paul Bettany and Malcolm McDowell.

He auditioned for the role of Quirinus Quirrell in the Chris Columbus directed film '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', but the part went to Ian Hart. Despite missing out on the first film, he was cast in 2004 as Professor Remus Lupin in '' Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban''. He did not have to audition as he was director Alfonso Cuarón's first choice for the role. Thewlis reprised the role in four other films in the series.

He appeared as an SS Commandant of a Nazi death camp and father of the main character in '' The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'', which was well received. Other credits include Ridley Scott's '' Kingdom of Heaven'' (2005), Terrence Malick's '' The New World'' (2005), and ''The Omen'' (2006).

Thewlis played the Dr Michael Aris, husband of Aung San Suu Kyi, with Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh as Suu Kyi, in the biopic '' The Lady'' directed by Luc Besson. In 2012, he received an International Festival of Independent Cinema Off Plus Camera Award. In the same year, he played in '' Separate We Come, Separate We Go'', directed by Bonnie Wright.

In June 2015, Thewlis was reported to be filming scenes for a Donald Crowhurst biopic, '' The Mercy'', on the beach at Teignmouth, Devon, playing Donald Crowhurst's press agent, Rodney Hallworth, while Colin Firth would play Donald Crowhurst. He starred in '' Regression'', a thriller released in autumn 2015. In September 2015, Thewlis starred as Inspector Goole in Helen Edmundson's BBC TV adaptation of J. B. Priestley's '' An Inspector Calls''. In October 2015, he played King Duncan in the film ''Macbeth''.

Thewlis portrayed Ares in ''Wonder Woman'' (2017), the DC Comics film featuring the character Wonder Woman. He briefly reprised his role as Ares in ''Justice League'' (2017). That same year, he appeared as V. M. Varga, the main antagonist of the third season of '' Fargo''. His performance was critically acclaimed, and earned him nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award, Critics' Choice Television Award and Golden Globe Award as a supporting actor.

He has voiced the Shame Wizard in the Netflix animated sitcom ''Big Mouth'' (2017–2025) and its spin-off ''Human Resources'' (2022–2023).

Thewlis starred in the Netflix film '' I'm Thinking of Ending Things'' (2020), the HBO miniseries '' Landscapers'' (2021), the Netflix drama series '' The Sandman'' (2022), the Netflix film '' Enola Holmes 2'' (2022), and the animated film '' The Amazing Maurice'' (2022). In 2023, he played Fagin in ''The Artful Dodger'' and in 2024, Hades in '' Kaos''.

Filmmaking

Thewlis directed ''Hello, Hello, Hello'' in 1995, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Short Film at the 49th British Academy Film Awards. He also wrote, directed and starred in the feature ''Cheeky'' (2003).

Writing

Thewlis's black comedy novel set in the art world, '' The Late Hector Kipling'', was published by Simon & Schuster in 2007. His second book, ''Shooting Martha'', was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2021.

Upcoming roles

Thewlis will appear in the film ''Littlemouth'',

Personal life

Thewlis was married to Welsh director and actress Sara Sugarman from 1992 until 1994. He had a relationship with the English actress Kate Hardie for three years.

He was in a relationship with the English actress Anna Friel from 2001 until late 2010. Their daughter, Gracie, was born in 2005.

Thewlis married the French designer and artist Hermine Poitou on 6 August 2016. They live in Sunningdale, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thewlis, David
1963 births
Living people
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners
English male film actors
English male Shakespearean actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
English male voice actors
Male actors from Blackpool