Tobias Menzies
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Tobias Simpson Menzies (born 7 March 1974) is an English actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in the third and fourth seasons of the series ''
The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
'', for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and received Golden Globe and British Academy Television Award nominations. Menzies also played Frank and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall in Starz's '' Outlander,'' for which he received a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
nomination, in addition to his roles as Brutus in ''Rome'' and Edmure Tully in ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
''.


Early years

Menzies was born in
Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...
, London, England, the son of Peter Menzies and Gillian (''née'' Simpson). His mother was a teacher and his father a BBC radio producer. He has one younger brother, Luke, who is a solicitor. Menzies attended the Perry Court Rudolf Steiner School in
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
, Kent, where he was trained in the Steiner System, which includes movement, singing and instrumental music. Then, he attended the Frensham Heights School, near
Farnham Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...
in Surrey, at the same time as Hattie Morahan and Jim Sturgess. Menzies attended Deborah Moody's Year Out Drama Company in
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
from 1993 to 1994 before enrolling in the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...
, eventually graduating with a BA Degree in Acting (1998). Upon completion of his BA, Menzies participated in improvisation workshops through The Spontaneity Shop, a British improvisation comedy company, as part of a graduate scheme through RADA.


Career


Television

Menzies' first professional television role, beginning in 1998, was an eleven-episode stint on BBC's long-running medical drama ''Casualty''. Then he featured in director David Attwood's made-for-TV film '' Summer in the Suburbs'' and a series-three episode of ITV's crime drama '' Midsomer Murders''. In 2002, Menzies portrayed Vince in ITV's romantic comedy series ''I Saw You'', appeared in three episodes of SAS drama '' Ultimate Force'' and featured in a series-one episode of
WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
drama '' Foyle's War''. He also appeared in made-for-television film ''A Very Social Secretary,'' directed by Jon Jones, which launched UK
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's spin-off station, More4. From 2005 to 2007, Menzies portrayed Marcus Junius Brutus, Julius Caesar's friend and later co-assassin, in the
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/
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
historical drama series ''
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
'' (2005–07). He next appeared as William Elliot in ITV's production of
Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...
's classic ''
Persuasion Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for influence. Persuasion can influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviours. Persuasion is studied in many disciplines. Rhetoric studies modes of persuasi ...
,'' and Derrick Sington in Channel 4's feature-length drama '' The Relief of Belsen'', which chronicled the British liberation of
Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp Bergen-Belsen (), or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in Northern Germany, northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen, Lower Saxony, Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, ...
at the end of
WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In 2008, Menzies starred in two stylistically different miniseries; the first was BBC's anthology mini-series '' Fairy Tales'', in an episode entitled ''The Empress's New Clothes'', where he portrayed Aidee. The second was the series finale of BBC's '' Bonekickers'', which followed a team of British archaeologists as they investigated mysteries and conspiracy theories surrounding historical artifacts. The next year saw Menzies return to episodic television, with roles in ITV's legal drama ''Kingdom'', alongside
Stephen Fry Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...
, a special episode of BBC's comedy '' Pulling'' and several episodes of
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
's spy drama '' Spooks''. '' The Deep'', BBC's 2010 science fiction-thriller mini-series set on submarines in the deep waters below
Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
ice, saw Menzies star alongside Minnie Driver and James Nesbitt. That same year he portrayed real-life Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming in PBS's mini-series '' Any Human Heart'', an adaptation of William Boyd's 2002
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
, which chronicled historical events through fictional protagonist Logan Mountstuart. He would go on to feature in a series four episode of ITV's '' Law & Order: UK'', a British adaptation of Dick Wolf's long-running American procedural franchise. In 2011, Menzies featured as tabloid journalist Ross McGovern in BBC Two's seven part mini-series ''The Shadow Line'', opposite Stephen Rea and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The next year, in ITV's supernatural courtroom drama '' Eternal Law'', Menzies portrayed a fallen angel who had become a prosecuting attorney in
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. He would go on to feature in an episode of BBC Two's political satire '' The Thick of It'', an episode of Channel 4's political thriller mini-series '' Secret State'', three episodes of BBC's medical satire '' Getting On,'' and two episodes of BBC's Shakespearean documentary ''Simon Schama's Shakespeare''. In 2013, Menzies first appeared as Edmure Tully, the heir to House Tully of Riverrun, in
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
's ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
,'' which was based upon George R. R. Martin's fantasy book series. The role was recurring, with Menzies' final appearance occurring in the 2019 series finale. That same year, Menzies starred in the series two finale of Channel 4's anthology series '' Black Mirror'', and a two episode stint on BBC's long-running crime drama '' Silent Witness''. 2014 saw Menzies portray Maggie Gyllenhaal's bodyguard, Nathaniel Bloom, in the BBC's Emmy nominated mini-series '' The Honourable Woman,'' and Alexander in the series premier of BBC's dog training comedy ''
Puppy Love Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by one's looks and attractiveness at first sight. It is named for its r ...
.'' The same year, Menzies first appeared in time travel drama series, '' Outlander,'' which is based upon author Diana Gabaldon's best-selling series of novels. He portrayed the recurring dual roles of Frank Randall, a 20th-century historian, and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, his brutal 18th-century ancestor. From 2015 to 2019, Menzies appeared in the recurring role of Dr. Harries, OB/GYN to lead character Sharon, in Amazon's original series '' Catastrophe''.
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
's adaptation of John le Carré's espionage novel '' The Night Manager'' saw Menzies, opposite Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie, in the role of British intelligence director Geoffrey Dromgoole, in the spring of 2016. That same year, he starred in Channel 4's series pilot ''The Circuit'', a comedy set at a neighborhood dinner party. In 2017, in his first voice over work on television, Menzies portrayed Mandalorian warrior Tiber Saxon on Disney XD's animated series '' Star Wars Rebels''. It was announced in 2016 that Menzies had been cast as James Fitzjames, Captain of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
vessel HMS ''Erebus'', in AMC's anthology series '' The Terror''. The series, based upon Dan Simmons' 2007 novel of the same name, chronicled a fictionalized account of real-life expeditionary ships HMS ''Erebus'' and HMS ''Terror'' during the third Franklin Expedition of the Arctic in 1848. That same year, he appeared as the Duke of Cornwall in
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
's adaptation of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's tragedy ''
King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
,'' opposite
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
and Emily Watson. In March 2018, it was announced that Menzies had been cast to portray Prince Philip, the
Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...
, in seasons 3 and 4 of
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's historical drama series ''
The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
'', opposite Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. His performance in the series earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, in addition to nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He was also a part of the ensemble cast that won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2019 and 2020. Menzies was announced, in June 2019, as a cast member for the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
/
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original series ''This Way Up,'' a comedy set around the life of an English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) teacher, from actress and writer Aisling Bea. In January 2022, he was set to lead limited drama series '' Manhunt'' created by Monica Beletsky, based on the book ''Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer'' by James Swanson.


Film

Menzies' first professional film role was 2000's dramatic comedy ''The Low Down,'' opposite Aidan Gillen, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. His next role, in Miramax's 2004 biographical drama '' Finding Neverland'', saw Menzies feature opposite Johnny Depp's J.M. Barrie, the creator of beloved children's character Peter Pan. The next year, Menzies appeared in the romantic comedy '' Piccadilly Jim'', opposite
Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing troubled police officer Jason Dixon in ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'' (2017). He was nominated i ...
, and director Adrian Shergold's drama '' Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman,'' opposite Timothy Spall. He also featured in '' Casino Royale'', Columbia Pictures' 2006 reboot of the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
film franchise, as personal aide to M, chief of British secret intelligence agency Mi6. In 2007, Menzies portrayed a Naval officer on the beaches of
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
, opposite James McAvoy, in the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-nominated adaptation of Ian McEwan's WWII drama '' Atonement''. The Rose Theatre, an Elizabethan theatre outside London, produced a short video which was shown in 2009, and featured Menzies in the role of Mephistophilis, in
Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe ( ; Baptism, baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the English Renaissance theatre, Eli ...
's play '' Doctor Faustus''. He would go on to appear in three films in 2010. The first was Independent Pictures' adaptation of Russian author
Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...
's '' The Duel'', where he portrayed Von Koren. Second was Swipe Films' production of '' Jackboots on Whitehall'', an animated film featuring puppets. Menzies, alongside Alan Cumming and Timothy Spall, provided voice work for the comedy spoof, which explored the idea of Nazis invading the United Kingdom at the end of WWII. In his third film of 2010, Menzies starred opposite
Genevieve O'Reilly Genevieve O'Reilly (born 6 January 1977) is an Irish-born Australian actress. She is best known for portraying Mon Mothma in the '' Star Wars'' franchise beginning with ''Revenge of the Sith'' (2005), a role which earned her a Saturn Award nom ...
in the drama '' Forget Me Not'', an independent film which premiered at the Culver Plaza Theater in Culver City, CA. . The dramatic comedy '' Hysteria'' (2011) featured Menzies, opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy, in the story of the creation of the first
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
vibrator. That same year, he would feature in writer Andrew Steggall's short film ''The Door'', an official selection at the 28th annual Warsaw International Film Festival, which was based upon the tale '' The Door in the Wall'' by H.G. Wells. In 2012, Menzies starred in director Carrie Cracknell's ''Nora'', a short film inspired by the Young Vic's theatrical production of Henrik Ibsen's play ''
A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...
''. His next film was 2014's thriller ''The Birthday Gift'', a short film which was screened at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival that year. Menzies would go on to star in the short film/micro-play ''Groove is in the Heart'', a collaboration between the Royal Court Theatre and
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
which was screened at the London Film Festival, and submarine action film ''
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
'', a modern-day pirate thriller, opposite Jude Law. 2016 saw Menzies feature in three films. First was director Benedict Andrews' forbidden relationship drama '' Una'', which was based upon the play '' Blackbird'' from Scottish playwright David Harrower, followed by filmmaker James Hughes' experimental film ''The Velvet Abstract'', which saw Menzies provide narration. Last was '' Underworld: Blood Wars'', the fifth installment in the Underworld franchise, with Menzies starring as the main antagonist, Marius, opposite Kate Beckinsale's
Selene In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Selene (; , meaning "Moon")''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη is the goddess and personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene (), she is traditionally the daughter ...
. In August 2017, it was announced that Menzies had been cast in director Emily Harris' adaptation of ''
Carmilla ''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. It is one of the earliest known works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 25 years. First published ...
'', a fantasy film based upon the Gothic novella of the same name by Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu.


Theatre

Menzies' theatrical debut was in Hristo Boytchev's comedy ''The Colonel Bird'', which ran at The Gate London in 1999. The next year, he featured in The Royal Exchange's presentation of '' The Way of the World'', a production of playwright William Cosgreve's 1700s grandiloquent play of manners and Complicite theatre company's ''Light'', an adaptation of author Torgny Lindgren's novel ''Ljuset'' (1987). In late 2001, Menzies appeared in Almeida Theatre's production of Anton Checkhov's play '' Platonov'', an adaptation of the early, unnamed play that was Checkhov's first large scale drama. The next year, he portrayed Valentine in the Royal Theatre's production of Tom Stoppard's tragic comedy '' Arcadia''. Between 2003 and 2005, Menzies would co-star in the anti-war drama '' Serjeant Musgrave's Dance'' at the Everyman Theatre, and would portray the young teacher Irwin in Alan Bennett's '' The History Boys'', which Nicholas Hytner directed at the
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
. Of his role in ''The History Boys'', one reviewer wrote: He would go on to star in Michael Blakemore's West End production of '' Three Sisters,'' for which he was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award, and the title role in Rupert Goold's production of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'', at the Royal Theatre, Northampton. Of his role in ''Hamlet'', one reviewer wrote: Menzies took on a supporting role in Playhouse Theatre's 2006 presentation of Pirandello's play ''As You Desire Me''. The next year, he would feature in two productions. First was the role of Peter Trifimov in Chekhov's ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...
'' at
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
's Crucible Theatre, followed by a turn as Harry Bagley in Almeida Theatre's production of Caryl Churchill's politically sexual comedy '' Cloud Nine''. Late 2008 saw Menzies portray Edgar opposite Pete Postlethwaite in Liverpool Playhouse's production of ''
King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
'', which continued with a run at London's Young Vic Theatre in early 2009. In 2011, Menzies featured as Dr. Joseph Cardin, opposite
Keira Knightley Keira Christina Knightley ( ; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters, particularly Historical drama, period dramas, she has received List of awards and no ...
's Karen Wright, in
Lillian Hellman Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, Prose, prose writer, Memoir, memoirist, and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway as well as her communist views and political activism. She was black ...
's 1934 drama '' The Children's Hour'', which focuses on the harmful effects of wrongful accusations and rumors. He would go on that same year to star in director Rupert Goold's '' Decade'', a play presented through a series of short vignettes penned to mark the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. George Farquhar's 1706 play '' The Recruiting Officer'', which was based upon the methods used by the British Army to recruit troops during the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
, saw Menzies star as Captain Plume during the first quarter of 2012. The next year, he would feature in director Carey Cracknell's ''Rough Cuts: Searched'', at the Royal Court Theatre, and star in National Theatre's experimental play ''The Hush'', which explored the connection between sound and memory. Wallace Shawn's monologue play ''The Fever'', which explored the main character's internal struggle with the morality of a privileged existence, saw Menzies perform to a micro audience at London's decadent May Fair Hotel in early 2015. Director Robert Icke purposely staged the play, produced by Almeida Theatre, at the May Fair Hotel in order to assist the small audience to better internalize its meaning. That same year, he would join an extensive cast for a sixteen-hour production of
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
's '' The Iliad'', performed throughout the day at the British Museum and concluding at the Almeida Theatre, as well as being broadcast live. Working again with director Robert Icke, 2016 would see Menzies star in a modernised interpretation of Chekhov's '' Uncle Vanya'' prior to performing dramatic readings of selected sonnets by
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
in Middle Temple Hall's choral programme ''The Dark Lady and the Tender Churl.'' Two years later, Menzies would return to the Almeida in their digital theatre production ''Figures of Speech'', which highlighted performances of well known historical speeches. He appeared in series three of the project, which has featured artists such as Ian McKellen, Fiona Shaw, and Andrew Scott. Early 2019 saw Menzies appear in the
Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...
's production of Sarah Ruhl's ''Dear, Elizabeth''. The play, which dramatized letters between American poets Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell, featured two different actors each night of the show's run. Later that year, Menzies starred in Almeida Theatre's production of '' The Hunt'', which was set in
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
and adapted from 2012's thriller film '' Jagten (The Hunt).'' The production ran from mid June to early August 2019. His performance garnered positive reviews, with Henry Hitchings of ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' writing, "Tobias Menzies's performance as Lucas is finely controlled — a quietly devastating portrait of a man whose lonely fight to preserve his dignity takes him to the brink of madness." Most recently, Menzies was cast as Chris in the National Theatre's adaptation of Alexander Zeldin's ''The Other Place''. The production ran from September to November of 2024, and saw Menzies acting alongside actors Emma D'Arcy and Alison Oliver. His performance as Chris, a modernized version of Creon (king of Thebes) in the tale of Antigone, was highly praised by critics. Sarah Crompton for WhatsOnStage.com wrote how he was "towering as Chris, his constantly twitching hands displaying his anxiousness even when he is at his most urbane, his rocking on his feet conveying a man on the edge, desperately fighting for control and his sanity. (Menzies) is an actor of incredible stillness too; he doesn't react, he simply seems to feel", whilst Nick Curtis for the
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
wrote that his performance portrayed "a finely detailed picture of a man who wants to be the 'fun uncle' and the matey stepdad but is implacable when his authority is challenged".


Radio

Menzies' first professional radio performance was 2010's drama ''A Nice Little Holiday'', the story of British playwright John Osborne's 1961 besieged holiday in the South of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, which aired on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
in September of that year. The next year, he would read an abridgement of Matthew Hollis' biography of poet and literary critic Edward Thomas, best known for his poem '' Adelstrop'', on BBC Radio 4's series '' Book of the Week''. In his third collaboration with BBC Radio 4, Menzies was the voice of ''John Charrington's Wedding'' (2012), the second episode of a five-part series titled ''Ghost Stories of E Nesbit''. 2013's three-part radio drama, commissioned by BBC Radio 4, saw Menzies portray British writer and National Trust supporter James Lees-Milne, opposite Victoria Hamilton as novelist Nancy Mitford. The series consisted of three interconnected plays, based upon his WWII era journals, cataloging the decline of the English country house and titled ''Sometimes into the Arms of God,'' ''The Unending Battle,'' and ''What England Owes''. That same year, he would star in
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
's drama ''Serious Money'', adapted for radio by Emma Harding from Caryl Churchill's play of the same name, and BBC Radio 4's political drama ''Every Duchess In England,'' based upon
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
's response to England's financial crisis of 1931. In 2014, Menzies featured in a five-part series for BBC Radio 4's '' Book of the Week'' where he read Laurie Lee's '' As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning,'' an account of his travels in 1930s Spain, in sections released over a five-day period. He would go on the next year to star as Andy Warhol in Sarah Wooley's BBC Radio 4 drama ''Fifteen Minutes,'' opposite Adrian Rawlins, and a second five-part ''Book of the Week'' series where he, along with the author, would read British travel writer Robert Macfarlane's celebration of language, ''Landmarks''. 2016 would see Menzies in another series which combined literary readings and music in an episode of BBC Radio 3's ''Words and Music'' series entitled ''Trapped''. The episode explored both physical and mental entrapment with readings, including authors such as
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...
and Charlotte Brontë, by both Menzies and Kate Phillips. He would also feature in BBC Radio 4's ''Comment Is Free,'' a political and social commentary focusing on a wife, portrayed by Rachael Stirling, who is forced to watch both the public and media eviscerate her husband's story. Once again reading for BBC radio 4's series ''Book of the Week'', Menzies narrated author Philip Hoare's exploration of our fascination with water and the sea in 2017's five-part ''RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR.''


Acting credits


Television


Film


Theatre


Radio


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Menzies, Tobias 1974 births 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male film actors English male Shakespearean actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Scottish descent Living people Male actors from London People from Hammersmith Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Actors educated at Frensham Heights School