David Thewlis
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| David Thewlis | |
| Born | David Wheeler 20 March 1963 Blackpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Spouse(s) | Sara Sugarman (1992-1993) |
| Domestic partner(s) | Anna Friel (2001-present) 1 child |
David Thewlis (né Wheeler; born 20 March 1963) is an English film, television and stage actor, as well as a writer.
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[edit] Early life
Thewlis, second of three children, was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, the son of Maureen (née Thewlis) and Alec Raymond Wheeler.[1] Both of his parents worked at his father's shop, which sold toys in the summer and wallpaper and paint in the winter.[1][2] As a teenager, he played in a rock band called QED, in which he, Cliff Ashcroft and Chris Swift wrote much of their own music and lyrics. QED played at some of the Blackpool Hotels to earn money for equipment and their first recording session at Storm Studios in Blackpool. Later, Thewlis played lead guitar with a punk-rock band called Door 66. As a musician he was "doing nicely, doing good" and did not want to be an actor. He enrolled in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London only because his friends did.[2]
Thewlis graduated in 1984. When he went to register with the actors' union, he intended to use Wheeler as his stage name, but a "David Wheeler" already existed. His mother's maiden name was the first that came to mind.
[edit] Career
His first acting job was in a play entitled Buddy Holly at the Regal in Greenwich.[2] Thewlis' first major film role was as the rambling street philosopher Johnny in Naked (1993; dir. Mike Leigh), for which he was named best actor by the National Society of Film Critics (United States), the London Film Critics Circle, the Evening Standard, the New York Film Critics' Circle and the Cannes Film Festival. Despite the dark nature of the film, he has been critically acclaimed for the role and it is seen as one of his best roles. The same year he appeared on television as the sexual predator James Jackson in Prime Suspect 3, opposite Helen Mirren and Ciaran Hinds. Prior to this Thewlis' first television appearance was alongside the Ken Jones in Valentine Park.
Through 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 (because of this film, Thewlis is barred from entering China). He was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Divorcing Jack (1998), and played Clov in a (2000) television film of Samuel Beckett's Endgame. Notable appearances also include Bernardo Bertolucci's Besieged (1998) and Paul McGuigan's Gangster No. 1 (2000), opposite Malcolm McDowell.
He auditioned for the role of Professor Quirrell in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but the role was given to Ian Hart. Despite missing out for the first film, in 2004, he was cast as Remus Lupin in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Thewlis did not have to audition for the part as he was director Alfonso Cuarón's first choice for the role. He accepted it on advice from Ian Hart, who told him that Lupin was "the best part in the book".[3] He reprised the role in the fifth film in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and will appear again in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince[4] and in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He also appears in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
His acting talent also led him to a part in the Dinotopia movie as the villain, Cyrus Crabb.
Recent credits include Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Terrence Malick's The New World (2005) and The Omen (2006). As a director, he was nominated for a BAFTA for best short film for Hello, Hello, Hello (1995); he has also written, directed and starred in the feature Cheeky (2003). When researching for his role in Kingdom of Heaven, Thewlis went to the Hospitaller museum near his home, and the first thing he saw was a mannequin wearing the exact same costume that he wore in the film.[2]
[edit] Personal life
In 1992, Thewlis married director Sara Sugarman; they divorced in 1993. In 2001 he began a relationship with actress Anna Friel, whom he met on a flight to Cannes. They both starred in the 2003 film Timeline although they shared no scenes together. Together they have one daughter. Thewlis noted that he was "excited" and "not at all scared" by fatherhood, and that he loves children. If he was not an actor he would be a teacher as he believes "the most beautiful sound is a child laughing". During Friel's pregnancy he gave up smoking, began jogging and eating more healthily and lost weight.[2]
Thewlis owns a converted Victorian ballroom in Clerkenwell, whilst Friel owns a house in Windsor, so the couple divide their time in each property. Their house in Windsor is located near the Long Walk and Windsor Castle; Thewlis once recounted that he "can lie in bed and watch the Queen ride by".[2] He also is often mistaken for fellow actor Rhys Ifans: "Twice a week, people come up to me and say, 'You were great in Notting Hill'. The public seem to think we are the same person."[2] Thewlis has also recently published a novel called The Late Hector Kipling (2007).
[edit] Awards and nominations
Thewlis has been praised for his performance in Naked, which, despite its dark tone, is considered by critics and fans alike to be his best role to date. He has won the following awards for his work in Naked.
- Cannes Film Festival: Best Actor (1993)
- Evening Standard British Film Awards: Best Actor (1994)
- London Critics Circle Film Awards ALFS Award: British Actor of the Year (1994)
- National Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Actor (1994)
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Actor (1993)
Thewlis has also received the following awards:
- British Independent Film Awards: Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film (2008)
Other award nominations include:
- BAFTA Award for Best Short Film (1996): Hello, Hello, Hello (1995)
- British Independent Film Awards for Best Performance by a British Actor in an Independent Film (1998): Divorcing Jack (1998)
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Road | Joey | |
| The Short & Curlies | Clive | Short film | |
| 1988 | Vroom | Ringe | |
| Little Dorrit | George Braddle | ||
| 1989 | Resurrected | Kevin Deakin | |
| 1991 | Life Is Sweet | Nicola's lover | |
| Afraid of the Dark | Locksmith Tom Miller |
||
| 1992 | Swords at Teatime | Michael | Short film |
| Damage | Detective | ||
| 1993 | The Trial | Franz | |
| Naked | Johnny | ||
| 1994 | Black Beauty | Jerry Barker | |
| 1995 | Total Eclipse | Paul Verlaine | |
| Restoration | John Pearce | ||
| Hello, Hello, Hello | N/A | Short film; directed and wrote | |
| 1996 | James and the Giant Peach | Earthworm | Voice |
| Dragonheart | King Einon | ||
| The Island of Dr. Moreau | Edward Douglas | ||
| 1997 | American Perfekt | Santini | |
| Seven Years in Tibet | Peter Aufschnaiter | ||
| 1998 | The Big Lebowski | Knox Harrington | |
| Divorcing Jack | Dan Starkey | ||
| Besieged | Jason Kinsky | ||
| 1999 | Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? | Nesbit | |
| 2000 | The Miracle Maker | Judas Iscariot | Voice |
| Gangster No. 1 | Freddie Mays | ||
| 2001 | Goodbye Charlie Bright | Charlie's dad | |
| 2002 | D.I.Y. Hard | Man | |
| 2003 | Cheeky | Harry Sankey | Also wrote and directed |
| Timeline | Robert Doniger | ||
| 2004 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Remus Lupin | |
| 2005 | Kingdom of Heaven | Hospitaler | |
| All the Invisible Children | Jonathan | ||
| The New World | Edward Wingfield | ||
| 2006 | Basic Instinct 2 | Roy Washburn | |
| The Omen | Keith Jennings | ||
| 2007 | The Inner Life of Martin Frost | Martin Frost | |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Remus Lupin | ||
| 2008 | The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas | Father | |
| 2009 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Remus Lupin | Awaiting release |
| Veronika Decides to Die | Dr. Blake | Awaiting release | |
| 2010 | Mr. Nice | Jim McCann | Post production |
| London Boulevard | Jordan | In production | |
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I | Remus Lupin | filming |
| 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II | Remus Lupin | filming |
[edit] Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Only Fools and Horses | Stew | Episode 4.4: "It's Only Rock and Roll" |
| Radio Pictures | Jim Grams | TV film | |
| 1986 | The Singing Detective | Second Soldier | Episode 1.3: "Lovely Days" and 1.6: "Who Done It" |
| 1987-1988 | Valentine Park | Max | Appeared in nine episodes |
| 1989 | A Bit of a Do | Paul Simcock | Appeared in six episodes |
| Skulduggery | Tony | TV film | |
| 1990 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Doctor | TV serial |
| 1991 | Journey to Knock | Terry | TV film |
| Shrinks | Terry Slater | Episode 1.5 | |
| Screen One | Tim Shanks | Episode 3.3: "Filipina Dreamgirls" | |
| 1992 | Black and Blue | Crematorium attendant | TV film |
| 1993 | Frank Stubbs Promotes | Mike Bence | Episode 1.6: "Striker" |
| Prime Suspect 3 | James Jackson | TV film | |
| 1994 | Dandelion Dead | Oswald Martin | TV mini-series |
| 1999 | Love Story | Dealer | TV film |
| 2000 | Endgame | Clov | TV film |
| 2001 | Hamilton Mattress | Hamilton Mattress | TV film; voice |
| 2002 | Dinotopia | Cyrus Crabb | TV mini-series |
| 2007 | The Street | Joe Harry Jennerson | Episode 2.1: "Twins" |
[edit] Bibliography
- The Late Hector Kipling (2007)
[edit] References
- ^ a b "David Thewlis Biography (1963-)". Film Reference. http://www.filmreference.com/film/60/David-Thewlis.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g "'Anna has changed me for the better'". The Telegraph. 2005-05-04. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/05/04/ftthewlis04.xml&page=1. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ Clint Morris (2004-06-09). "Interview : David Thewlis". Movie Hole. http://www.moviehole.net/news/3764.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
- ^ "Interview from the Set of the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas". David Thewlis.net. 2007-08-24. http://www.davidthewlis.net/article20.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
