David Dawson (actor)

English actor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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David Robert Dawson (born 7 September 1982) is an English actor. On television, he is known for his roles in the BBC Four film The Road to Coronation Street (2010), the BBC One series Luther (2011), Ripper Street (2012–2016), The Last Kingdom (2015–2018) and The Secret Agent (2016), and the Channel 4 sitcom Year of the Rabbit (2019). His films include My Policeman (2022).

Quick Facts Born, Education ...
David Dawson
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Dawson in 2023
Born
David Robert Dawson

(1982-09-07) 7 September 1982 (age 42)
Widnes, Cheshire, England
EducationRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active2003–present
SpouseJosh Silver (m. 2023)[1]
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On stage, Dawson received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for playing Smike in the 2007 production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Other notable performances have been in the 2009 production of Comedians, the 2010 production of Posh, and the 2011 production of Luise Miller.

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Early life

Dawson was born in Widnes, England, and attended Fairfield High School and Warrington Collegiate Institute before being accepted to RADA on the acting programme in 2002. While at secondary school he was a member of the Musketeer Theatre Company where he played Dogberry in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing among other roles. At 17 he wrote a play called Divorced and Desperate which ran at the Queen's Hall Theatre, Widnes, for three nights. A year later he wrote and starred in the play The Boy in the Bed at the Tower Theatre, Islington, with financial backing from Barbara Windsor and Julie Walters to whom he had written for help. Dawson has a younger brother, James.[2]

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Roles

After leaving RADA in 2005, Dawson's first professional role was as understudy to Kevin Spacey as the eponymous hero of Shakespeare's Richard II for Trevor Nunn.[2]

Dawson has appeared in the television shows Doc Martin, The Thick of It, Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Peaky Blinders. He played Harry Parr-Davies in the BBC drama Gracie! about the life of English singer Gracie Fields. He starred as Coronation Street creator Tony Warren in the BBC drama The Road to Coronation Street.[3] He played Toby Kent in three episodes of the second series of Luther for the BBC.[4]

In 2012, Dawson appeared in two BBC Two literary adaptations, playing Bazzard in The Mystery of Edwin Drood[5] and Poins in The Hollow Crown.[6] He later appeared in the first three BBC-produced series of Ripper Street.[7] In 2016, he appeared in the BBC One's version of The Secret Agent.[8] Dawson portrayed David Collins in the BBC Two series Banished[9] and King Alfred in BBC America and BBC Two's historical drama series The Last Kingdom.[10]

Scene from My Policeman featuring Harry Styles as Tom Burgess and Dawson as Patrick Hazlewood.

Dawson starred alongside Harry Styles and Emma Corrin in the 2022 film My Policeman, with critics praising his performance.[11]

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Personal life

Dawson is gay and married to author Josh Silver.[1]

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
2009 London Boulevard Big Issue Seller
2016 The Complete Walk: Love's Labour's Lost Berowne Short film
2022 All the Old Knives Owen Lassiter
2022 My Policeman Young Patrick Hazlewood
2025 The Flaw The Interrogator[12]
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Television

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
2005 Doc Martin Wallace Episode: "Blood is Thicker"
2007 Damage Tom Byrne Television film
2007 The Thick of It Affers 2 episodes
2009 Gracie! Harry Parr Davies Television film
2010 Secret Diary of a Call Girl Byron Seebohm 7 episodes (series 3)
2010 The Road to Coronation Street Tony Warren Television film
2011 Luther Toby Kent 3 episodes
2012 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Bazzard 1 episode
2012 Henry IV, Parts I and II Poins Television anthology
2012 Parade's End Aranjuez 1 episode
2012–2016 Ripper Street Fred Best 19 episodes (series 1–3; guest, series 5)
2013 Dancing on the Edge D.I. Horton 3 episodes
2013 The Borgias The French Ambassador Episode: "Siblings"
2013 Peaky Blinders Roberts 3 episodes
2014 The Smoke Dom 1 episode
2014 The Duchess of Malfi Ferdinand Television film
2015 Banished David Collins Miniseries
2015–2018 The Last Kingdom King Alfred Main role (series 1–3)
2016 Maigret Marcel Moncin Episode: "Maigret Sets a Trap"
2016 The Secret Agent Vladimir Miniseries
2019 Year of the Rabbit Joseph Merrick 4 episodes
2022 The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe Prince Svan Voice role, 5 episodes
2023 The Burning Girls Aaron Marsh Main role
2024 This Town Robbie Carmen [13]
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Stage

More information Year, Production ...
Year Production Character Director Company
2019 Fairview Mack Nadia Latif Young Vic Theatre
2018 Aristocrats (Brian Friel) Casimir Lydnsey Turner Donmar Warehouse
2015 The Dazzle Homer Collyer Simon Evans Found111
2014 The Duchess of Malfi Ferdinand Dominic Dromgoole Shakespeare's Globe
2013 The People of the Town Antoine Lily Bevan Gielgud Theatre (RADA)
2013 The Vortex Nicky Lancaster Stephen Unwin Rose Theatre, Kingston
2011 Luise Miller Hofmarschall von Kalb Michael Grandage Donmar Warehouse
2010 Posh Hugo Fraser-Tyrwhitt Lydnsey Turner Royal Court
2009 Comedians Gethin Price Sean Holmes Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
2008 Romeo and Juliet Romeo Neil Bartlett Royal Shakespeare Company
2007 The Entertainer Frank Rice Sean Holmes The Old Vic
2006 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Smike Jonathan Church/Philip Franks Chichester Fest Theatre/West End/UK tour/Toronto[14]
2006 The Long and the Short and the Tall Whittaker Josie Rourke Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
2005 Richard II The Groom/ Understudy to Richard Trevor Nunn The Old Vic
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Audio

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role
2013 To Make the Plough Go Before the Horse Esmé Stewart
2013 Eugene Onegin Eugene Onegin
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Awards and nominations

In 2008 Dawson was nominated for Best Newcomer in a Play at the Olivier Awards for his role as Smike in Nicholas Nickleby. He was also nominated in 2010 for Best Supporting Actor in the What's On Stage awards for his role as Gethin Price in Comedians.

In 2022 he and the cast of My Policeman won the TIFF tribute Award for Performance, David alongside Harry Styles were also nominated at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best kiss.

Critical acclaim

Dawson drew critical acclaim for his portrayal of writer Tony Warren in the BBC Four drama The Road to Coronation Street. For the New Statesman Rachel Cooke wrote: "I think he's going to be a huge star. When he is doing his thing, it is hard to take your eyes off him".[15] The Daily Express said "It is David Dawson and some perfectly judged dialogue which brings this drama to light"[16] while The Mirror's Jane Simon called him "absolutely brilliant".[17]

References

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