Ben Daniels
Born: 1964-06-10 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Ben Daniels (born 10 June 1964) is a British actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), he has taken on roles in numerous productions. On television he has appeared in, among other shows, The Lost Language of Cranes (1991), Conspiracy (2001), Cutting It (2002–2005), Ian Fleming: Bondmaker (2005), The Virgin Queen (2005) and The State Within (2006). On the silver screen, Daniels has appeared mostly in supporting roles, including parts in The Bridge (1992), Beautiful Thing (1996), I Want You (1998), Madeline (1998) and Doom (2005). An exception was the 1997 independent film Passion in the Desert, based on a short story by novelist Honoré de Balzac. Daniels was born on 10 June 1964 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.[6] His father was an engineer at Rolls-Royce and later a grocer, while his mother owned a children's clothes shop. He has recalled: "I was quite a shy child, but quite disruptive as well. "I was very sneaky and underhanded." Daniels was educated at Manor Park School, a state comprehensive school in Nuneaton, near Coventry, in Warwickshire (since closed). According to Daniels, drama lessons at O-levels gave him a voice, and when he attended sixth form studies at Stratford College between 1980 and 1982, doing A-levels in theatre studies and English literature, he attended Royal Shakespeare Company performances. A fellow student recalled that Daniels, whom he knew as Dave, "was very serious about his work, and struck me as incredibly intelligent... you got the sense his mind was working; the cogs were ticking over". Daniels subsequently trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) for three years. Daniels has had most success with theatre work. He was nominated for Best Actor at the Evening Standard Awards for 900 Oneonta (1994), for Best Actor in the M.E.N. Theatre Awards for Martin Yesterday (1998), and for Best Supporting Actor in the 15th Laurence Olivier Awards for Never the Sinner (1991). He eventually won the latter award at the 25th Laurence Olivier Awards (2001), as well as the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2001 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Theatre Awards, for his performance in the Arthur Miller play All My Sons. Other theatre credits include Tales From Hollywood (2001), Three Sisters (2003), Iphigenia at Aulis (2004), The God of Hell (2005), The Wild Duck (2005–2006) and Thérèse Raquin (2006). In 2008 Daniels made his Broadway début with American actress Laura Linney in a revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons), for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.
Filmography
2024
- Argylle as Bartender
2022
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as Círdan
- Interview with the Vampire as Santiago
- Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look as Antoc Merrick (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021
- Foundation as Bel Riose
- Jupiter's Legacy as Walter Sampson / Brainwave
- Benediction as Dr. Rivers
2019
- Captive State as Daniel
2018
- Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert as Pontius Pilate
2017
- The Exception as Col Sigurd von Ilsemann
2016
- The Crown as Lord Snowdon
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as General Merrick
- The Exorcist as Father Marcus Brennan
- The Exorcist: Making the Demons as Self
2015
2014
- Locke as Gareth (voice)
- Luna as Grant
- Jamaica Inn as Francis Davey
2013
- House of Cards as Adam Galloway
- Jack the Giant Slayer as Fumm
- The Wipers Times as Lieutenant Colonel Howfield
2012
- The Hollow Crown as Buckingham
- The Paradise as Tom Weston
2011
- Women in Love as Will Brangwen
2009
- Law & Order: UK as James Steel
- Moving On as John Murphy
- The Last Days of Lehman Brothers as John Thain
2008
- Merlin as Tristan
- Lark Rise to Candleford
- The Passion as Caiaphas
2007
- Who Killed Mrs De Ropp? as Saki
2006
- The Virgin Queen as Francis Walsingham
- The State Within as Nicholas Brocklehurst
2005
- Doom as Goat
- Ian Fleming: Bondmaker as Ian Fleming
2004
- Agatha Christie's Marple as Alfred Crackenthorpe
2003
- Real Men as DI Matthew Fenton
2002
- Spooks as Oleg Korsakov
- Fogbound as Leo
- Cutting It as Finn Bevan
- Real Men
2001
- Married/Unmarried as Danny
- Conspiracy as Josef Bühler
2000
- Britannic as Townsend
1999
- Fanny & Elvis as Andrew
- Aristocrats as Lord Kildare
1998
- Madeline as Leopold the Tutor
- I Want You as Bob
1997
- David as Jonatan
- Passion in the Desert as Augustin Robert
1996
- Silent Witness
- Truth or Dare as Ben
- Beautiful Thing as Tony
1992
- A Touch of Frost as Roger Massie
- The Bridge as Rogers
- The Lost Language of Cranes as Robin Bradley
1991
- Soldier Soldier as Capt Andy Wright
1990
1989
- The Simpsons as Irish Priest (voice)
- The Paradise Club as DC Webster
- Capital City
1988
- Wall of Tyranny as Striemer
- The Modern World: Ten Great Writers as Hans Castorp
1987
- The Fourth Protocol as Boy in Photo (uncredited)
- Wish You Were Here as Maisie Mathews
1986
- Casualty as Graham Marda
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Nominee