Phil Davis (actor)
Philip Davis (born 30 July 1953) is an English actor, writer, director and narrator. He is perhaps best known for his lead roles in the television dramas Whitechapel (2009–2013) and Silk (2012–2014).
Phil Davis | |
|---|---|
Phil Davis (left) and James D'Arcy at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema 2016 | |
| Born | Philip Davis 30 July 1953 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, writer, director, narrator |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Davis was born in Highgate, London, and brought up in Thurrock, Essex. His father worked for Procter & Gamble in a soap factory and his mother was a hospital dining room supervisor. From the age of eight, he was interested in acting. He attended Ockendon Courts County Secondary School in South Ockendon, Essex, where he was distracted in class but enjoyed school plays. He was also a member of both the National Youth Theatre and Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop.[1]
Career
In 1977, he was cast in the lead role of the play Gotcha! about an under-achieving student who holds two teachers hostage on his last day at school. An early film role was as Chalky, a mod who is knocked off his scooter by a rocker in Quadrophenia (1979). He then landed the role of midshipman Edward "Ned" Young in The Bounty (1984); co-star Daniel Day-Lewis later rated him as one of his greatest inspirations. He appeared in the TV series To Have and to Hold with Amanda Redman. He began a long association with Mike Leigh with roles including Cyril the motorcycle courier in High Hopes (1988) and as Stanley, the husband of the abortion care provider in Vera Drake (2004).[1]
He has also made numerous television appearances. More recent roles have seen him mainly cast as disreputable characters, including the mean money lender Smallweed in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House (2005), as Jeff Hope, a cab driver in the first episode of Sherlock (2010), as crime family solicitor Micky Joy in Silk,[1] as Jud, the malevolent servant in Poldark (2015)[2] and as DI Tom Piper in crime drama Black Work.[3]
In 2013 he starred as the human incarnation of the devil in the 5th and final series of BBC Three's Being Human. He also starred alongside Rupert Penry Jones in the TV series Whitechapel. From November 2017 until February 2018, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in David Edgar's new adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Personal life
Davis married actress Eve Matheson in Hackney, London in 2002. They have a daughter, Amy Elisabeth (born 2002). Davis also has a son, Hugo (born 1996), by a previous partner.[4]
Awards and nominations
- 1996 Valenciennes International Festival of Action and Adventure Films – Won – Audience Award for: I.D. (1995)[5]
- 2001 Royal Television Society – Nominated – Best Actor – Male for: North Square (2000).[6]
- 2001 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards – Won – Best Actor for: North Square (2000).[6]
- 2004 British Independent Film Awards – Won – Best Actor for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
- 2004 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards – Won – Best Supporting Actor for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
- 2005 BAFTA Awards – Nominated – Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
- 2005 London Critics Circle Film Awards – Won – British Supporting Actor of the Year for: Vera Drake (2004).[7]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Canterbury Tales | second homosexual lover | uncredited | |
| 1973 | Orson Welles Great Mysteries | Johnny Sheeham | ||
| 1974 | Death or Glory Boy | |||
| 1975 | The Old Curiosity Shop | Tom Scott | ||
| 1977 | Target | Ray | ||
| 1978–1982 | Rumpole of the Bailey | Tony Timson | ||
| 1978 | The Professionals | Billy Turner | ||
| 1979 | Quadrophenia | Chalky | ||
| 1980 | Grown-Ups | Dick | ||
| 1980 | The Flipside of Dominick Hide | 2nd Youth | ||
| 1981 | Bergerac | |||
| 1982 | Pink Floyd—The Wall | Roadie | ||
| 1984 | The Bounty | Midshipman Edward "Ned" Young | ||
| 1985 | The Doctor and the Devils | Billy Bedlam | ||
| 1985–1986 | Robin of Sherwood | Prince John | ||
| 1986 | Comrades | Young (John) Standfield | ||
| 1987 | Truckers | Cowboy | ||
| 1987 | High Hopes | Cyril | ||
| 1989 | The Firm | "Yeti" | ||
| 1989 | Skulduggery | director and writer | ||
| 1992 | Inspector Morse | episode "Absolute Conviction" | ||
| 1992 | Alien 3 | Kevin | credited as Philip Davis | |
| 1993 | In the Name of the Father | |||
| 1994–1995 | Moving Story | |||
| 1995 | ID | director | ||
| 1996 | Secrets & Lies | |||
| 1996 | Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgment | director | ||
| 1996 | Different for Girls | |||
| 1997 | Photographing Fairies | |||
| 1997 | Face | |||
| 1998 | Real Women | director | ||
| 1999 | Births, Marriages and Deaths | |||
| 1999 | Hold Back the Night | director | ||
| 2000 | North Square | |||
| 2002 | Fields of Gold | |||
| 2002 | Nicholas Nickleby | |||
| 2002, 2004–2005 | Rose and Maloney | |||
| 2002 | White Teeth | |||
| 2002 | The Safe House | |||
| 2004 | Wall of Silence | |||
| 2004 | The Baby Juice Express | |||
| 2004 | Vera Drake | nominated for a BAFTA film award in a supporting role | ||
| 2005 | Casanova | |||
| 2005 | Bleak House | Smallweed | ||
| 2005 | Like Father Like Son | Paul Barker | ||
| 2005 | Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky | Ernest Eccles | ||
| 2006 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Dr. Kennedy | "Sleeping Murder" (Series 2 Episode 1) | |
| 2006 | Notes on a Scandal | Brian Bangs | ||
| 2006 | Beau Brummell: This Charming Man | Master Servant Robinson | ||
| 2007 | Secret Life | |||
| 2007 | Five Days | |||
| 2007 | Cassandra's Dream | Martin Burns | ||
| 2007 | Midsomer Murders | |||
| 2007 | Inspector George Gently | |||
| 2007 | All About Me | |||
| 2008 | Lark Rise to Candleford | |||
| 2008 | Ashes to Ashes | Chas Cale | series 1 episode 6 | |
| 2008 | The Curse of Steptoe | Wilfrid Brambell | ||
| 2008 | Doctor Who | Lucius Petrus Dextrus | episode "The Fires of Pompeii" | |
| 2009–2013 | Whitechapel | DS Ray Miles | ||
| 2009 | Dead Man Running | |||
| 2009 | Desperate Romantics | |||
| 2009 | Collision | |||
| 2010 | Sherlock | Taxi Driver (Jeff)[8] | "A Study in Pink" (pilot 2009, episode 2010) | |
| 2010 | Another Year | Jack | ||
| 2010 | The Big I Am | Stubbs | ||
| 2010 | My Family | Carl | ||
| 2010 | Brighton Rock | Spicer | ||
| 2011 | Outside Bet | Threads | ||
| 2011 | Merlin | Gleeman | ||
| 2011 | Case Histories | Theo Wyre | episode 1 | |
| 2012–2014 | Silk | Mickey Joy | ||
| 2012 | Fast Girls | |||
| 2012 | Borrowed Time | |||
| 2013 | Being Human | Captain Hatch | ||
| 2013 | Having You | directed by Sam Hoare[9] | ||
| 2014 | Death in Paradise | Series 3, episode 8 | ||
| 2014 | New Tricks | "In Vino Veritas" (Series 11, Episode 7) | ||
| 2015 | Age of Kill | Bill Weybridge | ||
| 2015 | Mr. Holmes | Inspector Gilbert | ||
| 2015–2016 | Poldark | Jud Paynter | ||
| 2015 | Dough | Mr Cotton | ||
| 2015–2016 | Mad Dogs | Lawrence | 10 episodes | |
| 2015 | Black Work | DI Tom Piper | ||
| 2016 | Golden Years | Brian | credited as Philip Davis | |
| 2016 | Undercover | Jimmy | ||
| 2017 | Riviera | Inspector Jukes (INTERPOL) | ||
| 2017 | Hampstead | Fyfe | ||
| 2017–present | Who Do You Think You Are? | Narrator | ||
| 2017 | We Can Be Heroes | Grandad Evans | ||
| 2018 | Juliet, Naked | Mayor Terry Barton | ||
| 2019 | Pegasus Bridge | Bernard Montgomery | (post-production) | |
| 2019 | The Rapture | Sir David | (post-production) | |
| 2019 | Deus | Vance | (post-production) | |
| 2019 | Silent Witness | Mick | season 23 episode 4 | |
| 2019 | Knuckledust | Happy | ||
| 2020 | Inside No. 9 | Bill Ryland | Season 5 episode 5 "Thinking Out Loud" | |
| 2020-present | Trying | Victor Ross | ||
| 2022 | Slow Horses | Dickie Bow | Season 2 episode 1 "Last Stop" |
Recording career
In 1980, Davis recorded "Blown It", which was released on the Elton John-owned label The Rocket Record Company.[10]
References
- ^ a b c 'An Actors Life For Me' at Essexlife Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ 'The New Poldark I have only one complaint' at The Telegraph[dead link]. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ Black Work at Radio Times Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ^ "Births and Marriages England and Wales 1984–2006". findmypast.com. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ "Awards for I.D."
- ^ a b "Awards for North Square".
- ^ a b c d "Awards for Vera Drake".
- ^ Staff (24 January 2009). "Exclusive: Gossip from city filming of BBC drama Sherlock". South Wales Evening Post. Northcliffe Newspapers Group.
- ^ "Having You - Sam Hoare - United Kingdom | Euro Cinema | English". Eurochannel. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ "Phil Davis _ Blown It". Www.45cat.com. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
External links
- Philip Davis at IMDb