Damian Lewis

Early life and education

Damian Watcyn Lewis was born on 11 February 1971 at St John's Wood, London, the eldest son of Charlotte Mary (née Bowater) and John "J." Watcyn Lewis, a City insurance broker with Lloyd's. His paternal grandparents were Welsh, and he says he considers himself "London Welsh". His maternal grandfather was Lt-Col. Sir Ian Bowater, Lord Mayor of London, and his great-great-grandfather was the eminent naval shipbuilder and philanthropist Sir Alfred Yarrow, 1st Baronet (see Yarrow Shipbuilders), who was of partial Sephardic Jewish descent. His brother is writer, producer, and director, Gareth Lewis. Lewis has said that he "went to English boarding schools and grew up around people very much like [his character] Soames and in a milieu very much like the Forsytes.

As a child, Lewis made several visits to the US to visit relatives during summer breaks. He decided to become an actor at the age of 16.

He was educated at the independent Ashdown House School in Forest Row, East Sussex, then Eton College, and graduated B.A. from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1993.

Career

Lewis once worked as a telemarketer selling car alarms. His first television appearance was as a medical student in "Hickory Dickory Dock", a feature-length episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot, an ITV Studios TV production, broadcast in 1995. He also appeared as a rakish student in an early episode of the drama series A Touch of Frost (1996). He appeared in Robinson Crusoe (1997) as Patrick Conner.

At this time he was also working as an actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing among other roles Borgheim in Adrian Noble's production of Henrik Ibsen's Little Eyolf and Posthumus Leonatus in William Shakespeare's Cymbeline. He would later go on to star in another of Ibsen's plays, as Karsten Bernick in Pillars of the Community at the National Theatre in November 2005.

He also appeared in Jonathan Kent's production of Hamlet, playing Laertes. This production was seen by Steven Spielberg, who later cast Lewis as lead role Richard Winters, respected leader of Easy Company in Band of Brothers (2001), the first role of several that required him to have a credible American accent.

He was in the 2000 series called Hearts and Bones as the love interest of Dervla Kirwan. Subsequently, Lewis portrayed Soames Forsyte in the ITV series The Forsyte Saga, which earned him positive reviews. He returned to the US to star in Dreamcatcher, a Lawrence Kasdan film about a man who becomes possessed by an evil alien. The character is American but when possessed he takes on a British accent.

He played Jeffrey Archer in the TV special Jeffrey Archer: The Truth. Since 2004, he has appeared in a number of films, as well as the 2005 BBC TV adaptation of the Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing, as part of the ShakespeaRe-Told season. Lewis played the role of Yassen Gregorovich in the film Stormbreaker. In 2006, he appeared in Stephen Poliakoff's BBC drama Friends and Crocodiles. He has appeared on BBC's Have I Got News for You as guest host several times; on 10 November 2006, 1 May 2009, 18 November 2010, 27 April 9 November 2012 and 31 October 2014.

In 2008, Lewis starred as the main character Charlie Crews in the American television series Life on NBC. The show premiered in the US on 26 September 2007 and was affected by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. Only half of the first season's shows were produced. Regardless, the show won a 2008 AFI Award for best television series. Although the show received critical acclaim, when it returned the following television season, it was shuffled from night to night, and eventually cancelled by NBC to clear its time slot for The Jay Leno Show.

Lewis appeared the following year in the lead role in The Baker, a film directed by his brother, Gareth. Damian took a supporting role of Rizza in The Escapist, which he also helped produce. He led the cast in Martin Crimp's version of Molière's comedy, The Misanthrope, which opened in December 2009 at the Comedy Theatre, London. Other cast members included Tara Fitzgerald, Keira Knightley and Dominic Rowan.

Lewis played Tory Prime Minister Simon Laity in two seasons of Number 10 on BBC Radio 4. He played Gareth, the father of an 11-year-old Liverpool F.C. fan, in the 2011 film Will. From 2011 to 2013, Lewis had a starring role as Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2013, he narrated poetry for The Love Book App, an "interactive anthology of love literature developed by Allie Byrne Esiri".

In 2016 he began starring as billionaire hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime series Billions. He left the show in 2021 after five seasons, but returned for half of season 7. In 2016 he appeared in the British spy film Our Kind of Traitor. In 2024, he played a dual role as Peter Radley and his brother Will Radley, alongside Kelly Macdonald in the vampire comedy film The Radleys.

Music

In an interview with The Guardian in October 2022, Lewis said that he had long-standing ambitions to be a musician, and had been collaborating with jazz artist Giacomo Smith, firstly on cover songs and then writing new material for an album that would be released in 2023: "I started writing and found out there was lots that I actually did want to write, and before we knew it we had a record's worth of songs. We’ve ended up with a rootsy, jazzy, rock’n’rolly, singer-songwritery-type album." Lewis released his debut single, "Down On the Bowery", on 13 April 2023. His debut album, Mission Creep, was released in June that year on Decca Records. On 9 July 2023, he sang the national anthem at the British Grand Prix, accompanied by a saxophonist.

Other ventures

In 2009 Lewis featured in Inspired By Music, a book commissioned by the Prince's Trust, written and photographed by celebrity photographer Cambridge Jones, and sponsored by Starbucks. It features personal reflections by 36 celebrities as well as four ordinary people helped by The Prince's Trust, about musical lyrics that inspired them.

In 2010, Lewis became a Trade Justice ambassador for the charity Christian Aid. In May 2006, June 2016, June 2018, and June 2022, he played for England in Soccer Aid, and played golf for Europe in the AllStar Cup* in August 2006, both shown on ITV.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis and his wife Helen McCrory supported Feed NHS, a fundraiser to give food from high street restaurants to NHS staff. By April 2020, they had raised £1 million for the charity. The initiative started in London, but following its success, plans were announced to roll it out to other cities throughout the UK.

Personal life

Lewis suffered a period of depression following a motorcycle accident in north London in 1998. He is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.

Having previously dated Katie Razzall, Kristin Davis, and Sophia Myles, Lewis married actress Helen McCrory on 4 July 2007. They have a daughter and a son. McCrory died of cancer on 16 April 2021, aged 52. Since 2022, he has been in a relationship with singer Alison Mosshart.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Discography

Albums

Singles

Other appearances

Recognition

Honours

Lewis was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014 for "services to drama" and promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2022 for "services to drama and charity".

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Damian Lewis

Lewis' portrayal of U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Lewis' performance as U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland won him a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 2012. His performance as Henry VIII of England in Wolf Hall earned him his third Primetime Emmy nomination and fourth Golden Globe nomination.

References

References

1. Peacock, Tim. (10 June 2023). "Damian Lewis Shares Emotive Single 'She Comes'; Announces New UK Dates". UDiscover Music.
2. (27 July 2022). "Musical Career".
3. Collins, Lauren (2016). "Blue Blood, Blue Collar: Damian Lewis's transformations," [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/18/blue-blood-blue-collar ''The New Yorker''], 18 January 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
4. ''Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage'', 1990, ed. Charles Kidd, pg 759
5. [https://www.damian-lewis.com/2003/05/25/20377.php Interview with ''The Sunday Express''], 25 May 2003; accessed 22 December 2008.
6. Mottram, James. [http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/celebrity/interviews/184270/damian-lewis-interview.html Damian Lewis interview with ''Marie Claire''] {{Webarchive. link. (27 October 2014 , 25 February 2008. accessed 14 January 2009.)
7. (20 March 2013). "Homeland's Damian Lewis rooting for Wales in Six Nations".
8. (2012-11-05). "Yarrow, Sir Alfred, First Baronet".
9. "Gareth Lewis - Biography".
10. (2002). "An Interview with Damian Lewis". [[Public Broadcasting Service]].
11. Iannotti, Lauren. "Esquire Style". ''[[Esquire (magazine). Esquire]]'', April 2003, '''139''' (4):120.
12. [http://www.damian-lewis.com/press/interviews/991100-new-woman-fighting-talk/ "Fighting Talk"] {{Webarchive. link. (7 September 2008 . ''New Woman'', November 1999. republished at Damian-Lewis.com. accessed 22 December 2008.)
13. Wolf, Matt. (1995-01-01). "FILM; Who Will Be The New Ralph Fiennes, The Next Hugh Grant?". The New York Times.
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15. ""Poirot" Hickory Dickory Dock (TV Episode 1995) - IMDb".
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17. "Pillars of the Community". National Theatre.
18. McCormick, Colin. (2021-06-01). "Band Of Brothers Cast Guide: Every Actor & Cameo".
19. Kelleher, Terry (14 October 2002), "The Forsyte Saga". ''People''. '''58''' (16):36
20. On the heels of this role, he starred in ''[[Keane (film). Keane]]'' as a Manhattanite with a fragile mental state who is searching for his missing daughter. Despite the film's poor box-office, Lewis's performance in the role was very well reviewed.Rozen, Leah (19 September 2005), "Keane". ''People''. '''64''' (12):40
21. Kauffmann, Stanley (19 September 2005), "Heights and Depths". ''New Republic''. '''233''' (12):28–29
22. [[Travers, Peter]] (6 October 2005) "Keane". ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. (984):164
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24. Heritage, Stuart. (April 13, 2012). "What Makes the Perfect 'Have I Got News for You' Host?".
25. Williams, Kathryn. (October 31, 2014). "Homeland's Damian Lewis braves Have I Got News For You hot seat again - but who's your favourite presenter?".
26. (2008). "AFI Awards 2008". [[American Film Institute]].
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31. Staff. "BBC Media Centre Programme Information – Afternoon Drama: Number 10". Bbc.co.uk.
32. (6 January 2013). "Number 10". Radiolistings.co.uk.
33. (2 November 2011). "Why we chose LFC and Istanbul".
34. Andreeva, Nellie. (21 December 2010). "Damian Lewis Cast As The Male Lead In Showtime's Pilot 'Homeland'".
35. "The Love Book App, poetry read by great actors".
36. (11 August 2015). "Damian Lewis Suits Up for New Showtime Drama Billions". People.
37. Wiseman, Andreas. (June 13, 2023). "Damian Lewis Vampire Comedy 'The Radleys' Underway; Joining Cast Includes Kelly Macdonald, Sophia Di Martino & Shaun Parkes".
38. (March 12, 2024). "Damian Lewis tells Chris Evans about working on a film adaptation of a Matt Haig book".
39. Clarke, Naomi. (13 April 2023). "Damian Lewis releases first single ahead of his debut album Mission Creep".
40. (14 June 2023). ""Sod it, why can't I have a go at something else?": Hollywood star Damian Lewis on his debut album".
41. Harrison, Ellie. (July 5, 2023). "Damian Lewis 'honoured' to open British Grand Prix with performance of national anthem".
42. (1 July 2009). "Inspired by Music".
43. Hartford, Maggie. (16 July 2009). "Inspired by music".
44. Jones, Cambridge. (2009). "Inspired by Music". Shoehorn.
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46. Blank, Matthew. (22 September 2010). "Photo call: Jonathan Pryce, Michael Sheen, Eddie Izzard, Anthony Hopkins featured in Cambridge Jones photo exhibit in NYC".
47. (10 February 2006). "Actor Signs up to Christian Aid Trade Campaign".
48. Chilton, Louis. (Jun 9, 2022). "Damian Lewis reveals touching gesture Helen McCrory made ahead of Soccer Aid appearance".
49. Amofa, Richard. (June 5, 2016). "Soccer Aid 2016: England 3-2 Rest of the World - Jermain Defoe's double inspires Jose Mourinho's men to victory".
50. Cavell, Louisa. (June 8, 2018). "Who's playing in Soccer Aid 2018?".
51. (August 30, 2005). "Europe pips America to win All*Star Cup 2005".
52. (10 April 2020). "Homeland and Peaky Blinders stars raise nearly £1m to feed NHS workers". BBC.
53. (5 January 2015). "Damian Lewis: my depression after motorbike crash".
54. (2015-01-15). "Wolf Hall's Damian Lewis on the one thing he has in common with Henry VIII".
55. McCoid, Sophie. (25 May 2018). "Damian Lewis posts cringeworthy video as he travels to Champions League Final".
56. (9 September 2006). "Red hot: The irresistible rise of Damian Lewis".
57. "''The Mirror'' article". Mirror.co.uk.
58. (16 April 2021). "Peaky Blinders actress Helen McCrory dies aged 52". BBC News.
59. Hattenstone, Simon. (29 October 2022). "Damian Lewis on grief, espionage and his new musical ambitions: 'When someone dies prematurely, you're left careering in a different direction'". The Guardian.
60. McCormick, Neil. (June 10, 2023). "Damian Lewis on his unlikely rock reinvention: 'I'm aware how dangerous this is for me'".
61. Wynne, Kelly. (July 7, 2022). "Damian Lewis Confirms Romance with Alison Mosshart After the Death of Wife Helen McCrory".
62. Kirkpatrick, Emily. (July 6, 2022). "Damian Lewis Is Dating Alison Mosshart and Her Mom Can't Wait to Meet Him".
63. (10 April 2018). "Damian Lewis to Play Controversial Ex-Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in Drama".
64. Tabbara, Mona. (July 10, 2024). "Edinburgh 2024 world premieres include 'Lollipop', 'The Radleys' and AI doll documentary 'Smiles And Kisses You'".
65. (2025-05-17). "ORWELL : 2+2=5".
66. (September 25, 2025). "Culross being used for 1800s Fife set film ''Jack of Spades''". [[Newsquest]].
67. White, Peter. (October 6, 2021). "Damian Lewis & Guy Pearce Lead Cold War Limited Series 'A Spy Among Friends' For Spectrum Originals & BritBox UK".
68. {{London Gazette. (14 June 2014)
69. {{London Gazette. (1 June 2022)
70. (2022-06-01). "Queen's Jubilee birthday honours: Damian Lewis, Stella McCartney and Clare Balding on list". BBC News.
71. (2001-12-21). "Golden Globe nominees". [[Toronto Star]].
72. (23 September 2012). "Winners at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards". USA Today.
73. "Damian Lewis". [[Emmy Awards]].
74. "Damian Lewis". [[Golden Globe Awards]].