Rafe Spall

Early life

Rafe Joseph Spall was born on 10 March 1983 at 12 Dunstan's Road in East Dulwich, London, the second of three children of Shane (née Baker) and actor Timothy Spall. Named after the protagonist in The Knight of the Burning Pestle, a role his father played in the Royal Shakespeare Company and one he would later play himself, he always had ambitions to act. His father was diagnosed with myeloid leukaemia when Rafe was 14, and spent the next 18 months in treatment.

Rafe was overweight as a teen, which he calls a "painful" experience. Having achieved poor grades at his school, Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College, he left to become an actor and joined the National Youth Theatre at 15. He failed to get into his chosen drama schools, such as RADA, at 17, but worked anyway. After being perennially cast in "fat" roles, he lost 77 lbs (35 kg) at age 19, which brought more acting opportunities.

Career

Spall has frequently collaborated with Edgar Wright, appearing in his films Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Spall was also in Wright's segment in the 2007 Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez film Grindhouse. In 2007, Spall performed for the first time with his father in the ITV adaptation of A Room with a View playing father and son.

In 2011, Spall starred in the romantic tragedy movie One Day opposite Anne Hathaway. In 2012, Spall portrayed Canadian author Yann Martel in the Academy Award-winning drama film Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee. The film was a critical and financial success, winning four Academy Awards and making over $600 million at the box office. In 2013, he played the newlywed husband in I Give It a Year, a comedy about the trials and tribulations of a couple during their first year of marriage.

In 2014, Spall appeared in the coming-of-age drama X+Y, alongside Asa Butterfield and Sally Hawkins, and the seasonal family comedy Get Santa. In 2015, he played John Hancock in the History Channel three-part series, Sons of Liberty, alongside Jim Broadbent, and appeared in the Academy Award-winning biographical comedy-drama The Big Short, alongside Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell. Also that year, Spall played Harry Price in Harry Price: Ghost Hunter, ITV's adaptation of Neil Spring's debut novel, The Ghost Hunters. The film aired on ITV1 on 27 December.

Spall portrayed Eli Mills in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), the fifth instalment of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park series, and directed by The Impossible helmer J. A. Bayona. Since 2020, Spall has a leading role in the Apple TV+ comedy series Trying, opposite Esther Smith and Imelda Staunton. He also played DS Bailey in the 2020 BBC drama The Salisbury Poisonings.

Personal life

Spall says he has always struggled with his weight, going up to 18 stone [114 kg] but said that he was given so many character parts that he attempted to slim down, losing over 5st [32 kg]. Like his father, he is a keen supporter of Crystal Palace. He is a patron of the Actors' Centre.

In February 2008, Spall met actress Elize du Toit; they were married on 14 August 2010 They have three children: a daughter born in 2011, a son born in 2012 and another son born in 2015. The marriage ended in 2021 and Spall is now in a relationship with Trying co-star Esther Smith, with whom he has a child born in 2024.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Stage

• A Prayer for Owen Meany by Simon Bent at the National Theatre as Harold Crosby/Coach Chickering/Larry Lish (2002)
• Just a Bloke by David Watson at the Royal Court Theatre as Nathan (2002)
• The Knight of the Burning Pestle by Francis Beaumont at the Young Vic Theatre/Barbican Theatre as Rafe (2005)
• John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen at the Donmar Warehouse as Erhart Borkman (2007)
• Alaska by DC Moore at the Royal Court Theatre as Frank (2007)
• Hello and Goodbye by Athol Fugard with the English Touring Theatre as Johnny (2008)
• If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet by Nick Payne at the Bush Theatre as Terry (2009)
• Constellations by Nick Payne at the Royal Court Theatre as Roland (2012)
• Betrayal by Harold Pinter at the Ethel Barrymore Theater as Jerry (2013)
• Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen at the Royal National Theatre as Brack (2016)
• Death of England by Roy Williams and Clint Dyer at the Royal National Theatre (2020)
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Aaron Sorkin at the Gielgud Theatre (2022)

Radio

• The Real Thing BBC Radio 4 as Billy (2006)
• Hide BBC Radio 3 as the convict (2007)
• Words and Music: Crushed BBC Radio 3 as a guest reader (2008)
• Capital narrator (2012)
• Amok Audible.co.uk as Oliver (2015)

References

References

1. ''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007''
2. [http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/person/rafe-spall/ Yahoo! Movies profile] {{webarchive. link. (22 December 2014)
3. Spall, Shane (Mother of Rafe). "Ambiguity? We lived in Dunstans Grove, East Dulwich, London SE22. That's where our son was born, number 12 to be exact. #fact".
4. [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/audio/2021/jun/29/s1-e3-rafe-spall-actor-grace-dent-comfort-eating Radio interview "Comfort Eating with Grace Dent"], Retrieved 2 November 2021.
5. (28 July 2010). "Rafe Spall: From fat boy to slim son of Tim". Evening Standard.
6. (25 May 2012). "Rising son: Rafe Spall's time has come". Evening Standard.
7. Raphael, Amy. (27 October 2007). "Rafe and Timothy Spall joint interview". Guardian.
8. (22 November 2012). "I give it a year next year". www.stephenmerchant.com.
9. (27 August 2015). "Rafe Spall to star in new ITV drama Harry Price: Ghost Hunter". ITV.
10. Kroll, Justin. (7 November 2016). "Toby Jones and Rafe Spall in Talks to Join Sequel to 'Jurassic World' (Exclusive)". Variety.
11. (14 June 2020). "TV drama revisits Salisbury poison attack 'horror'".
12. (19 August 2011). "Rafe Spall One Day Interview". Guardian.
13. "Rafe Spall, Patron".
14. (2009). "Rafe Spall My London". Evening Standard.
15. Gilbert, Gerard. (20 August 2011). "Rafe Spall Profile". Independent.
16. Williams, Zoe. (14 May 2024). "'It's great!' Rafe Spall on having a baby with his co-star in Trying, the infertility sitcom". Guardian.
17. (January 2018). "Close". Pollibee Pictures}}{{dead link.
18. (2009). "Modern Life Is Rubbish". BBC.
19. (18 July 2013). "X Plus Y announces cast".
20. (29 June 2018). "'Men in Black' Movie Spin-Off Adds 'Jurassic' Actor to Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
21. Chitwood, Adam. (5 December 2018). "The 'Men in Black' Reboot Is Titled 'Men in Black International'".
22. (27 September 2019). "Dinard 2019 : Denmark".
23. "One Way to Denmark (2019) - film review".
24. (2004). "'Mad Men' Star Jon Hamm Joins 'Black Mirror'". Variety.
25. (10 December 2025). "Rafe Spall, Jenna Coleman and Katherine Kelly to lead the cast of Steven Moffat comedy drama 'Number 10' for Channel 4".
26. "A Prayer for Owen Meany - Productions". National Theatre.
27. (17 November 2002). "Just a Bloke at The Royal Court Theatre". royalcourttheatre.com.
28. "The Knight of the Burning Pestle". British Theatre Guide.
29. (14 April 2007). "John Gabriel Borkman". Donmar Warehouse.
30. (23 June 2007). "Alaska at The Royal Court Theatre". royalcourttheatre.com.
31. (17 May 2008). "Hello and Goodbye - Athol Fugard - 2008 - Productions - English Touring Theatre". Ett.org.uk.
32. (21 November 2009). "Bush Theatre". Bush Theatre.
33. "Constellations at The Royal Court Theatre". royalcourttheatre.com.
34. (2021-03-26). "Rafe Spall to star in West End premiere of To Kill a Mockingbird".