Arthur Darvill

Thomas Arthur Darvill (born 17 June 1982) is an English actor, composer and musician. He is known for portraying Rory Williams, a companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series Doctor Who (2010–2012). He is also known for his roles as Rip Hunter in Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2018, 2021) and Rev. Paul Coates in Broadchurch (2013–2017). From 2013 to 2014, he appeared in the lead role, Guy, in the theatre musical Once, during its run in the West End and on Broadway. He also played Curly in the West End revival of Oklahoma!, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Early life Arthur Thomas Darvill was born in Birmingham on 17 June 1982. His mother, Ellie, is an actress; during his early childhood, she worked with masks, puppets and live acting as a member of Cannon Hill Theatre at the Midlands Arts Centre, and toured the world. She is also known as the puppeteer and voice behind Why Bird from Playdays. His father, Nigel, played the Hammond organ for artists including Edwin Starr, Ruby Turner, Fine Young Cannibals, and UB40. Darvill attended Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire from 1993 to 2000. He left in 2001, founded his own theatre company (called Fuego's Men), and performed in the Midlands. At the age of 21, Darvill moved to London with four friends from youth theatre, each having secured a place at a drama school. They moved into a house in White City together. Darvill trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is trained in stage combat.

Darvill made his professional stage debut playing condemned criminal Harrison in Edmund White's Terre Haute, which ran at the Assembly Rooms during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His performance was praised by Nicholas de Jongh of the Evening Standard and Susannah Clapp of The Observer. Darvill appeared in Terre Hautes transfer to Trafalgar Studios in 2007. His performance gained him a Best Newcomer nomination at the 2007 Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

Darvill played Rob in the 2007 monologue Stacy, in a performance The Times described as "compelling". Later that year, he appeared in the Vaudeville Theatre's production of Swimming with Sharks with Christian Slater, Helen Baxendale and Matt Smith (which gained him a London Newcomer Award nomination).

Television, film and theatre

In 2008, Darvill made his television acting debut in the ITV crime drama He Kills Coppers. The same year, he played Edward "Tip" Dorrit in the BBC serial Little Dorrit. Darvill began playing Rory Williams, companion to the Eleventh Doctor, in the fifth series of the BBC's science fiction show Doctor Who (reuniting with his Swimming with Sharks co-star Matt Smith). He became a regular character in the sixth series, and confirmed that he would be appearing in the seventh series; before he and his co-star Karen Gillan (on-screen wife Amy Pond) left in the fifth episode.

Darvill had a minor role as a stable groom in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, and played Mick Gallagher in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (both 2010). In the summer of 2011, he played Mephistopheles "an agent of the Devil in human form" in Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London,

On 19 April 2013, he took over the lead male role of Guy from the musical Once, on Broadway, New York, opposite new co-star Joanna Christie. The two performers also made an appearance on the 2013 Tony Awards to perform a number and to present the award for best scenery. Darvill continued the role in the West End production from 17 March 2014 until 10 May 2014.

In March 2015, Darvill was cast as the time-traveller Rip Hunter in the series Legends of Tomorrow. He was written out of the show in 2018, by the end of the third season. However, he returned in 2021 for the show's one hundredth episode. In 2019, Darvill took on the role of Oscar Lindquist in the West End revival of Sweet Charity.

In 2022, Darvill played the lead male role of Curly McLain in the musical Oklahoma! at the Young Vic. In 2023, he continued the role in the West End production.

Darvill will portray the Beatles' press officer Derek Taylor in The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, an upcoming film series of biopics directed by Sam Mendes.

Music and audio work Darvill is also a musician and a composer; he has written songs and music for the Bush Theatre, and composed the score for Che Walker's 2008 play The Frontline at Shakespeare's Globe. In 2010, Darvill helped promote the solo album of Fyfe Dangerfield, playing with him on sessions for Graham Norton's show and on Xfm.

He collaborated with playwright Sam Holcroft on a musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox which premiered at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, in November 2016.

In 2018, Darvill started a new musical collective with Ines De Clercq. The collective performed at St Pancras Old Church on 22 November 2018. They took some time to record in a studio in December of that year.

In 2020, Darvill appeared on the concept album for Vikki Stone and Katie Mulgrew's musical #ZoologicalSociety. Despite the concert being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the album featuring Darvill was released digitally on 27 March 2020.

On 13 June 2020, it was confirmed that Darvill would reprise his role as Rory Williams with Big Finish Productions, in a multi-box set series entitled The Lone Centurion, chronicling the character's time between the episodes "The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang".

Personal life Darvill plays the guitar and piano, and formed an indie band called Edmund in his teenage years. The band was named after Edmund Pevensie, his favourite character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Alongside other British celebrities, Darvill designed and signed his own card for the UK-based charity Thomas Coram Foundation for Children. The cards were auctioned off on eBay during May 2014. Darvill is non-religious.

In 2015, Darvill married Inès De Clercq. They do not have any children.

Acting credits Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 2001 Sooty Tom 2008 He Kills Coppers PC Wallis TV film Little Dorrit Edward "Tip" Dorrit 7 episodes 2010–2012 Doctor Who Rory Williams 27 episodes: Recurring role (series 5) Main role (series 6–7) 2012 Pond Life 5 mini-episodes The Paradise Bradley Burroughs Episode: "#1.5" 2013–2017 Broadchurch Reverend Paul Coates 23 episodes 2013 The White Queen Henry Stafford 2 episodes 2015 Danny and the Human Zoo Jonesy TV film 2016–2018, 2021 Legends of Tomorrow Rip Hunter 35 episodes: Main role (season 1–2) Recurring role (season 3) Guest role (season 7) 2019 Sticky Dr. Boot Episode: "Where Eagles Fap" World on Fire Vernon Hunter 3 episodes 2020 Unprecedented Danny Segment: "Romantic Distancing" 2022 Grace Kit Bishop / Jecks Episode: "Not Dead Enough" The Sandman Richard Madoc Episode: "Calliope" 2023 Three Little Birds Ernest Wantage 5 episodes 2025 A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis StoryVictor Mishcon 2025 The Sandman Richard Madoc Episode: "A Tale of Graceful Ends"

Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1996 Little Shop of Horrors Seymour Krelborn Midlands Arts Centre 2006 Terre Haute Harrison Wildman Room, Assembly RoomsTrafalgar Studios 2007 Stacy Rob Arcola Theatre Swimming with Sharks Rex Vaudeville Theatre 2010 Marine Parade Christopher Old Market, Hove, East Sussex 2011 Doctor Faustus Mephistopheles Shakespeare's Globe 2012 Our Boys Parry Duchess Theatre 2013–2014 Once Guy Bernard B. Jacobs TheatrePhoenix Theatre 2014–2015 Treasure Island Long John Silver Royal National TheatreNational Theatre Live 2017 Honeymoon in Vegas Jack SingerLondon Palladium 2018 Genesis Inc. Miles / Abraham Hampstead Theatre 2019 Sweet Charity Oscar Donmar Warehouse The Antipodes Dave Royal National Theatre 2021 Rare Earth Mettle Henry Finn Royal Court Theatre 2022–2023 Oklahoma! Curly McLain Young VicWyndham's Theatre 2023 Once Guy Shanghai Culture Square Shenzhen Grand Theatre Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2011 Doctor Who: The Gunpowder Plot Rory Williams Also likeness 2021 The Magnificent Trufflepigs Adam

Audio Year Title Role Notes 2012 Dark Shadows: Speak No Evil Tad Collins Big Finish Productions Road Trip Doctor Jared Jones Skarlet Jake Lawton Audible 2013 Dark Shadows: Beneath the Veil Alfie Chapman 2014 Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein Big Finish Productions 2018 Torchwood: Believe Frank Layton 2020 Time Lord Victorious: Echoes of Extinction Cooke The Sandman William Shakespeare Audible 2021–2022 The Lone Centurion Rory Williams Big Finish ProductionsEliza: A Robot Story HimCrowd Network 2023 Good Material Andy Penguin Audio

Radio Year Title Role Notes 2011 The Tales of Max Carrados Max Carrados BBC Radio 4 Burning Both Ends: When Oliver Reed Met Keith Moon Keith Moon 2012 Jonathan Swift: Gulliver's Travels Gulliver 2017 Into the Water Mark 2018 Billy Ruffian Maitland Hi Spec Ben Seven Songs for Simon Dixelius Simon Dixelius