Charles Edwards

Charles Peter Keep Edwards (born 1 October 1969) is an English actor with a career in theatre, TV, and film. His roles include Michael Gregson in Downton Abbey (2012–2013), Alexander McDonald in The Terror, Sir Martin Charteris in The Crown (2019–2020), and Celebrimbor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022–2024).

Early life Edwards was born 1 October 1969, in the town of Haslemere in Surrey, England, and grew up in Grayshott, Hampshire.

He is the youngest of four sons and his first wife, Sally Anne Lake, daughter of rubber company executive Patrick Boyle Lake Coghlan, sometime chairman of Anglo-Asian Rubber Plantations Ltd.

Education From an early age, Edwards attended Amesbury School in Hindhead, Surrey. from which he graduated in 1992.

Career

Theatre Edwards' debut in acting was on stage as a gingerbread man in a play of Hansel and Gretel.

Edwards received acclaim for his Broadway debut performance as Richard Hannay in the 2005 play of The 39 Steps, and in the first US productions in 2007 (Boston) and in New York City in 2008. He is the only actor from the London production to transfer to the US productions. Edwards concluded his run in the play on 6 July 2008.

He has made appearances in a number of Shakespeare plays, including Peter Hall's production of Twelfth Night at the Royal National Theatre (Cottesloe auditorium) as Sir Andrew Aguecheek; as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe; The Merchant of Venice; and A Midsummer Night's Dream, playing Oberon to Judi Dench Titania. For his performance in Much Ado About Nothing, Edwards was shortlisted for Best Actor at the 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He also received a WhatsOnStage Award nomination, in 2012, for his performance in Twelfth Night.

In 2012, Edwards played the lead role of George VI in the original stage play of The King's Speech on a nationwide tour and also the West End, Later in 2012, he took on the role of Conservative Whip Jack Weatherill in James Graham's This House at the National Theatre. Towards the end of the year, he was shortlisted again for Best Actor at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his performance in both plays.

In 2013, Edwards starred as Charles Marsden in a Simon Godwin adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer prize winning play Strange Interlude at the National's Lyttleton Theatre. In 2014, Edwards co-starred in Michael Blakemore's adaptation of Blithe Spirit, opposite Dame Angela Lansbury. He played the title role in Simon Godwin's production of Richard II at Shakespeare's Globe, and Henry Trebell in Harley Granville Barker's play Waste at the National Theatre, both in 2015.

Edwards worked with playwright James Graham again in 2021, playing Gore Vidal in Best of Enemies at the Young Vic. He received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor the following year.

TV and film

In 2002, he played David, also known as King Edward VIII, in the feature-length TV drama Bertie and Elizabeth for ITV. In October 2012, Edwards appeared in the third season of the television series Downton Abbey as Michael Gregson.

In 2022, Edwards played the key role of Celebrimbor, the elven smith responsible for forging the Rings of Power in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Edwards was named an honorable mention for TVLine "Performer of the Week" for the week of 23 September 2024 for his performance.

Filmography Year Title Role 1999 An Ideal Husband Jack Mansfield Park Yates 2000 Relative Values Phillip Bateman-Tobias 2001 Murder Rooms Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 2002 Bertie and Elizabeth David Monarch of the Glen David Fraser 2005 Colditz Ellways, MI9 Officer Batman Begins Wayne Enterprises Executive 2007 The All Together Marcus Craigie-Halkett 2008 Midsomer Murders Edward “Ned” Fitzroy 2011 Holy Flying Circus Michael Palin 2012–2013 Downton Abbey Michael Gregson 2013 National Theatre Live: This House Jack Weatherill Philomena David Diana Patrick Jephson 2015 Arthur & George Alfred Wood 2017 Sherlock David Welsborough The Halcyon Lucian D'Abberville Henry IX King Henry IX 2018 The Terror Dr. Alexander McDonald 2019–2020 The Crown Sir Martin Charteris 2020 The Witches Mr. Jenkins The Duke Joseph Simpson 2021 The Girlfriend Experience Elliott Stanton 2021–2024 Under the Vines Louis Oakley 2022–2024 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Lord Celebrimbor

Awards and nominations