David Thewlis

David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis , is an English actor and filmmaker. He has won one Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and received nominations for two BAFTA Awards, one Golden Globe Award, one Primetime Emmy Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award.

Thewlis made his film debut in Little Dorrit (1987) and had his breakthrough with roles in the Mike Leigh films Life Is Sweet (1990) and Naked (1993), winning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for the latter. He appeared in films such as Black Beauty (1994), Restoration (1995), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Dragonheart (1996), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), Gangster No. 1 (2000), and as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise (2004–2011). Other film roles include Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008), War Horse (2011), The Theory of Everything (2014), Anomalisa (2015), Wonder Woman (2017), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), and Enola Holmes 2 (2022).

Thewlis's most notable television roles include V. M. Varga in the third season of FX's Fargo (2017), the voice of the Shame Wizard in the Netflix animated sitcoms Big Mouth (2017–2025) and Human Resources (2022–2023), Christopher Edwards in the HBO miniseries Landscapers (2021), John Dee in the Netflix drama series The Sandman (2022), and Fagin in the Disney+ TV series The Artful Dodger (2023). His performance in Fargo earned him nominations for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Critics' Choice Award.

Early life Thewlis was born David Wheeler in Blackpool on 20 March 1963, the middle child of Maureen (née Thewlis) and Alec Raymond Wheeler. As a teenager, he played in a rock band called QED and played lead guitar with a punk rock band called Door 66. He was educated at Highfield High School in Blackpool's Marton area. He later joined London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1984.

Career Acting Wheeler decided to use his mother's maiden name, Thewlis, for his stage name after attempting to register with the actors' union and discovering that his birth name, David Wheeler, was already used by someone else.

He went on to play small roles in high-profile series such as BBC's Only Fools and Horses (1985),

His first big-screen leading role was opposite Clive Owen in Vroom, directed by Beeban Kidron in 1988, and he starred in Paul Greengrass's anti-Falkland War drama Resurrected (1989),

Thewlis's breakout role was in the film Naked (1993), That same year, he appeared on television as a sexual predator named James Jackson opposite Helen Mirren and Ciarán Hinds in Prime Suspect 3. Thewlis reprised the role in four other films in the series. He starred in Regression, He briefly reprised his role as Ares in Justice League (2017). and earned him nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award, Critics' Choice Television Award and Golden Globe Award as a supporting actor. He also wrote, directed and starred in the feature Cheeky (2003).

Writing Thewlis's black comedy novel set in the art world, The Late Hector Kipling, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2007. His second book, Shooting Martha, was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2021.

Personal life Thewlis married Welsh director and actress Sara Sugarman in 1992 and they divorced in 1994. He later dated English actress Kate Hardie for three years. and they had a daughter in 2005 before they split up in 2010. Thewlis married French designer and artist Hermine Poitou on 6 August 2016. They live in Sunningdale.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1987 The Short and Curlies Clive Short film Little Dorrit George Braddle 1988 Vroom Ringe 1989SkuldugeryTonyTelevision film Resurrected Kevin Deakin 1991 Life Is Sweet Nicola's Lover Afraid of the Dark Locksmith / Tom Miller 1992 Swords at Teatime Michael Short Damage Detective 1993 Franz Naked Johnny 1994 Black Beauty Jerry Barker 1995 Total Eclipse Paul Verlaine Restoration Pearce Hello, Hello, Hello Short film; Writer and director 1996 James and the Giant Peach Mr. Earthworm Voice role Dragonheart Einon Edward Douglas 1997 American Perfekt Santini Seven Years in Tibet Peter Aufschnaiter 1998 Knox Harrington Divorcing Jack Dan Starkey Besieged Jason Kinsky 1999 Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? Nesbit Love Story Dealer Voice role, short 2000 Judas Iscariot Voice role Gangster No. 1 Freddie Mays 2001 Goodbye Charlie Bright DadEndgameClovTelevision filmHamilton MattressHamilton MattressVoice role, television film 2002 D.I.Y. Hard Man Short 2003 Cheeky Harry Sankey Writer, director Little Wolf's Book of Badness Mr. Twister Voice role, short Timeline Robert Doniger 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Remus Lupin 2005 Kingdom of Heaven Hospitaler All the Invisible Children Jonathan Segment: "Jonathan" Wingfield 2006 Basic Instinct 2 Roy Washburn Keith Jennings 2007 Martin Frost Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Remus Lupin 2008 Father 2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Remus Lupin Veronika Decides to Die Dr. Blake 2010 Mr. Nice Jim McCann London Boulevard Jordan Athena Chuck Short Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1Remus Lupin 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Michael Aris Anonymous William Cecil War Horse Lyons The Organ Grinder's Monkey Pablo Short 2012 Separate We Come, Separate We Go Norman Short film 2013 RED 2 The Frog The Fifth Estate Nick Davies The Zero Theorem Joby 2014 The Theory of Everything Dennis Sciama Stonehearst Asylum Mickey Finn Queen and Country Sargeant Major Bradley Sunday Roast Dick Puck Short film; Writer 2015 Regression Kenneth Raines Legend Leslie Payne Macbeth Duncan Anomalisa Michael Stone Voice roleAn Inspector CallsThe InspectorTelevision film 2017 Wonder Woman Sir Patrick Justice League Ares Cameo 2018 The Mercy Rodney Hallworth 2019 Rare Beasts Vic Guest of Honour Jim Eternal Beauty Mike 2020 I'm Thinking of Ending Things Father 2022 Enola Holmes 2 Grail The Amazing Maurice Boss Man Voice role 2025 The Thing with Feathers Crow Voice role Avatar: Fire and Ash Peylak 2026 Signal One Perry Glassner

Television Year Title RoleNotes1985 Up the Elephant and Round the Castle The Mugger Episode: "A Taxing Problem" (non-speaking) Summer Season Jim Dench Episode: "Radio Pictures" Only Fools and Horses Stew Episode: "It's Only Rock and Roll" 1986 Second Soldier Miniseries 1987–1988 Valentine Park Max 12 episodes 1987–1991 ScreenPlay Joey / Terry 2 episodes1989 Paul Simcock 6 episodes 1990 Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Doctor Miniseries 1991 Shrinks Terry Slater Episode #1.5 1991–1992 Screen One Crematorium Attendant / Tim Shanks 2 episodes1993 Frank Stubbs Promotes Mike Bence Episode: "Striker" Prime Suspect 3 James Jackson Episode: "Keeper of Souls: Parts 1 and 2" 1994 Dandelion Dead Oswald Martin Miniseries 2002 Dinotopia Cyrus Crabb Miniseries 2007 Harry Jennerson / Joe Jennerson Episode: "Twins" 2014 Family Guy British Father Voice role, Episode: "Chap Stewie" 2017 Fargo V. M. Varga / Robot 10 episodes 2018–2025 Big Mouth Shame Wizard Voice role, 19 episodes 2019 The Feed Lawrence Hatfield 6 episodes 2020 Barkskins Monsieur Claude Trepagny 8 episodes 2021 Landscapers Christopher Edwards Miniseries 2022–2023 Human Resources Lionel St. Swithens / Shame Wizard Voice role, 20 episodes 2022 The Sandman John Burgess Co-starring; 4 episodes 2023–present The Artful Dodger Fagin Main role 2024 Kaos Hades Regular role 2025 Sherlock & Daughter Sherlock Holmes Lead role Dirty Business Ash Lead role

Video games Year Title Role 2010 World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Lord Darius Crowley

Music videos Year Title Artist Role 2022 "100% Endurance" Yard Act Performer

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref.1993 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Naked Evening Standard British Film Award Best Actor London Film Critics' Circle British Actor of the Year National Society of Film Critics Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Best Actor 1995 BAFTA Award Best Short Film(shared with Helen Booth and James Roberts) Hello, Hello, Hello 1998 British Independent Film Award Best Performance by a British Actor in an Independent Film Divorcing Jack 2006 Golden Raspberry Award Worst Supporting Actor Basic Instinct 2 / The Omen 2007 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor – Drama Series The Street 2008 British Independent Film Award Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film 2009 Scream Award Best Ensemble(shared with the entire cast) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2010 Evening Standard British Film Award Peter Sellers Award for Comedy London Boulevard 2011 Scream Award Best Ensemble(shared with the entire cast) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2012 Gold Derby Film Awards Best Ensemble Cast(shared with the entire cast) 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture The Theory of Everything 2015 CinEuphoria Awards Best Supporting Actor - International Competition Queen and Country 2016 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction (shared with Jennifer Jason Leigh) Anomalisa 2017 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Fargo Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Gold Derby Television Awards Best TV Movie/Miniseries Supporting Actor 2019 Gold Derby TV Decade Award Best TV Movie/Miniseries Supporting Actor Vancouver Film Critics Circle Best Actor in a Canadian Film Guest of Honour 2020 Best Supporting Actor I'm Thinking of Ending Things 2021 Chlotrudis Award Best Supporting Actor 2022 BAFTA Award Best Actor Landscapers