Gwilym Lee

Gwilym Lee (born 24 November 1983) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in Midsomer Murders (2013–2016), A Song for Jenny, Jamestown (2017), Top End Wedding (2019), The Great (2020–2023), and for playing guitarist Brian May in the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).

Early life Lee was born in Bristol to Welsh parents, Tom and Ceinwen. He has three older siblings: Geraint, Owen and Rhiannon. When he was young the family moved to Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, although he identifies strongly with his Welsh heritage. He studied English literature at Cardiff University and drama at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he received the Guildhall Gold Medal in 2008. Lee appeared in a leading role in the final series of Land Girls (2011) and had several guest roles on television (including Ashes to Ashes, Fresh Meat, Monroe and Henry V). He has also worked on radio (The Emerald Tiger, The Silver Turk and in an adaptation of The Cruel Sea).

Lee was commended in the 2008 Ian Charleson Awards for his appearance in the National Theatre's production of Oedipus and in 2009 played Laertes to Jude Law's Hamlet in the Donmar West End season.

He won first prize of the 2011 Ian Charleson Award for his role as Edgar in the 2010 King Lear production at the Donmar Warehouse. In 2012, Lee starred in the Donmar Trafalgar Studios production of Aleksei Arbuzov's The Promise.

At Christmas 2013, Lee began a television starring role as DCI Barnaby's new sergeant, DS Charlie Nelson, in the 16th series of Midsomer Murders, which also included the show's 100th episode, partially shot in Denmark in collaboration with the local national broadcasting corporation, DR. In early 2014 he appeared in Versailles at the Donmar Warehouse. Lee played guitarist Brian May in the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), which earned him a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In 2018, it was announced that Lee had joined the cast of the Hulu series The Great; on the series airing for three seasons from 2020 to 2023, Lee starred amongst the ensemble cast as Grigor Dymov, a composite character of Catherine the Great's historical lovers Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin, and a childhood friend of Peter III.

In 2023, it was announced that Lee had been cast in the second season of SAS: Rogue Heroes.

Filmography Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2008 Guildhall School of Music and Drama Drama Gold Medal Ian Charleson Awards Commendations portraying the Messenger in Oedipus at National Theatre 2010 First Prize portraying Edgar in King Lear at Donmar Warehouse 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series The Great