Julian Ovenden

Julian Mark Ovenden (born 29 November 1976) is an English actor and singer. He has starred on Broadway and West End stages, in television series in both the United Kingdom and United States, in films, and performed internationally as a concert and recording artist.

Early life and education Ovenden was born on 29 November 1975 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He is one of three children He subsequently read music at New College, Oxford on a choral scholarship.

Whilst he has received training as an opera singer, he has professionally used his music training in musical theatre. He continued academic studies in drama at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. and Grand Hotel for Michael Grandage at the Donmar Warehouse; Annie Get Your Gun for Richard Jones at The Young Vic; Michel Legrand's Marguerite at the Haymarket for Jonathan Kent; King Lear for Yukio Ninagawa at the RSC; Butley at the Booth Theatre on Broadway opposite Nathan Lane; Death Takes a Holiday for The Roundabout Theatre Company in New York; A Woman of No Importance for Adrian Noble at the Haymarket; Finding Neverland for The Weinstein Company; the Parisian premiere of Sunday in the Park with George; Show Boat at the Lincoln Center in New York; My Night with Reg at the Donmar Warehouse; Ivo van Hove's All About Eve at the Noël Coward Theatre opposite Gillian Anderson; and South Pacific at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Ovenden has also sung musical theatre songs in several concerts at the Proms, in particular concerts of Stephen Sondheim and of Rodgers and Hammerstein. In 2015, he played Captain Georg von Trapp in the ITV live musical adaptation, The Sound of Music Live.

Ovenden first appeared on British TV in a recurring role over five seasons of Foyle's War opposite Michael Kitchen. He also appeared in two series of Downton Abbey. Other British TV work includes The Forsyte Saga, Any Human Heart, and The Royal. On US TV, Ovenden was a recurring cast member in Person of Interest (Jeremy Lambert) for three years. He has also appeared in seasons of Cashmere Mafia, Related and SMASH. Recently he has portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in The Crown and is starring as William de Nogaret in Knightfall.

Ovenden's film work includes Colonia opposite Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl, The Confessions with Daniel Auteuil, Toni Servillo and Connie Nielsen and British indie war film, Allies (Captain Gabriel Jackson).

As a solo singer Ovenden has appeared with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the New York Pops, The Northern Sinfonia, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the John Wilson Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra. He has also appeared at The Proms at London's Royal Albert Hall, where he is a regular performer. Ovenden made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2014 and followed it up with another concert in 2015.

Ovenden recorded a debut album for Decca Records in 2013 titled If You Stay and has since made a Rodgers and Hammerstein record with John Wilson for Warner Classics and a Downton Abbey Christmas record for Warner Music that went double platinum. In late 2015, he signed a multiple record deal with East West Records and his new album was released in February 2016.

Personal life Ovenden lives with his wife, opera singer Kate Royal, and their son and daughter. If You Stay (2013) Be My Love (2016) Together at a Distance (2021) (with Sierra Boggess) Carousel, Rodgers and Hammerstein, 2021 Sinifola of London complete recording “My Favorite Things” (2023) Rodger’s and Hammerstein concert

Filmography

Film Year Title Role 2010 1st Night Tom Chambers 2014 Allies Captain Gabriel Jackson 2015 Colonia Roman Breuer The Sound of Music Live Captain von Trapp 2016 The Confessions Matthew Price 2018 Made in Italy Gordon Head Full of Honey Serge Surviving Christmas with the Relatives Dan 2022 The People We Hate at the WeddingAlcottThe Lost Girls Clayton

Television Year Title Role Notes 2002 Come Together Matt Television film 2002–2003 The Forsyte Saga Val Dartie 6 episodes 2002–2008 Foyle's War Andrew Foyle 6 episodes 2003–2004 The Royal Dr David Cheriton Main role (series 1–3) 2004 A Christmas Carol Fred Anderson Television film 2005 Agatha Christie's Poirot Michael Shane Episode: "After the Funeral" 2005–2006 Related Jason Greenstein 13 episodes 2006 Charmed Novak Episode: "12 Angry Zen" 2008 Cashmere Mafia Eric Burden Main role 2010 Any Human Heart Ernest Hemingway Miniseries; 3 episodes 2011 Midsomer Murders Ben Viviani Episode: "Dark Secrets" 2013 Smash Simon 4 episodes 2013–2014 Downton Abbey Charles Blake 9 episodes 2014 The Assets Gary Grimes Miniseries; 5 episodes Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Michael Faraday (voice) Episode: "The Electric Boy" 2014–2016 Person of Interest Jeremy Lambert 7 episodes 2015 Tim Rice: A Life In Song Featured Solo Singer 2016 Death in Paradise Dan Hagen Episode: "The Complex Murder" Major Crimes Peter Ogden Episode: "Tourist Trap" 2017 The Crown Bobby Kennedy Episode: "Dear Mrs. Kennedy" 2017–2019 Knightfall William de Nogaret Main role 2020 Bridgerton Henry Granville 5 episodes Adult Material Tom Pain Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance Himself 2024 Trigger Point Commander John Francis 6 episodes 2025 NCIS: Tony & Ziva Jonah Markham Regular

Theatre Year Title Role Theatre Location 2000-2001 Merrily We Roll Along Franklin Shepard Donmar Warehouse Off-West End 2001 King Lear Fool Royal Shakespeare Company London 2003 A Woman of No Importance Francis Theatre Royal Haymarket West End 2004 Grand Hotel Baron Felix von Gaigern Donmar Warehouse Off-West End 2005 Company Robert Hackney Empire Concert 2006 Butley Joseph Keyston Booth Theatre Broadway 2008 Marguerite Armand Theatre Royal Haymarket West End 2009 Annie Get Your Gun Frank Butler Young Vic 2010 Oklahoma! Curly Mclain UK National Tour My Fair Lady Freddy Eynsford-Hill Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool Concert Merrily We Roll Along Franklin Shepard Donmar Warehouse Off-West End 2011 Death Takes a Holiday Death Roundabout Theatre Company New York City 2012 Finding Neverland J. M. Barrie Leicester Curve Theatre Leicester 2013 Sunday in the Park with George Georges Seurat Theatre de Chatelet Paris 2014 Show Boat Gaylord Ravenal Lincoln Center New York City 2015 My Night With Reg John Donmar Warehouse Off-West End 2018 All About Eve Bill Sampson Noël Coward Theatre West End 2021 South Pacific Emile de Becque Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester 2022-2023 Sadler's Wells Theatre / Various London / UK National Tour 2023 Annie Get Your Gun Frank Butler London Palladium West End 2025 Little Dancer Edgar Degas 2026 High Society Dexter HavenBarbican TheatreLondon

Awards and nominations