Nathaniel Parker

Nathaniel Parker (born 18 May 1962) is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the lead in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and Agravaine de Bois in the fourth series of Merlin.

Early life Nathaniel Parker was born in London, the youngest son of the businessman and one-time British Rail chairman Sir Peter Parker and Jillian, a GP and gardener, who wrote The Purest of Pleasures: Creation of a Romantic Garden. He has two older brothers: Alan, chairman of Brunswick Group, and Oliver Parker, a film director, and a sister, Lucy. Parker joined the National Youth Theatre, and after training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art,

Career Stage Parker portrayed Bassanio in Peter Hall's 1989 production of The Merchant of Venice in London and on Broadway, co-starring with Dustin Hoffman.

In 2000, he played Bob in Rupert Goold's West End revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow.

Parker returned to the stage in 2013 for the production of The Audience, starring Helen Mirren, written by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Daldry. Mirren appeared as Queen Elizabeth II, with Parker as Gordon Brown. The play ran for four months at the Gielgud Theatre in London. It was also transmitted worldwide via National Theatre Live and seen by more than 110,000 viewers in the UK and USA. where his performance received a Tony Award nomination. He reprised the role at the Gielgud Theatre in 2021 for The Mirror and the Light, the third and final part of the trilogy.

Parker played Jack Weatherill in James Graham's This House at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester in September 2016 and took the same role to the Garrick Theatre in the West End of London on 19 November 2016.

Film and television In a 2007 Radio Times interview, Parker said that his first big television break came in 1988 when he played a Battle of France pilot in ITV's six-part drama Piece of Cake. Another early role was Wilfred Owen in Derek Jarman's War Requiem, a 1989 film adaptation of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem with Laurence Olivier in his last screen role, as an old soldier. In 1989, Parker portrayed Jamie Jasper in the tenth episode of Inspector Morse "Deceived by Flight". Four years later, Parker played Edward Rochester in John Duigan's 1993 film adaptation of Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea. Reviewing this 'prequel' to Jane Eyre, Vincent Canby said in his review that Parker: "is exceptionally good in a difficult, shadowy role".

Parker played a variety of television costume drama roles, such as: Martin Jordan in the 1995 TV production of Joanna Trollope's A Village Affair, Gabriel Oak in the Granada/WGBH-TV co- production of Far From the Madding Crowd (1997), and Martin Tanley in the comedy film Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) with Chris Farley and Chris Rock. That year he portrayed King David in a made-for-TV film. He also played Rawdon Crawley in a BBC version of Vanity Fair (1998). The New York Times reviewer Caryn James said of his performance: "More than anyone else in the series, Nathaniel Parker brings some complexity to his character." He also played the irresponsible and selfish Harold Skimpole in the BAFTA-winning BBC1 dramatisation of Bleak House (2005).

From 2001 to 2007, Parker played the titular character in the long-running BBC1 crime series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, perhaps his best-known role. His co-star was Sharon Small as his assistant, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. When the series premiered on PBS in 2002, The Wall Street Journal wrote that it was "fully worthy of the Mystery! label." At the same time, he played Master Gracey in The Haunted Mansion (2003), and Dunstan Thorn in the fantasy film Stardust (2007). to play the character of Agravaine de Bois for all 13 episodes of the fourth series. He also appeared in the independent comedy-drama The Perfect Host, alongside David Hyde Pierce.

In 2012, Parker was cast alongside YouTube reviewer Stuart Ashen in the Alienware-sponsored sci-fi thriller series The Proxy. He also appeared as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec in the film adaptation of Louise Penny's murder mystery novel Still Life, set in rural Quebec. He also starred in the TV series, Me and Mrs Jones broadcast in 2012. In June 2015, it was announced that Parker would play the role of King Achish in ABC TV's series Of Kings and Prophets.

In 2018, Parker appeared in two films, firstly as King Hamlet (better known as the Ghost), in Ophelia opposite Daisy Ridley, then as Lewis in the sports comedy-drama Swimming with Men. He also played Lord Chiltern in Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre; the production received positive reviews from critics and was later broadcast in cinemas.

In 2019, he played civil servant Sir Robert Hamilton in The Warrior Queen of Jhansi, a period drama about the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai, one of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. That same year, he appeared in the ITV drama A Confession as Richard Latham QC.

In 2021, Parker appeared on television in the Spanish-language romantic drama series The Vineyard as Edward Clayton, as well as ITV thriller The Beast Must Die. He also had a supporting role as Sir Robert de Thibouville, father of the heroine in the historical drama The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott. In 2022, he played Whale in romantic comedy Up on the Roof.

In 2023, Parker played Miles Dewson in British sci-fi thriller T.I.M.. The film was released on Netflix on 16 August. On television, he featured in Paramount+ period thriller The Doll Factory as Liston, and guest starred in one episode of Midsomer Murders, playing Brian Havergal. In 2024, Parker played Chef Bossard in the period wartime drama Desperate Journey, directed by Annabel Jankel.

Audio and voiceover work Parker is a voiceover artist and has done work on audiobooks, including Eoin Colfer's children's Artemis Fowl series, the five books in Charlie Higson's Young James Bond series, and The Gardens of The Dead by William Brodrick. He read Mark Haddon's novel A Spot of Bother for BBC Radio Four's Book at Bedtime and played Axel in Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth, first broadcast on BBC Radio Four Extra on 20 November 2011 and again on 12 November 2012. He has also voiced numerous video games and made many radio appearances as an interviewee and in radio dramas.

Personal life Parker is married to actress Anna Patrick. The couple live in Gloucestershire with their two daughters.

Filmography Film

Television

Theatre work Unless noted otherwise, details of Parker's theatre work can be found here. Year Title Role Company Theatre Notes 1981 Richard III Richard III National Youth Theatre 1982 Macbeth Macbeth National Youth Theatre 1984 Trumpets and Drums (based on The Recruiting Officer) Captain Brazen London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art 1985 Claw Ludsby Theatr Clwyd / Mold Theatr Clwyd / Mold 1985 Trumpets and Drums (based on The Recruiting Officer) Captain Brazen Theatr Clwyd / Mold Theatr Clwyd / Mold 1986 Romeo and Juliet Tybalt Young Vic, London Old Vic 11.02.86 1986 The Gift Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1986 The Kiss Oliver RSC 1986-1987 The Winter's Tale Florizel RSC Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tyne Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, Barbican Theatre, London Bassanio Peter Hall Company Phoenix Theatre, London, 46th Street Theater, New York (UK) 01.06.1989, (US) 20.12.1989 to 24.02.1990 1997 Cargo Cult Barbican Theatre 02.09.1987 1999 50 Revolutions Oxford Stage Company Whitehall Theatre, London 07.09.1999 to 25.09.1999 2000 Speed the Plow Duke of York's Theatre, London 29.06.2000 to 19.08.2000 2008 Quartermaine's Terms Quartermaine Bill Kenwright 2008 Ltd. Theatre Royal, Windsor; New Victoria Theatre, Woking; The Richmond Theatre, Theatre Royal, Bath, Theatre Royal, Brighton 13.05.2008 to 21.06.2008 2013 The Audience Gordon Brown Gielgud Theatre, London 15.02.2013 to 15.06.2013 2013/14 Wolf Hall Henry VIII RSC Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 11.12.2013 to 29.03.2014 2013/14 Bring Up the Bodies Henry VIII RSC Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon 19.12.2013 to 29.03.2014 2014 Wolf Hall Henry VIII RSC The Aldwych Theatre, London 10.05.2014 to 04.10.2014 2014 Bring Up the Bodies Henry VIII RSC The Aldwych Theatre, London 10.05.2014 to 04.10.2014 2015 Wolf Hall 1 & 2 Henry VIII RSC Winter Garden Theater, New York 20.03.2015 to 05.07.2015 2016 This House Jack Weatherill Headlong Minerva Theatre, Chichester 25.09.2016 to 29.10.2016 2016 This House Jack Weatherill Headlong Garrick Theatre, London 19.11.2016 to 25.02.2017 2021 The Mirror and the Light Henry VIII RSC Gielgud Theatre, London 23.9.2021 to 28.11.2021 2023 Operation Epsilon Otto Hahn Southwark Playhouse, London 15.09.2023 to 21.10.2023 2025 Ragdoll Robert Jermyn Street Theatre Jermyn Street Theatre, London 09.10.2025 to 15.11.2025