Damian Lewis biography

Synopsis

Damian Watcyn Lewis was born on February 11, 1971, in London, England. He began his career as a stage actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company before branching out into film and television. His most prominent roles include Soames Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga, Richard Winters in the HBO/Steven Spielberg miniseries Band of Brothers, and Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland.

Early Life

Damian Watcyn Lewis was born to parents Charlotte and Watcyn Lewis in London, England, on February 11, 1971. He is a descendant of a number of prominent London citizens, including Ian Frank Bowater, his maternal grandfather, who served as Lord Mayor. Lewis had a privileged childhood, attending the Ashdown House School and Eton College.

Lewis developed an interest in acting as a teenager. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing parts in works by Shakespeare and Ibsen.

Acting Career

Damian Lewis has pursued an acting career on both stage and screen. His first prominent film role was Patrick Conner in Robinson Crusoe, released in 1997. Around the same time, Lewis played Laertes opposite Ralph Fiennes in a stage production of Hamlet. Steven Spielberg saw the production and subsequently cast Lewis as Richard Winters in his World War II miniseries Band of Brothers, which aired on HBO. This performance introduced Lewis a broad American audience for the first time.

After the success of Band of Brothers, Lewis played Soames Forsyte in the ITV remake The Forsyte Saga, shown as a Masterpiece Theatre miniseries. He then starred in the Stephen King adaptation Dreamcatcher, as well as the film Keane and the television special Jeffrey Archer: The Truth. In 2005, Lewis appeared in the BBC adaptation of the Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

In 2008, Lewis starred as main character Charlie Crews in the United States television series Life. Only half of the first season aired, due to the Writer's Guild of America strike that year. Despite its rocky start, the show won an AFI Award for best television series. The show was cancelled by NBC the following season, replaced in the network schedule by The Jay Leno Show.

Since 2011, Lewis has had a starring role as Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the psychological thriller series Homeland, on the Showtime network. His performance earned him a 2012 Primetime Emmy Award (outstanding lead actor in a drama series). Homeland also won an Emmy for outstanding drama series, and a Golden Globe Award for best television series. Additionally, Lewis's co-star, Claire Danes, garnered a 2012 Emmy Award (lead actress in a drama series) for her performance on the show.

Personal Life

Damian Lewis has been married to actress Helen McCrory since 2007. The couple has two children.

Both Lewis and McCrory are involved with charity work, particularly the London children’s organization Scene & Heard. In 2006, Lewis was a player for England on the UNICEF charity program Soccer Aid.