David Thewlis

David Thewlis

61 · Born: Mar 20, 1963

Personal Details

Official Socials
Height 6' 2"
Born Mar 20, 1963 Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK
Spouse
  • Hermine Poitou

    ( Dec 31, 1969 to Apr 19, 2024 )
  • Sara Sugarman

    ( Apr 1, 1992 to Dec 31, 1969 )
Parents
  • Maureen Thewlis
  • Alec Raymond Wheeler

Biography

David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis, is an English actor and filmmaker. He is known as a character actor and has appeared in a wide variety of genres in both film and television. He has received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and nominations for two BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Thewlis made his film debut in Little Dorrit (1987) and acted 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 then appeared in films such as Black Beauty (1994), Restoration (1995), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Dragonheart (1996), and Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He became more widely known to film audiences for his roles as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise (2004–2011) and Ares / Sir Patrick Morgan in Wonder Woman (2017). 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), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), and Enola Holmes 2 (2022). Thewlis' 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–present) and Human Resources (2022–present), Christopher Edwards in the HBO miniseries Landscapers (2021), and John Dee in the Netflix drama series The Sandman (2022). His performance in Fargo earned him nominations for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Critics' Choice Award.

Career

2025
Avatar 3
Avatar 3 as Peylak
2023
The Artful Dodger
The Artful Dodger as Norbert Fagin
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2022
The Amazing Maurice
The Amazing Maurice as Boss Man / Rat King (voice)
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Enola Holmes 2
Enola Holmes 2 as Grail
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The Sandman
The Sandman as John Dee
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Human Resources
Human Resources as Lionel St. Swithens (voice)
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2021
Rare Beasts
Rare Beasts as Vic
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Landscapers
Landscapers as Christopher Edwards
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2020
Guest of Honour
Guest of Honour as Jim
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I'm Thinking of Ending Things
I'm Thinking of Ending Things as Father
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Eternal Beauty
Eternal Beauty as Mike
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Barkskins
Barkskins as Claude Trepagny
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2019
The Feed
The Feed as Lawrence Hatfield
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2018
The Mercy
The Mercy as Rodney Hallworth
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Big Mouth
Big Mouth as Shame Wizard (voice)
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2017
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman as Sir Patrick / Ares
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Fargo
Fargo as V.M. Vargas
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2015
Legend
Legend as Leslie Payne
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Anomalisa
Anomalisa as Michael Stone (voice)
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Regression
Regression as Professor Kenneth Raines
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Queen & Country
Queen & Country as Sargeant Major Bradley
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Macbeth
Macbeth as Duncan
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An Inspector Calls
An Inspector Calls as Inspector Goole - The Inspector
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2014
Stonehearst Asylum
Stonehearst Asylum as Mickey Finn
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The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything as Dennis Sciama
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2013
RED 2
RED 2 as The Frog
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Separate We Come, Separate We Go
Separate We Come, Separate We Go as Norman
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The Fifth Estate
The Fifth Estate as Nick Davies
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The Zero Theorem
The Zero Theorem as Joby
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2011
The Lady
The Lady as Michael Aris
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The Organ Grinder's Monkey
The Organ Grinder's Monkey as Pablo (voice)
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Anonymous
Anonymous as William Cecil
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War Horse
War Horse as Lyons
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2010
London Boulevard
London Boulevard as Jordan
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Mr. Nice
Mr. Nice as Jim McCann
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2009
Veronika Decides to Die
Veronika Decides to Die as Dr. Blake
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2008
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas as Ralf Hoess
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2007
The Inner Life of Martin Frost
The Inner Life of Martin Frost as Martin Frost
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The Street
The Street as Joe Jennerson / Harry Jennerson
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2006
Basic Instinct 2
Basic Instinct 2 as Roy Washburn
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The Omen
The Omen as Keith Jennings
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2005
The New World
The New World as Wingfield
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Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven as Hospitaler
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2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2003
Timeline
Timeline as Robert Doniger
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Cheeky
Cheeky as Harry Sankey
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2002
Hamilton Mattress
Hamilton Mattress as Hamilton Mattress (voice)
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D.I.Y. Hard
D.I.Y. Hard as Man
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2001
Goodbye Charlie Bright
Goodbye Charlie Bright as Charlie's Dad
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2000
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
Gangster No. 1
Gangster No. 1 as Freddie Mays
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Endgame
Endgame as Clov
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1998
Besieged
Besieged as Jason Kinsky
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The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski as Knox Harrington
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Divorcing Jack
Divorcing Jack as Dan Starkey
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1997
American Perfekt
American Perfekt as Santini
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Seven Years in Tibet
Seven Years in Tibet as Peter Aufschnaiter
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1996
James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach as Earthworm (voice)
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DragonHeart
DragonHeart as King Einon
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The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Island of Dr. Moreau as Douglas
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1995
Restoration
Restoration as John Pearce
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Total Eclipse
Total Eclipse as Paul Verlaine
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1994
Black Beauty
Black Beauty as Jerry Barker
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1993
The Trial
The Trial as Franz
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Prime Suspect 3
Prime Suspect 3 as James Jackson
Naked
Naked as Johnny
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Prime Suspect
Prime Suspect as James Jackson
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1991
Screen One
Screen One as Tim Shanks
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Afraid of the Dark
Afraid of the Dark as Locksmith / Tom Miller
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1990
Life Is Sweet
Life Is Sweet as Nicola's Lover
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Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit as Doctor
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1989
Resurrected
Resurrected as Kevin Deakin
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A Bit of a Do
A Bit of a Do
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1988
The Short & Curlies
The Short & Curlies as Clive
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Vroom
Vroom as Ringe
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1987
Screenplay
Screenplay as Joey
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1986
The Singing Detective
The Singing Detective as Soldier
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1985
Only Fools and Horses
2021
Val
Val
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2017
Harry Potter: A History of Magic
2016
2011
How to Get a Head in Sculpture
2003
Cheeky
Cheeky as Director, Writer
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1995
Hello, Hello, Hello
Hello, Hello, Hello as Director, Writer
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