Often plays mentally unstable or violent characters
Fact
Due to the popularity of his TV series Homeland (2011) with the First Family, Damian and wife Helen McCrory were invited by President Barack Obama as official dinner guests at the White House (March 2012).
Damian Lewis was born on February 11, 1971, in St. John’s Wood, London, England. His parents, Charlotte Mary (Bowater), from an upper-class background, and J. Watcyn Lewis, a city stockbroker, divorced when he was a child. Damian was educated at Ashdown House School and Eton College. He went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Damian’s first professional acting role was in the play “The Baker’s Wife” at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, Berkshire. He went on to appear in a number of stage productions, including “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” and “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?” Damian’s breakthrough role came in 2002, when he was cast as Sgt. Nicholas Brody in the hit television series “Homeland. ” The role earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama Series and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Damian has also starred in the films “My Week with Marilyn” (2011), “Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln” (2012) and “The Sweeney” (2012).
He is currently starring in the Showtime series “Billions. ” Damian has been married to actress Helen McCrory since 2007. They have two children together.
General Info
Full Name
Damian Lewis
Net Worth
$14 Million
Date Of Birth
February 11, 1971
Height
1.85 m
Profession
Film producer, Actor
Education
Ashdown House, East Sussex, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Eton College
Nationality
British
Family
Spouse
Helen McCrory
Children
Gulliver Lewis, Manon McCrory-Lewis
Parents
J. Watcyn Lewis, Charlotte Mary Lewis
Siblings
Gareth Lewis, Amanda Lewis, William Lewis
Accomplishments
Awards
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama
Nominations
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television, Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Televisio...
Movies
Our Kind of Traitor, Dreamcatcher, The Sweeney, Stormbreaker, Your Highness, Queen of the Desert, An Unfinished Life, The Baker, The Escapist, Chromophobia, Friends and Crocodiles, Colditz, Keane, Romeo and Juliet, Brides, Daniel Dafoe's Robinson Crusoe, Will, Bill, Warriors, The Situation, Jeffrey ...
TV Shows
Wolf Hall, Life, Band of Brothers, Hearts and Bones, Homeland, The Forsyte Saga, All-Star Cup
Often portrays American military officials, despite being British.
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Often plays mentally unstable or violent characters
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Flawless American accent
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Red Hair
Quotes
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Quote
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[on Hailee Steinfeld] I think she has a natural awareness of what she needs to do in front of the camera. She's got that freshness and that immediacy which is so exciting. You can see it in her eyes all through her performance as Juliet. There's a real light behind her eyes. That's going to stand her in good stead for film acting.
2
If one of your fantasies is lying on a bed in Hollywood, surrounded by eight naked women, then another is to have a beautiful wife and a nice rambling house in London with three kids running around... perhaps it's good to have a bit of tension in your fantasy life.
Facts
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Fact
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He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.
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New TV series Life (2007) on NBC. [September 2007]
3
Filming a project in Morocco [June 2005]
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Son of J. Watcyn Lewis and wife (second husband, m. 1970) Charlotte Mary Bowater (b. 17 Jul 1937). Damian's father has Welsh ancestry. Damian's mother is of the Bowater Baronets, of Friston. Damian's maternal grandfather, Sir Ian Frank Bowater, served as Lord Mayor of London. Damian's maternal grandmother was of the Viscounts Dawson of Penn and Barons Dawson of Penn. Damian's mother has English, and some Scottish, ancestry. Also, Damian's maternal great-great-grandfather was Sir Alfred Fernandez Yarrow, 1st Baronet, who was of Sephardi Jewish descent on his own mother's side. Alfred's wife, Damian's great-great-grandmother Minnie Florence Franklin, was of German Jewish descent on her own father's side and of English descent on her own mother's side.
Due to the popularity of his TV series Homeland (2011) with the First Family, Damian and wife Helen McCrory were invited by President Barack Obama as official dinner guests at the White House (March 2012).
7
Counts British actor Mark Rylance as a major influence.
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Despite being an Englishman, Lewis often plays characters who are in the U.S. Military. For instance: Maj. Richard D. Winters in the mini-series Band of Brothers (2001); Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the TV series Homeland (2011); and Major General James B. McPherson in the mini-series To Appomattox (2015).
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Director Gareth Lewis is his younger brother. Gareth directed Damian in The Baker (2007).
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Playing the main character "Charlie Crews", was reunited with fellow Band of Brothers (2001) star Michael Cudlitz who guest-starred in a couple of episodes of Damian's TV series Life (2007) as the character "Mark Rawls".
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Son, Gulliver Lewis, born 2 November 2007.
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Has competed twice in the Northern Rock All Star Cup, a golf tournament that pits celebrities from Europe against those of America. Lewis faced against such celebs as Meat Loaf and Alice Cooper.
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Father of Manon McCrory-Lewis, born on September 8, 2006, at 4:20 PM GMT. Mother is Helen McCrory.
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Became engaged to actress Helen McCrory in February 2006.
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Attended the "School of Kings", Eton, Berkshire and was 2 years behind The Wire (2002)'s Dominic West.
Before his recent big screen appearances, Lewis was a stage actor for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
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Graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1993.
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His castmates in Band of Brothers (2001) were initially sceptical of how well he could handle playing an American. It turned out that he was so convincing (as an American) that some cast and crew didn't believe he was British!
