Jack Davenport

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Jack Davenport
Jack Davenport in White Famous S01 E03.jpg
Davenport in White Famous in 2017
Born
Jack Arthur Davenport

CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
United States
Education British American Drama Academy
OccupationActor
Years active1996–present
Spouse
(m. 2000)
Children1
Parents
Relatives

Jack Arthur Davenport is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series This Life and Coupling , and as Admiral James Norrington in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He has also appeared in other Hollywood films, such as The Talented Mr. Ripley and Kingsman: The Secret Service .

Contents

On television, Davenport is known for his roles in the ensemble drama series FlashForward, Smash , and The Morning Show as well as his leading role in the 2013 ITV drama series Breathless .

Early life and education

Davenport, the son of actor Nigel Davenport and actress Maria Aitken, [1] was born in Wimbledon, London, [2] and lived in Ibiza, Spain, for the first seven years of his life. His uncle is writer and former Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken, his maternal grandmother was socialite Penelope Aitken, his maternal grandfather was politician William Aitken, and one of his maternal great-grandfathers was John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby. [3] Through his uncle Jonathan Aitken's marriage to Elizabeth Rees-Williams, Davenport is a step-cousin of Damian, Jared, and Jamie Harris, her sons from her marriage to Richard Harris.[ citation needed ]

His parents divorced when he was seven, at which point he was sent to the independent Dragon School in Oxford, as his parents did not want him to become involved in the divorce proceedings. He then went on to attend Cheltenham College, a boarding independent school for boys (now co-educational), in the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, followed by the British American Drama Academy in London.[ citation needed ]

Davenport's took a gap year after attending Cheltenham College. A director from Theatr Clwyd in Wales was impressed by his performance in a summer drama course and asked Davenport to work for him. He performed bit parts in Hamlet , where he became friends with Rhys Ifans.[ citation needed ] The following year, he began attending the University of East Anglia (UEA), concentrating in film studies and English literature. He dabbled in acting again during his time at UEA, but considered becoming a member of a film crew rather than acting.[ citation needed ]

Career

After Davenport's graduation, his mother advised him to write to John Cleese requesting work on the set of his upcoming film, Fierce Creatures , so that he could gain experience behind the camera. Cleese instead sent Davenport's letter to the casting department, and he was subsequently cast in his first onscreen role as a trainee zookeeper. After the production of Fierce Creatures was completed, Davenport found an agent who secured him an audition for the role of Miles Stewart in the BBC television drama series This Life .

Since then Davenport has played roles in many successful films and TV series, including The Talented Mr. Ripley , Coupling and Ultraviolet , as well as the box office hit Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl , and its sequels, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End .

During his career Davenport has also performed voice-overs, having narrated the audio versions of John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps and recorded parts in Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange . He also provides the voice over for the British MasterCard advertisements (the American being done by Billy Crudup).

In 2006, he featured in the ITV1 drama The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant and in 2009 starred in the film The Boat That Rocked .

Davenport in 2007 Jack Davenport 1.JPG
Davenport in 2007

In 2007 Davenport was cast in Swingtown , a period and relationship drama for CBS about the impact of sexual and social liberation in 1970s American suburban households, with story arcs involving open marriages and key parties. The series was cancelled after one season.

In 2008, Davenport was cast in the ABC pilot FlashForward , which was based on a Robert J. Sawyer novel. In the series, Davenport played the character of Lloyd Simcoe, a physicist allegedly responsible for a worldwide blackout, which causes the whole world to see the future. The show was cancelled after a single season.

In February 2011, Davenport was cast in the NBC musical drama pilot Smash . [4] It ran for two seasons and became a cult favorite on streaming services. [5] The first season of the series follows a group of people putting on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway. Davenport plays the musical's director. The second season expands as the various cast members branch out into other productions; Davenport's character, Derek Wills, quits the Broadway production of Bombshell to pursue a small off-Broadway musical and take it to Broadway with his protégé, Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee). The season ends with the two shows competing at the Tonys.

Davenport starred as the replacement singer in the video for Snow Patrol's single "Called Out in the Dark", released on YouTube on 17 August 2011, alongside Tara Summers and Gary Lightbody. [6]

2018 saw Davenport's Broadway debut playing the Earl of Warwick in a revival of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan starring Condola Rashad.

Personal life

Davenport married actress Michelle Gomez. On 28 February 2023, Gomez announced on Instagram that she, Davenport, and their son had become naturalised American citizens. [7] [8]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997 Fierce Creatures Student Zoo Keeper
The MothRobert Bradley TV film
1998 Macbeth MalcolmTV film
Tale of the Mummy Detective Bartone
The Wisdom of Crocodiles Sergeant Roche
1999The Cookie ThiefA Man Short film
The Talented Mr. Ripley Peter Smith-Kingsley
2000 The Wyvern Mystery Harry FairfieldTV film
Offending Angels Rory
2001 Gypsy Woman Leon
The Bunker LCpl. Ebert
SubterrainBusinessman
Not Afraid, Not AfraidMichael
LookStanleyShort film
2002 The Real Jane Austen Henry Austen TV documentary film
2003 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl James Norrington
Eroica Prince LobkowitzTV film
The Welsh Great EscapeNarratorTV film
2004The Boy Who Would Be KingNarratorTV documentary film
Terrible KissesManShort film
The Libertine Harris
2005 The Wedding Date Edward Fletcher-Wooten
A Higher AgencyJohnShort film
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest James Norrington Teen Choice Award for Choice Rumble
2007This Life + 10Miles StewartTV film
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End James Norrington
2009That Deadwood FeelingJack
The Boat That Rocked Twatt
2011 The Key Man Bobby
Mother's Milk Patrick Melrose
2013Haven't We Met Before?ManShort film
2014Death Knight Love StoryZeliek
Kingsman: The Secret Service James Spencer / Lancelot
Sea of FireMarty KesowichTV film
2016 Guernica Vasyl
AmericanaCalib
A United Kingdom Alistair Canning
Untitled Sarah Silverman ProjectBlakeTV film
PrototypeEdward ConwayTV film
2017The TankWill Sacks
The Wilde Wedding Rory Darling
The StolenJoshua McCullen
DoomsdayWarrenTV film
2021DaggerWillShort film, voice role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996-1997 This Life Miles StewartSeries regular
1998 Ultraviolet Detective Sergeant Michael ColefieldSeries regular
1999 Boiling Point NarratorMini-series
1999 Omnibus NarratorEpisode: "Our Julie"
2000-2004 Coupling Steve TaylorSeries regular
2001ScribblingNarratorEpisode: "Part Two"
2002DickensCharley Dickens2 episodes
2004 Agatha Christie's Marple Superintendent HarperEpisode: "The Body in the Library"
2005-2007 The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant Lieutenant Ralph ClarkeMini-series
2008 Swingtown Bruce MillerSeries regular
2009-2010 FlashForward Lloyd SimcoeSeries regular
2012-2013 Smash Derek WillsSeries regular
2013 Breathless Otto PowellSeries regular
2014 The Good Wife Frank AsherEpisode: "Parallel Construction, Bitches"
2015 Life in Squares Older David Garnett1 episode
2016 The Mindy Project Leland BreakfastEpisode: "Leland Breakfast Is the Miracle Worker"
2017 White Famous Peter KingSeries regular
2018Next of KinGuy HarcourtMini-series
Deception Alistair Black3 episodes
2019 Why Women Kill Karl GroveSeries regular
2019 The Morning Show Jason CraigSeries regular
2021 Why Women Kill The NarratorSeries regular
2022 Ten Percent Jonathan NightingaleSeries regular
2023 Accused John

Theatre

YearPlayRoleVenueNotes
1991 Hamlet Lou Scunt Theatr Clwyd, Mold, Flintshire
1999 The Tempest John Jacob Jingleheimer SmithVariouswith Holders Season Barbados
2001 The Servant Tony Lyric Theatre, London
2002 Lady Windermere's Fan Lord Darlington Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
2003 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Toby Young Soho Theatre, London
2006 Enemies Yakov Bardin Almeida Theatre, London
2024 The Human Body George Blythe The Donmar Warehouse, London

Radio

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2002 Laurence Olivier Awards Most Promising Performer The Servant Nominated
2006 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Rumble (with Orlando Bloom) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Won

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References

  1. "Coupling is back! – Biography – Jack Davenport (Steve)". BBC. 16 June 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  2. Who's Who 2014
  3. "Jack Davenport Biography – Yahoo! Movies".
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (13 February 2011). "Jack Davenport To Co-Star in NBC's 'Smash'".
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (11 May 2011). "UPDATE: NBC Picks Up Whitney Cummings & Emily Spivey Pilots, 'Smash' & 'Prime Suspect'".
  6. SnowPatrolVEVO (17 August 2011). "Snow Patrol – Called Out in the Dark" via YouTube.
  7. "Michelle on Instagram: "It's official! #usa"". Instagram. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  8. "Michelle on Instagram: "This wee lassie fae Scotland can't quite believe I'm going to bed tonight a US citizen. From the Federal plaza @uscis to @balthazarny to @thegarden @nyknicks with a quick Hopper @whitneymuseum on the way it's a day I shall never forget but the highlight by far was my son Harry leading the room of 42 countries in the pledge of allegiance. My mind is well and truly blown. Good night NYC I love you!! I finally have the same status as my son. I'm finally home. #godblessamerica"". Instagram. Retrieved 3 March 2023.