David Haig

Last updated

David Haig
MBE
Born
David Haig Collum Ward

(1955-09-20) 20 September 1955 (age 69)
Alma mater London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)Actor, playwright
Years active1978–present
Spouse
Jane Galloway
(m. 2010)
Children5, including Alice Haig

David Haig Collum Ward (born 20 September 1955) is an English actor and playwright. He has appeared in West End productions and numerous television and film roles over a career spanning four decades.

Contents

Haig wrote the play My Boy Jack , which premièred at the Hampstead Theatre on 13 October 1997. On Remembrance Day 2007, ITV broadcast a television drama based on the play, in which Haig played Rudyard Kipling and Daniel Radcliffe played Kipling's son, John. He went on to star as the Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead alongside Radcliffe in 2017.

Haig's second play The Good Samaritan was also first staged at the Hampstead Theatre, opening on 6 July 2000. His third play Pressure premiered at the Chichester Festival in 2014, before being revived in 2018 on a UK Tour and then in the West End at the Ambassadors Theatre. In 2018, he portrayed Bill in the critically acclaimed BBC America thriller series Killing Eve (2018).

Haig was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama. [1]

Early life

Haig was born on 20 September 1955 in Aldershot, Hampshire, [2] the son of opera singer Shirley R. C. (née Brooks) and army officer (and later director of the Hayward Gallery) Francis W. He had a younger sister who died aged 22 of a brain aneurysm. He grew up in Rugby, Warwickshire where he attended Rugby School. [3]

Career

Film and television

Haig appeared in the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral [2] and had a main role in the BBC television sitcom The Thin Blue Line (1995), [2] playing Inspector Grim, the inept foil to Rowan Atkinson's Inspector Fowler. He also appeared in Love on a Branch Line , a TV series broadcast by the BBC in four episodes. In 2002 he played the brother of Four Weddings' co-star Hugh Grant in the romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice . [2] In 2007, he appeared in a Comic Relief sketch called "Mr. Bean's Wedding" as the bride's father, reuniting with Atkinson.

Other TV work includes Doctor Who [2] story "The Leisure Hive" (1980); Blake's 7 [2] episode "Rumours of Death" (1980); Diamonds (1981 TV series); Campion story "Sweet Danger" (1990); Inspector Morse episode "Dead on Time" (1992); [2] and Cracker [2] story "To Say I Love You" (1993). In the 1990s, he appeared in series 1 of the TV series Soldier Soldier . [2]

He appears in the Richard Fell adaptation of the 1960s science fiction series A for Andromeda , on the UK digital television station BBC Four.

Haig wrote the play My Boy Jack , [2] and later appeared as Rudyard Kipling, alongside Daniel Radcliffe, in television adaptation. [2]

In 2008, he appeared in the BBC film Dustbin Baby , [2] and The 39 Steps . [2] He also appeared in the Midsomer Murders , [2] episode "The Glitch". In 2009 he appeared as Steve Fleming in BBC TV's The Thick of It , [2] and as Jon, husband to former MP Mo Mowlam in the drama Mo , [2] opposite Julie Walters. Also in 2009, he appeared in two episodes as the headmaster of Portwenn Primary School, Mr Straine on ITV comedy drama Doc Martin . [2]

In January 2013, Haig started appearing as Jim Hacker in a re-make of classic 1980s comedy series Yes, Prime Minister , broadcast on Gold TV in the United Kingdom. [2]

In 2012 a new sitcom pilot, starring Haig and written by Ben Elton, was filmed for the BBC. [4] Filming for a full six-part series of the sitcom, The Wright Way (formerly known as Slings and Arrows) was completed in March 2013, and began airing on BBC One on 23 April. [5]

An August 2018 announcement indicated that Haig would be among the new cast to join the original actors in the Downton Abbey film which started principal photography at about the same time. [6] In September 2018 he appeared as Bill alongside Jodie Comer in the BBC America thriller series Killing Eve . [2]

In September 2024, production started on his film adaptation of his play Pressure . [7]

Radio

In 2008, he played Maurice Haigh-Wood in the BBC Radio adaptation of Michael Hastings' play Tom and Viv, and 2010 he starred as Norman Birkett in "Norman Birkett and the Case of the Coleford Poisoner" on BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play series. He also played the narrator and the older Lewis Eliot in C. P. Snow's "Strangers and Brothers" on Radio 4 in 2003, repeated on Radio 4 Extra every few years.

Stage

He also won an Olivier Award in 1988 for Actor of the Year in a New Play, for his performance in Our Country's Good at the Royal Court in Sloane Square. [8] He toured Britain with the stage version of My Boy Jack, which he wrote, and in which he played Rudyard Kipling and directed a production of Private Lives by Noël Coward, which made a national tour in 2005.

Haig has appeared in several stage productions in London's West End, including Hitchcock Blonde at the Royal Court, Life X 3 at the Savoy Theatre, as the character Osborne in R.C. Sherriff's play Journey's End at the Comedy Theatre, and as Mr George Banks in Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre for which he received an Olivier Award nomination. He was also nominated for playing Christopher Headingley in a revival of Michael Frayn's comedy Donkeys' Years at the Comedy Theatre. Having appeared in the role of Pinchwife in the comedy The Country Wife at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London, he appeared in The Sea at the same theatre. Haig's next role was Truscott in the Joe Orton black farce Loot at London's Tricycle Theatre from 11 December 2008 to 31 January 2009 and at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, 2 to 7 February 2009.

In 2010 he played the role of Jim Hacker in the stage version of Yes, Prime Minister , [9] at the Chichester Festival Gielgud Theatre, in London's West End from 17 September 2010. [10]

In September 2023, it was announced that Haig was adapting Philip K. Dick's novella "The Minority Report" for the stage, to premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith the following spring. [11]

Personal life

Haig married Jane (née Galloway) in 2010; the couple have five children.

Filmography and stage credits

Theatre

YearTitleRoleProductionNotes
1985 Tom & Viv
by Michael Hastings [12]
Maurice Haigh-Wood Royal Court and Broadway
1988 Greenland
by Howard Brenton
PaulRoyal Court
The Recruiting Officer
by George Farquhar
Plume
Our Country's Good
by Timberlake Wertenbaker [ citation needed ]
Ralph Clark Olivier Award for Best Actor in a New Play
1991 Measure for Measure
by William Shakespeare [13]
Angelo Young Vic and RSC tour
1994Dead Funny
by Terry Johnson
Richard Hampstead Theatre and West End
1997 My Boy Jack
by David Haig [14]
Rudyard Kipling Hampstead TheatreAlso playwright
'Art'
by Yasmina Reza [15]
Ivan Wyndham's Theatre and Broadway
2000The Good Samaritan
by David Haig
Hampstead TheatrePlaywright
2002 Life x 3
by Yasmina Reza [16]
Henri Savoy Theatre
2003 Hitchcock Blonde
by Terry Johnson [17]
AlexRoyal Court and Lyric Theatre, West End
2004 Journey's End
by R.C. Sherriff [18]
Osborne Comedy Theatre
2005 Mary Poppins
by Julian Fellowes [19]
Mr Banks Prince Edward Theatre Olivier Award nomination
2006 Donkeys' Years
by Michael Frayn [20]
Chris HeadlinglyComedy Theatre
2007 The Country Wife
by William Wycherley [21]
Pinchwife Royal Haymarket Theatre
2008 The Sea
by Edward Bond [22]
Hatch
2009 Loot
by Joe Orton [23]
Inspector Truscott Tricycle Theatre
2010–11 Yes, Prime Minister
by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn [24]
Jim Hacker Chichester Festival Theatre and Gielgud Theatre
2011–12 The Madness of George III
by Alan Bennett [25]
George III National Tour and Apollo Theatre Olivier Award nomination
2013 King Lear
by William Shakespeare
Lear Theatre Royal, Bath
2014 Pressure
by David Haig
James Stagg Royal Lyceum Theatre and Chichester Festival TheatreAlso playwright
2015 Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
by Frank McGuinness
Michael Minerva Theatre, Chichester
Guys and Dolls
by Frank Loesser
Nathan Detroit Chichester Festival Theatre Olivier Award nomination
2016 Blue/Orange
by Joe Penhall
RobertYoung Vic
2017 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
by Tom Stoppard
The Player The Old Vic
2018 Pressure
by David Haig
James Stagg Ambassadors Theatre, LondonAlso playwright

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983A Flame to the PhoenixMirek Grabinski
1984Dark EnemyAsh
1985 Morons from Outer Space Palatial House Flunkey
1994 Four Weddings and a Funeral Bernard, the Groom – Wedding Two
1995 The Four Corners of Nowhere Nick
2002Rachel's AtticAdam
Two Weeks Notice Howard Wade
2007Church GoingPriestShort
2011The Half-LightMan
2016 Florence Foster Jenkins Carlo Edwards
2019 Downton Abbey Mr Wilson
TBA Pressure Writer

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978 The Moon Stallion Todman6 episodes
1980 Blake's 7 ForresEpisode: "Rumours of Death"
Doctor Who PangolSerial: "The Leisure Hive"
1981 Diamonds Alex Randolph5 episodes
1983 Chessgame Colin JenkinsEpisode: "Flying Blind"
1986The Alamut AmbushColin JenkinsTV film
Cold War KillersColin Jenkins
1989 Hannay Conrad SmythEpisode: "The Good Samaritan"
Dramarama Bill BrockEpisode: "Badger"
1990 Campion Cully Randall/Guffy Randall2 episodes
Portrait of a Marriage Harold Nicolson4 episodes
1991 Chancer Dr. HaseldenEpisode: "Remembrance"
Soldier Soldier Major Tom Cadman7 episodes
1992 Inspector Morse Peter RhodesEpisode: "Dead on Time"
Boon Jim FiskEpisode: "Is There Anybody There?"
1993 The Darling Buds of May Captain Robert Battersby2 episodes
The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries Arthur WildeEpisode: "A Man Lay Dead"
Cracker GrahamSerial: "To Say I Love You"
1994 The Bill Brian LintonEpisode: "Secrets"
Love on a Branch Line Lionel Virley4 episodes
Nice Day at the OfficeChris Selwyn6 episodes
1995 Wycliffe David MillarEpisode: "Charades"
1995–1996 The Thin Blue Line D.I. Grim14 episodes
1997–1998 Keeping Mum Richard Beare16 episodes
1998 Talking Heads 2 Wilfred PatersonEpisode: "Playing Sandwiches"
1999 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Colonel BonnetEpisode: "Tales of Innocence"
2000 Dalziel and Pascoe David HallingsworthEpisode: "A Sweeter Lazarus"
2001 Station Jim Riorden JnrTV film
Ivor the Invisible Park KeeperVoice; TV film
2002 Crime and Punishment LuhzinTV film
2004 Hustle Sir Anthony ReevesEpisode: "The Last Gamble"
2006 A for Andromeda General VandenburgTV film
2007Comic Relief 2007: The Big OneKate's Dad
My Boy Jack Rudyard Kipling TV film; also writer
2008Dickens Secret Lover Charles Dickens TV film
Agatha Christie's Marple : Murder Is Easy Major Hugh Horton
Dustbin Baby Elliot
The 39 Steps Sir George Sinclair
2009 My Family Jeremy LivingstoneEpisode: "The Guru"
Midsomer Murders George JeffersEpisode: "The Glitch"
Doc Martin Mr Strain2 episodes
The Thick of It Steve Fleming2 episodes
2010 Mo Jon NortonTV film
2011 Strike Back Christopher Manning2 episodes
2013 Yes, Prime Minister Jim Hacker6 episodes
The Wright Way Gerald Wright
2015 Penny Dreadful Oscar Putney5 episodes
New Tricks Dr. Douglas HenwayEpisode: "Life Expectancy"
2016 The Witness for the Prosecution Sir Charles Carter2 episodes
2018–2022 Killing Eve Bill Pargrave4 episodes
2019 One Red Nose Day and a Wedding BernardTV short
2020 Urban Myths George Frideric Handel Episode: "Hendrix & Handel"
2020–2023 COBRA Archie Glover-MorganSeries regular
2025 Étoile Nicholas LeutwylekMain cast

References

  1. "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "David Haig Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  3. Walker, Tim (18 April 2014). "David Haig says Rugby did not want him to become an actor". ISSN   0307-1235. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  4. "New sitcom from Ben Elton". TV Tonight. 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  5. Patrick Munn (5 January 2013). "Kacey Ainsworth, Rufus Jones & Michael Falzon Cast in BBC One's Ben Elton Sitcom". Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  6. McNary, Dave (30 August 2018). "Imelda Staunton, Geraldine James Join 'Downton Abbey' Movie". Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  7. Mensah, Katelyn (12 September 2024). "Wolf Hall and Sharp Objects stars join Andrew Scott in WWII film Pressure". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  8. "Olivier Winners 1988". The Society of London Theatre. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  9. "Stage plan for Yes Prime Minister". BBC News. 18 February 2010. Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  10. "Chicester Minister Bound for Gielgud, 17 Sep". Whats on Stage website. 11 June 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  11. Akbar, Arifa (25 September 2023). "Minority Report drama to feature in Lyric Hammersmith's 'really bold' spring lineup". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  12. "Tom and Viv". Thebeautifulchanges.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  13. "Measure for Measure". Rscshakespeare.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  14. "My Boy Jack". Nritishtheatreguide.info. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  15. "Art". Londontheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  16. "Life x3". Whatsonstage.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  17. "Hitchcock Blonde". Royalcourttheatre.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  18. "Journey's End". Indielondon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  19. "Mary Poppins". Musicalheaven.com. August 2012. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  20. "Donkey's Years". Britishtheatreguide.info. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  21. "The Country Wife". Britishtheatreguide.info. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  22. Taylor, Paul (25 January 2008). "The Sea". Independent. London. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  23. "Loot". The Times . Retrieved 24 October 2012.[ dead link ]
  24. Benedictus, Leo (25 May 2010). "Yes Prime Minister". Guardian.co.uk. London. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  25. Spencer, Charles (24 January 2012). "The Madness of George III". Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.