Simon Haines

Last updated

Simon Haines
Born
Bristol, England
Education Selwyn College, Cambridge
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Occupation(s)Actor, director, writer
Years active2009–present

Simon Haines is a British actor, director and writer. He portrayed Malendol in the fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power , Owen Michaels in Emmerdale and Rod Reed in Murder Most Puzzling .

Contents

Early life and education

Simon Haines was born in Bristol and grew up in Clevedon, Somerset. [1] He studied English at Selwyn College, Cambridge [2] and trained as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, at the same time as Michaela Coel and Paapa Essiedu. He also trained in the Meisner technique, and with American acting and directing coach Adrienne Weiss. [3] [4] He received a Laurence Olivier Bursary from SOLT and he was highly commended at the Michael Bryant Awards by Sir Nicholas Hytner. [5] [6]

Career

Whilst at Cambridge, Haines wrote and performed with the Cambridge Footlights, co-writing and performing the comedy sketch show Good Clean Men with Joey Batey, Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen (The Pin). [7] [8] [9] He played Claudius in a production of Hamlet in Elsinore Castle [7] and wrote a translation of Chekhov's The Seagull , starring Lily Cole, Joey Batey and Genevieve Gaunt. [10]

His first professional role after drama school was as Demetrius/Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream for London's Orange Tree Theatre. He made his West End debut as Christopher Wren in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap in 2017. [2] He has played a variety of stage roles including leading roles of Patrick, a "smoothly menacing" Hollywood screenwriter, in the 2018 UK premiere of Mart Crowley's play For Reasons That Remain Unclear, and Drew (the role originated by Armie Hammer on Broadway) in the UK premiere of Young Jean Lee's Straight White Men. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

On screen, he portrayed the young Pope Boniface VIII in the Knights Templar series Knightfall , and he played pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift in ITV's true-crime drama Litvinenko, with David Tennant. [16] [17] His feature film debut was playing the role of police Sergeant Dan Byrne in the 2024 British crime thriller, Forgive Me Father, directed by Fredi Nwaka. [18] He also played Paul Weyland ("the Einstein-killer from Berlin") [19] in Netflix feature film Einstein and the Bomb, sociologist Bezalel Sherman in BBC-PBS film Bombing Auschwitz [20] , and leading role Jonas in upcoming feature film Honeywell. [21]

In 2024, he played the recurring role of elf commander Malendol in Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power . He was already a Tolkien fan, but in preparing to play the role, he read Unfinished Tales and The Fall of Gondolin. [22] [23]

In 2025, he played villain Owen Michaels in Emmerdale , until the character's death. [24]

He plays regional news anchorman Rod Reed in cozy crime series Murder Most Puzzling opposite Phyllis Logan. He improvised several of his character's news reports. [4]

He plays a role in Edgar Wright's upcoming feature film The Running Man , acting opposite Glen Powell. [23] [25] Co-writers Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall added some of Haines's improvisations from his audition into the final screenplay. [4]

Haines's debut film as writer/director, Senior Consultant, premiered at the 2025 BAFTA-qualifying London Comedy Film Festival (LOCO). [26] [21] He admires the work of filmmaker Mike Leigh. [27]

He is set to star in upcoming American TV series Ponies , opposite Emilia Clarke and White Lotus star Haley Lu Richardson. [28]

Personal life

Haines is bisexual and dyspraxic. [27] He was assessed for dyspraxia whilst studying at Cambridge University; he said: "The diagnosis was super helpful to just have the label and to sort of have a gentler relationship with myself". [29] He plays jazz piano and supports Manchester United F.C. [4]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019Bombing AuschwitzBezalel ShermanTelevision film
2019 Knightfall Father Benedetto 2 episodes
2022 Litvinenko Benjamin Swift2 episodes
2024 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Malendol3 episodes [23]
2025 Emmerdale Owen Michaels4 episodes
2025 Murder Most Puzzling Rod Reed6 episodes [30]
2025 Ponies TBA

Film

YearTitleRole
2024Forgive Me FatherSgt Dan Byrne
2024Einstein and the BombPaul Weyland
2025World on FireTBA
2025 The Running Man TBA

Stage

YearTitleRoleVenue
2008-2011 Cambridge Footlights Writer/Performer
2010 Twelfth Night Orsino Cambridge Arts Theatre
2011 Much Ado About Nothing Leonato Cambridge Arts Theatre
2011 The Seagull Trigorin ADC Theatre, Cambridge
2011 Hamlet Claudius Elsinore Castle, Denmark
2011Animals and ChildrenMax Het Nationale Theater (Dutch National Theatre)
2014 Sam Wanamaker Festival Iachimo Shakespeare's Globe
2014 A Midsummer Night's Dream Demtrius/Flute Orange Tree Theatre
2014Told Look YoungerObrad/Marco/Louise Jermyn Street Theatre
2015 The Rubenstein Kiss Matthew Rubenstein Nottingham Theatre
2015 Posh Dmitri Nottingham Playhouse / Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
2016-17 The Mousetrap Christopher Wren West End (London)
2018 For Reasons That Remain Unclear Patrick King's Head Theatre
2018Europe After the RainMax Mercury Theatre
2019Wireless OperatorAlf (voice) Park Theatre / Edinburgh Festival
2020Everything Is Absolutely FineAnxiety Theatr Clwyd
2021 Straight White Men Drew Southwark Playhouse
2022 Distinguished Villa Alec Finborough Theatre

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2024 Age of Empires II: Battle for Greece BrasidasVoice

References

  1. "Andy Bennett on BBC Radio Bristol". 11 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 "The play's the thing" (PDF). Selwyn. August 2017. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  3. "Guildhall School Alumni Success". Guildhall School. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Saunders, Flo (8 July 2025). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star, Simon Haines discusses his career, life and what the future holds". LondonWorld. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  5. "SOLT awards Olivier bursaries to 14 final-year drama school students". The Stage. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  6. "Profile". app.spotlight.com. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 D'Arcy-Jones, Neil (30 May 2018). "Anna Koval and Simon Haines in Oliver Bennett's Europe After the Rain at the Mercury". Gazette. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  8. "The Fletcher Players Society presents… Good Clean Men by Ashenden/Bannister/Batey/Fiddaman/Haines/Owen". CAMDRAM.net. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  9. Reynolds, George (6 November 2009). "Good. Clean. Men". Varsity. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  10. "Lily Cole appears in Cambridge University student play". The Telegraph. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  11. Marlowe, Sam (30 July 2018). "Theatre review: For Reasons That Remain Unclear at King's Head Theatre, N1". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  12. Hawking, Frey Kwa. "For Reasons That Remain Unclear review, King's Head Theatre, London, 2018". The Stage. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  13. Brown, Steve (17 July 2018). "Interview | Actor Simon Haines talks about his role in 'For Reasons That Remain Unclear'". Attitude. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  14. Green, Jesse (24 July 2018). "Review: 'Straight White Men,' Now Checking Their Privilege on Broadway (Published 2018)" . Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  15. Hawking, Frey Kwa. "Review: Straight White Men at Southwark Playhouse |" . Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  16. Rayner, Daniel (2 April 2019). "'Knightfall' Season 2, Episode 2 'The Devil Inside' Recap: Heathens". ScreenSpy. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  17. McKee, Jake (19 June 2023). "The stars of ITV's four-part drama about the poisoning of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko". The i Paper. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  18. Forgive Me Father (2024) . Retrieved 11 August 2025 via letterboxd.com.
  19. Eclarinal, Aeron Mer (18 February 2024). "Netflix's Einstein and the Bomb Cast: 12 Main Actors & Who They Play In the Movie (Photos)". The Direct. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  20. Brewer, Mark (23 January 2025). "Historians, survivors and experts consider one of the great moral dilemmas in "Bombing Auschwitz" on SECRETS OF THE DEAD, Jan. 29 at 10 pm". WOUB Public Media. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  21. 1 2 "Simon Haines | Actor, Director, Writer". IMDb. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  22. "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star, Simon Haines discusses his career, life and the future". BristolWorld. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  23. 1 2 3 "Simon Haines: The interview". Gaydar. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  24. "Emmerdale star's scenes 'cut' last minute before being brutally killed off". The Mirror. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  25. Wheeler, Olivia (24 July 2025). "Emmerdale star recognised in gym after landing movie role alongside A-lister". OK! Magazine. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  26. "LOCO Presents… The Near Side – LOCO". locofilmfestival.com. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  27. 1 2 "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star, Simon Haines discusses his career, life and what the future holds". LondonWorld. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  28. Wheeler, Olivia (24 July 2025). "Emmerdale actor stars in Hollywood film trailer alongside A-lister". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  29. Beck, Jordan Lloyd (24 July 2025). "Emmerdale star shares secret struggle with 'misunderstood' condition". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  30. Guyoncourt, Sally (18 June 2025). "Murder Most Puzzling cast, filming locations and episode guide for C5 crime drama". The i Paper. Retrieved 11 August 2025.