Benjamin Charles Miles(born 29 September 1966) is an English actor, best known for his starring role as Patrick Maitland in the televisioncomedyCoupling,from 2000 to 2004, as Montague Dartie inThe Forsyte Saga,from 2002 to 2003, as propagandist and television executive Roger Dascombe in 2005 filmV for Vendetta,asPeter Townsendin theNetflixdramaThe Crown(2016–2017) and George in episode 8 "The One That Holds Everything" in the TV dramaThe Romanoffs(2018).
Ben Miles | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benjamin Charles Miles 29 September 1966 Wimbledon, London,England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse | Emily Raymond |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
editMiles was born inWimbledon,London,[1]and lived as a young man inAshover,Derbyshire,[2]attendingTupton Hall School.He began acting in school productions, which he pursued mainly because it allowed him to miss classes.[3]
Career
editHe moved into television roles in the 1990s, playing supporting roles in such series asZorro,Soldier Soldier,Is It Legal?,The Bill,Peak PracticeandWonderful You.[1]
Miles played a very small part as a journalist, with just a few words of dialogue, in the 1997motion pictureThe Wings of the Dove.[1]He had a leading role inThe Round Tower,filmed later in 1997.[4]In 1999, he was cast as Richard Martin inReach For The Moon.[1]In 2000, he was cast as Robert Brown inCold Feet[1]and the womanizingPatrick Maitlandin the comedy seriesCoupling,[1]a role which he played until the series ended in 2004. He continued other television work during his tenure inCoupling,appearing inThe Forsyte Saga[1]as Montague Dartie (this was the first time Miles acted with Amanda Root) and inPrime Suspect.In 2004, Miles portrayed Charles Ryder in theBBC Radio 4production ofBrideshead Revisited.[1]Miles was the co-lead in theBBCdrama,A Thing Called Love,filmed on location in Nottingham, England.[1]
Miles appeared in the 2005BBCtelevision dramaMr Harvey Lights a Candle,[1]playing the part of a teacher taking an unruly party of pupils on a daytrip toSalisbury Cathedral.In 2006, he appeared in the TV dramaAfter Thomasas the father of a son withautism.[5]He worked alongside actors such asClive Mantle.In 2008, he appeared as the squire Sir Timothy in the British productionLark Rise to Candleford,and as Plantagenet Palliser in Radio 4 productionThe Pallisers.In 2009, he appeared as the head of a stock market trading firm in theBBCcity-based dramaSex, the City and Me.He played the lead inPulseoppositeClaire Foy,[6]whom he also co-starred with inThe Promisein early 2011, just after also appearing inBBC 1'sZen.[1]They were re-united again inThe Crown.[1]
Miles often works with directorJames McTeigue:he appeared in McTeigue's 2005 filmV for Vendetta[1]as Roger Dascombe, a government propagandist and television network executive. He appeared inNinja Assassin,[1]and inSpeed Racer.[1] On stage, he playedBolingbrokein theOld Vic's production ofRichard IIin 2005 alongside his father-in-lawGary Raymond.Miles also appeared in the playThe Norman Conquestsas Tom in 2009.The Norman Conquestswon aTony Awardduring his tenure in the play forBest Revival of a Play.[7]
In summer 2011, Miles starred as Robert inHarold Pinter'sBetrayalat theComedy TheatreinLondon's West End,withKristin Scott Thomasplaying his wife, Emma. The love triangle was completed byDouglas Henshallas his best friend and her lover, Jerry. The revival was directed byIan Rickson.Also in 2011 he appeared in the television filmThe Suspicions of Mr Whicheras Dr. Stapleton.[1]
In 2014 Miles played Thomas Cromwell in theRSCversion ofHilary Mantel's novelsWolf HallandBring Up the Bodiesin Stratford and at theAldwych Theatrein London. In April 2015 the RSC brought the plays to New York City, where his performance was nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Play at the Tony Awards.[8][9]
In 2016, he playedPeter Townsendin theNetflixseriesThe Crown,[1]and the Duke ofSomersetinThe Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses,[1]the second cycle in a series of television film adaptations ofWilliam Shakespeare's history plays. In the same year, he also had a guest role as Chancellor Tom Pickering in an episode of theanthology seriesBlack Mirror( "Hated in the Nation").[1]
In 2017, he voiced the Time Traveller in a Big Finish Productions adaptation ofThe Time Machine,[1]and Ace in the UK dub ofBob the Builder: Mega Machines.[1]
In 2018, he played DSU Jack Haley in theBBC TwominiseriesCollateral[1]and Simon's father George Burrows in the seriesThe Romanoffs,and appeared on stage at theLyttelton Theatreas one of theLehman BrothersinThe Lehman Trilogy.[10]
In 2019 he played Commander Danny Hart inThe CaptureandJohn ProfumoinThe Trial of Christine Keeler,both on BBC One.[1]
In 2021, it was announced that he would appear in a newStar Warsspin-off television series forDisney,Andor.[11]
He collaborated with Hilary Mantel on the adaptation of her novel,The Mirror & the Light,into aplayat theGielgud Theatrein London'sWest End,in which he also starred.[12]The two worked again on a picture book based on her trilogy,[1],and she chose him to read the audiobook versions.[2]
Personal life
editMiles is married to the actress Emily Raymond.[2]They have three children.[5]The two also appeared together in the episode ofPeak Practice,[1]"Before The Lights Go Out" in 1999.[citation needed]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Getting It Right | Spiro | |
| 1997 | The Wings of the Dove | Journalist #1 | |
| Keep the Aspidistra Flying | Ravenscroft Waiter | US Title:A Merry War | |
| 2001 | The Affair of the Necklace | Baron Courchamps | |
| 2003 | Three Blind Mice | Lindsey | |
| 2005 | Imagine Me & You | Rob | |
| 2006 | V for Vendetta | Roger Dascombe | |
| 2008 | Speed Racer | Cass Jones | |
| 2009 | Ninja Assassin | Europol Agent Ryan Maslow | |
| 2015 | Woman in Gold | Ronald Lauder | |
| 2018 | The Catcher Was a Spy | Jerry Fredericks | |
| Red Joan | Nick | ||
| 2023 | Tetris | Howard Lincoln | |
| Widow Clicquot | Philippe Clicquot | ||
| Napoleon | Caulaincourt | ||
| 2024 | Canary Black | DCIA Nathan Evans |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1991 | Zorro | José Rivas | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Soldier Soldier | John McGovern | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Is It Legal? | Tom | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Melissa | 1st Editor | 1 episode |
| 1998 | The Round Tower | Angus Cotton | Television movie |
| 1997–1999 | The Bill | D.C. Colin Waterman / Dan Price | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | The Life and Crimes of William Palmer | Thomas Palmer | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Wonderful You | Ray | 4 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | Peak Practice | Rob Sinclair | 5 episodes |
| 2000 | Cold Feet | Robert Brown | 7 episodes |
| 2000–2004 | Coupling | Patrick Maitland | 28 episodes |
| 2001 | Holby City | Ed Somers | Episode: "Tip of the Iceberg" |
| 2002–2003 | The Forsyte Saga | Montague Dartie | |
| 2003 | Prime Suspect 6 | DCI Simon Finch | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Hustle | Stephen Winterborn | 1 episode |
| 2005 | The Government Inspector | Kevin Marsh | Television movie |
| 2005 | Under the Greenwood Tree | Parson Maybold | Television film |
| 2008 | Lark Rise to Candleford | Sir Timothy Midwinter | 10 episodes |
| 2009 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Percival Fortescue | Episode: "A Pocket Full of Rye" |
| 2010 | Pulse | Joe Sennet | Television movie |
| 2011 | Zen | Amedeo Colonna | 3 episodes Television miniseries |
| 2011 | The Promise | Max Meyer | 4 episodes Television miniseries |
| 2011 | The Suspicions of Mr Whicher | Dr. Stapleton | Episode: "The Murder at Road Hill House" |
| 2011 | Masterpiece Mystery | Amedeo Colonna | Episode: "Ratking" |
| 2013–2014 | Dracula | Browning | 10 episodes |
| 2016 | The Hollow Crown | Duke ofSomerset | 2 episodes Television miniseries |
| 2016 | Black Mirror | Tom Pickering | Episode: Hated In The Nation |
| 2016–2017, 2022 | The Crown | Peter Townsend | Main role (Seasons 1–2) Guest role (Season 5) 10 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Bob the Builder | Ace (voice) | UK version 4 episodes |
| 2017 | The Last Post | Major Harry Markham | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | Collateral | DSU Jack Haley | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | The Romanoffs | George Burrows | Episode: "The One That Holds Everything" |
| 2019–2022 | The Capture | Commander Daniel "Danny" Hart | Main role |
| 2019–2020 | The Trial of Christine Keeler | John Profumo | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | The One Show | Himself | One episode |
| 2020 | Devils | Edward Stuart | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Andor | Tay Kolma | 4 episodes |
| 2023 | Hijack | Captain Robin Allen | Main role |
| 2024 | Douglas Is Cancelled | Toby | Main role |
| TBA | Death by Lightning | George Scovile | Upcoming miniseries |
Video Games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree | Sir Ansbach | Elden RingDLC |
References
edit- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx"Ben Miles Credits3".tvguide.Retrieved6 July2023.
- ^abKelly, Guy (3 September 2019). "The amount of privacy we give up is scary".The Daily Telegraph.No. 51, 100. p. 20.ISSN0307-1235.
- ^"Ben Miles".OfficialLondonTheatre.15 October 2008.Retrieved30 October2017.
- ^"The Round Tower",British Council,accessed 26 April 2024
- ^abPowell, Lucy (1 May 2007)."Daddy dearest".The Times.Retrieved25 July2021.
- ^Wightman, Catriona (28 May 2010)."Ben Miles: 'BBC Three show defies genre'".Digital Spy.Retrieved6 November2016.
- ^Jones, Kenneth (26 July 2009)."Exit, Laughing: Tony-Winning Norman Conquests Ends Broadway Run".Playbill.Archived fromthe originalon 26 August 2010.
- ^Soloski, Alexis (18 March 2015)."Ben Miles Takes On 'Wolf Hall' Onstage".The New York Times.Retrieved23 March2015.
- ^Hetrick, Adam (9 April 2015)."Epic London Double-Bill Wolf Hall Opens On Broadway".Playbill.Retrieved6 November2016.
- ^Treneman, Ann(13 July 2018)."Theatre review: The Lehman Trilogy at Lyttelton Theatre, SE1".The Times.Retrieved25 July2021.
- ^Maxwell, Dominic (23 July 2021)."Ben Miles: How playing Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall changed my life".The Times.Retrieved25 July2021.
- ^"The Mirror And The Light – 2021 – Full Cast Announced, New Pictures!".London Box Office.20 August 2021.Retrieved2 September2021.
External links
edit- Ben MilesatIMDb
- Ben Miles profilefromBBC
- Lark Rise to CandlefordfromBBC
- Betrayal, "Comedy Theatre Review",The Telegraph,17 June 2011
- Betrayal - Review, "Comedy Theatre London",The Guardian,17 June 2011
- First Night: Betrayal, "Comedy Theatre London",The Independent,17 June 2011