Arthur Darvill
Encyclopedia
Thomas Arthur Darvill is an English
actor, known professionally as Arthur Darvill. He is noted for his work in the plays Terre Haute
(2006) and Swimming with Sharks (2007), but is probably best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor's Companion Rory Williams
in the television series Doctor Who
.
for artists including Edwin Starr
, Ruby Turner
, the Fine Young Cannibals
and UB40
. He attended the Bromsgrove School
in Worcestershire
from 1993 to 2000. He plays the guitar and keyboard, and in his teens formed an indie band called "Edmund", named after his favourite character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, Edmund Pevensie
.
Darvill enjoys cookery and attending the theatre and music concerts. He collects taxidermy
.
in 2000, presenting the in vision continuity links between the shows. He left in 2001, and founded his own theatre company - 'Fuego's Men' - performing in the Midlands. At the age of 18 Darvill moved to London
with four friends from youth theatre, each having secured a place at a drama school. They moved in together in a house in White City
. He trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
, and has training in stage fighting.
Darvill made his professional stage debut playing condemned criminal Harrison in Edmund White
's Terre Haute
, which ran at the Assembly Rooms
during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His performance was praised by Nicholas de Jongh
of the Evening Standard
and Susannah Clap of The Observer
. Darvill appeared in Terra Hautes transfer to the Trafalgar Studios
in 2007. His performance gained him a Best Newcomer nomination at the 2007 Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
In 2007, Darvill played Rob in the monologue Stacy, in a performance described as compelling in The Times
. Later the same year, he appeared in the Vaudeville Theatre
's production of Swimming with Sharks, alongside Christian Slater
, Helen Baxendale
and Matt Smith, which gained him a London Newcomer Award nomination. In 2008, Darvill made his television debut in the ITV
crime drama He Kills Coppers. The same year, he played Edward "Tip" Dorrit in the BBC serial Little Dorrit
.
in series 5 of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who
, reuniting with his Swimming with Sharks co-star Matt Smith. He became a regular character in series 6, and has confirmed that he will be appearing in series 7.. He also has a minor role as a stable groom in Ridley Scott
's Robin Hood
. Other films include Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
, based on the life of Ian Dury, in which he plays keyboard player Mickey Gallagher, and Pelican Blood, directed by Karl Golden, In summer 2011 he appeared in Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
in London.
Darvill is also a musician and composer; he has written songs and music for the Bush Theatre
, and composed the score for Che Walker
's 2008 play Frontline at the Globe Theatre. In June 2009, the musical Been So Long
, based on Ché Walker
's 1998 play, opened at the Young Vic. Darvill had worked with Walker for a number of years, since they had first met at RADA, developing the songs and music for the show. The musical was performed at the Latitude Festival
in July and had a run at the Traverse Theatre
in August. Darvill received a Judge's Discretionary Award from MTM for his music. In 2010 Darvill helped promote the solo album of Fyfe Dangerfield
, playing with him on sessions for Graham Norton
's show and on Xfm
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actor, known professionally as Arthur Darvill. He is noted for his work in the plays Terre Haute
Terre Haute (play)
Terre Haute is a 2006 play by the American writer Edmund White.-Plot:It deals with a fictional encounter between the 1995 Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and a character similar to author Gore Vidal in the days prior to the former's 2001 execution inside a prison complex in Terre Haute,...
(2006) and Swimming with Sharks (2007), but is probably best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor's Companion Rory Williams
Rory Williams
Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
in the television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Early and personal life
Darvill's mother was a member of Cannon Hill Theatre - under the directorship of John Blundall - working with masks, puppets and live acting, which was based at Midlands Arts Centre and toured the UK and around the world. Prior to the birth of his sister, Darvill went on some of their tours, helping with setting up of the show. His father, Nigel, played the Hammond organHammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
for artists including Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr
Edwin Starr was an American soul music singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".-Biography:...
, Ruby Turner
Ruby Turner
Ruby Turner is a British R&B and soul singer, songwriter and actress. In 1967, she relocated with her family to Handsworth, Birmingham, England when she was nine years old...
, the Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals were a British band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox , and singer Roland Gift...
and UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
. He attended the Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School, founded in 1553, is a co-educational independent school in the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove, England. The school has a long history and many notable former pupils.-History:...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
from 1993 to 2000. He plays the guitar and keyboard, and in his teens formed an indie band called "Edmund", named after his favourite character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Published in 1950 and set circa 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series. Although it was written and published first, it is second in the series'...
, Edmund Pevensie
Edmund Pevensie
Edmund "Ed" Pevensie is a major fictional character in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. He is a principal character in three of the seven books , and a lesser character in two others .In the live-action films, The...
.
Darvill enjoys cookery and attending the theatre and music concerts. He collects taxidermy
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
.
Career
Darvill joined Stage2 Youth Theatre Company at the age of 10. He was a member from 1991–2000 and landed a job presenting as Tom CITVCITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
in 2000, presenting the in vision continuity links between the shows. He left in 2001, and founded his own theatre company - 'Fuego's Men' - performing in the Midlands. At the age of 18 Darvill moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with four friends from youth theatre, each having secured a place at a drama school. They moved in together in a house in White City
White City, London
White City is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, to the north of Shepherd's Bush. Today, White City is home to the BBC Television Centre and BBC White City, and Loftus Road stadium, the home of football club Queens Park Rangers FC....
. He trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
, and has training in stage fighting.
Darvill made his professional stage debut playing condemned criminal Harrison in Edmund White
Edmund White
Edmund Valentine White III is an American author and literary critic. He is a member of the faculty of Princeton University's Program in Creative Writing.- Life and work :...
's Terre Haute
Terre Haute (play)
Terre Haute is a 2006 play by the American writer Edmund White.-Plot:It deals with a fictional encounter between the 1995 Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and a character similar to author Gore Vidal in the days prior to the former's 2001 execution inside a prison complex in Terre Haute,...
, which ran at the Assembly Rooms
Assembly Rooms (Edinburgh)
The Assembly Rooms is a former assembly rooms located in central Edinburgh, the rooms now host a number of events including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Hogmanay celebrations. There are four rooms that are used year-round and are available for private functions: Music Hall, Ballroom,...
during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His performance was praised by Nicholas de Jongh
Nicholas de Jongh
Nicholas de Jongh is a British theatre critic and playwright. He served as the senior drama critic of the Evening Standard from 1991 to 2009. Prior to that, he worked for the Guardian newspaper for almost 20 years...
of the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
and Susannah Clap of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
. Darvill appeared in Terra Hautes transfer to the Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios, formerly The Whitehall Theatre until 2004, is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London....
in 2007. His performance gained him a Best Newcomer nomination at the 2007 Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
In 2007, Darvill played Rob in the monologue Stacy, in a performance described as compelling in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. Later the same year, he appeared in the Vaudeville Theatre
Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on The Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous...
's production of Swimming with Sharks, alongside Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
, Helen Baxendale
Helen Baxendale
Helen Victoria Baxendale is an English actress of stage and television, possibly best-known for her roles in Cold Feet, Friends and Cardiac Arrest.-Early life:...
and Matt Smith, which gained him a London Newcomer Award nomination. In 2008, Darvill made his television debut in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
crime drama He Kills Coppers. The same year, he played Edward "Tip" Dorrit in the BBC serial Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit (TV serial)
Little Dorrit is a 2008 British television serial directed by Adam Smith, Dearbhla Walsh, and Diarmuid Lawrence. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the serial novel of the same title by Charles Dickens, originally published between 1855 and 1857....
.
2010 onwards and Doctor Who
In 2010, Darvill made his debut as the recurring character Rory WilliamsRory Williams
Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
in series 5 of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, reuniting with his Swimming with Sharks co-star Matt Smith. He became a regular character in series 6, and has confirmed that he will be appearing in series 7.. He also has a minor role as a stable groom in Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
's Robin Hood
Robin Hood (2010 film)
Robin Hood is a 2010 British/American adventure film based on the Robin Hood legend, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett...
. Other films include Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (film)
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a 2010 biopic of Ian Dury, starring Andy Serkis as Dury. The film follows Dury's rise to fame and documents his personal battle with the disability caused by having contracted polio during childhood. The effect that his disability and his lifestyle have upon his...
, based on the life of Ian Dury, in which he plays keyboard player Mickey Gallagher, and Pelican Blood, directed by Karl Golden, In summer 2011 he appeared in Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
in London.
Darvill is also a musician and composer; he has written songs and music for the Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
, and composed the score for Che Walker
Ché Walker
Ché Walker is an English actor, playwright, theatre director and teacher at the Identity Drama School.Walker lives in Camden in London and his play The Frontline deals with street life outside Camden Town tube station....
's 2008 play Frontline at the Globe Theatre. In June 2009, the musical Been So Long
Been So Long
Been So Long is a soul/funk musical with music and lyrics by Arthur Darvill and book by Ché Walker. The musical is based on the 1998 play of the same name....
, based on Ché Walker
Ché Walker
Ché Walker is an English actor, playwright, theatre director and teacher at the Identity Drama School.Walker lives in Camden in London and his play The Frontline deals with street life outside Camden Town tube station....
's 1998 play, opened at the Young Vic. Darvill had worked with Walker for a number of years, since they had first met at RADA, developing the songs and music for the show. The musical was performed at the Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
in July and had a run at the Traverse Theatre
Traverse Theatre
The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963.The Traverse Theatre commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary playwrights. It also presents a large number of productions from visiting companies from across the UK. These include new plays,...
in August. Darvill received a Judge's Discretionary Award from MTM for his music. In 2010 Darvill helped promote the solo album of Fyfe Dangerfield
Fyfe Dangerfield
Fyfe Antony Dangerfield Hutchins is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the founding member of the indie rock band Guillemots.-Early life:...
, playing with him on sessions for Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
's show and on Xfm
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
.
Film and television
| Year | Title | Format | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sooty Sooty (TV series) Sooty is a British children's television series that aired on ITV from 5 November 2001 - 6 January 2004 for three series. It replaces Sooty Heights, although the setting is much the same... |
Television series | Tom | |
| 2008 | He Kills Coppers | Television serial | Police constable | |
| 2008 | Little Dorrit Little Dorrit (TV serial) Little Dorrit is a 2008 British television serial directed by Adam Smith, Dearbhla Walsh, and Diarmuid Lawrence. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the serial novel of the same title by Charles Dickens, originally published between 1855 and 1857.... |
Television series | Edward "Tip" Dorrit | Recurring role in 7 episodes |
| 2009 | Pelican Blood | Feature film | Cameron | |
| 2010 | Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (film) Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a 2010 biopic of Ian Dury, starring Andy Serkis as Dury. The film follows Dury's rise to fame and documents his personal battle with the disability caused by having contracted polio during childhood. The effect that his disability and his lifestyle have upon his... |
Feature film | Mickey - Keyboard player | |
| 2010 | Robin Hood Robin Hood (2010 film) Robin Hood is a 2010 British/American adventure film based on the Robin Hood legend, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett... |
Feature film | Groom | |
| 2010–present | Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... |
Television series | Rory Williams Rory Williams Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5... |
Series 5 (Recurring- 7 episodes), Series 6 (Regular) |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Director class="unsortable"| Notes |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors (musical) Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman... |
Seymour Krelborn | Liz Light | Stage 2 Theatre Company, The Theatre at the Midlands Arts Centre Mac (Birmingham) mac is a non-profit arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. It was established in 1962 and is registered as an educational charity which host plays, concerts and films shows; and holds art exhibitions, music classes, and workshops for all ages.The centre re-opened... 17-20 April 1996. |
| 2006 | Terre Haute Terre Haute (play) Terre Haute is a 2006 play by the American writer Edmund White.-Plot:It deals with a fictional encounter between the 1995 Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and a character similar to author Gore Vidal in the days prior to the former's 2001 execution inside a prison complex in Terre Haute,... |
Harrison | George Perrin | Wildman Room, Assembly Rooms, 9–28 August 2006. Tour, April 2007. Trafalgar Studios Trafalgar Studios Trafalgar Studios, formerly The Whitehall Theatre until 2004, is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London.... , 10 May–2 June 2007. |
| 2007 | Stacy | Rob | Hamish Pirie | Arcola Theatre, 6–24 February 2007. |
| 2007 | Swimming with Sharks | Rex | Wilson Milam Wilson Milam Wilson Milam is an American theatre director from Bellevue, Washington. He is a founding member and Artistic Director of The Hired Gun Theatre Company.... |
Vaudeville Theatre, 16 October 2007 – 19 January 2008. |
| 2010 | Marine Parade | Jo McInnes | Old Market, Hove, 18–23 May 2010 | |
| 2011 | Doctor Faustus | Mephistopheles | Matthew Dunster | Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based... , London, 18 June–2 October 2011 |
Video games
- Doctor Who: The Adventure GamesDoctor Who: The Adventure GamesDoctor Who: The Adventure Games is a series of episodic third-person adventure games, based on the BBC TV series Doctor Who and developed by Sumo Digital. Charles Cecil served as executive producer and worked with Sean Millard and Will Tarratt on the design...
- as Rory WilliamsRory WilliamsRory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
- "The Gunpowder Plot"
External links
- Arthur Darvill RADA profile – includes list of plays while in training