Jeremy Philip Northam (born 1 December 1961) is an English actor. His film credits include The Net (1995), Emma (1996), An Ideal Husband (1999), Amistad (1997), The Winslow Boy (1999), Gosford Park (2001) and Enigma (2001). In television, he also played Thomas More in the Showtime series The Tudors (2007–2008) and appeared as Anthony Eden in the Netflix series The Crown (2016–2017).
Early life and education Northam was born on 1 December 1961, in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. His father was John Northam, a professor of literature and theatre. Northam studied English at Bedford College, London (B.A. English, 1984) and acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He is an alumnus of the Royal Holloway, University of London.
Career Screen and stage Northam made his screen debut on television in the series American Playhouse, as Mr. Benson in the episode "Suspicion". He followed with appearances in ITV's Wish Me Luck (1987) and Piece of Cake (1988).
Northam performed at the Royal National Theatre – he replaced both Ian Charleson and Daniel Day-Lewis in the role of Hamlet (1989), when they had to withdraw, and won the 1990 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his performance in The Voysey Inheritance.
He has appeared frequently in British films such as Carrington (1995), Emma (1996), The Winslow Boy (1999), An Ideal Husband (1999), Enigma (2001), and as Welsh actor and singer Ivor Novello in Gosford Park (2001). He made his American film debut in The Net (1995) and also starred in Guillermo del Toro's English-language directorial debut Mimic (1997).
In 2002, he starred in the film Cypher. That same year, he portrayed singer Dean Martin in the CBS film Martin and Lewis and golfer Walter Hagen in Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius in 2004. In 2007 and 2008, he portrayed Thomas More on the Showtime series, The Tudors.
He played John Brodie Innes in the 2009 film Creation, based on the life of Charles Darwin. In the 2015 film The Man Who Knew Infinity, he portrayed the philosopher Bertrand Russell. He played British Prime Minister Anthony Eden in the 2016 Netflix drama series The Crown.
Other work His audiobook work includes The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 6) by C. S. Lewis, The Real Thing and Other Short Stories and The Aspern Papers, both written by Henry James. In 2007 he recorded "The Great Poets" by Gerard Manley Hopkins, In 2009, he recorded Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene, in 2010, Dark Matter, a ghost story by Michelle Paver, In 2010, Down and Out in Paris and London and in 2012, The Road to Wigan Pier, both by George Orwell.
In the Gosford Park soundtrack, Northam sings the Ivor Novello songs "And Her Mother Came Too", "What a Duke Should Be", "Why Isn't It You", "I Can Give You the Starlight", and "The Land of Might Have Been", accompanied by his brother Christopher on piano.
Personal life Northam married Canadian film and television make-up artist Liz Moro in April 2005; they later divorced.
Acting credits Film and television Year Film Role Notes 1988 American Playhouse Mr. Benson TV series (1 episode: Suspicion) Wish Me Luck Colin Beale TV series (14 episodes: 1988–1989) Piece of Cake 'Fitz' Fitzgerald TV mini-series (5 episodes) Journey's End Captain Stanhope TV film 1992 House of Glass Gerald Stafford TV film A Fatal Inversion Rufus Fletcher TV series (3 episodes) Wuthering Heights Hindley Earnshaw 1993 Soft Top Hard Shoulder John Agatha Christie’s Poirot Hugo Trent TV series (1 episode: "Dead Man's Mirror") 1995 A Village Affair Anthony Jordan TV film Carrington Beacus Penrose The Net Jack Devlin Film Voices Philip Heseltine/Peter Warlock 1996 Emma Mr. Knightley 1997 Mimic Dr. Peter Mann Amistad Judge Coglin 1998 The Tribe Jamie The Misadventures of Margaret Edward Nathan 1999 Happy, Texas Harry Sawyer, aka Steven "Steve" ALFS Award for British Actor of the Year Gloria Kevin An Ideal Husband Sir Robert Chiltern Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor ALFS Award for British Actor of the Year The Winslow Boy Sir Robert Morton Edinburgh International Film Festival Award for Best British Performance ALFS Award for British Actor of the Year Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor 2000 The Golden Bowl Prince Amerigo 2001 Enigma Mr. Wigram Gosford Park Ivor Novello See TALK for Ensemble awards 2002 Possession Randolph Henry Ash Cypher Morgan Sullivan/Jack Thursby/Sebastian Rooks International Fantasy Film Award for Best Actor Catalan International Film Award for Best Actor Martin and Lewis Dean Martin TV film 2003 The Singing Detective Mark Binney The Statement Colonel Roux 2004 Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius Walter Hagen 2005 Guy X Col. Woolwrap A Cock and Bull Story Mark2006 The PaybackVladimir 2007 The Invasion Tucker Kauffman 2007–2008 The Tudors Sir Thomas More TV series (15 episodes) 2008 Fiona's Story Simon TV film Dean Spanley Fisk Junior2009 Creation Reverend Innes Glorious 39 Joseph Balcombe 2010 Miami Medical Dr. Matthew Proctor TV series (13 episodes) 2012 White Heat Edward TV series (6 episodes)2014New WorldsCharles IITV series (4 episodes) 2015 Eye in the Sky Brian Woodale The Man Who Knew Infinity Bertrand Russell 2016 Our Kind of Traitor Aubrey Longrigg 2016–2017 The Crown Anthony Eden Main role (11 episodes: Seasons 1–2) 2019 Official Secrets Ken Macdonald 2023 Freud's Last SessionErnest Jones
Theatre Edward Voysey, The Voysey Inheritance, National Theatre Company, Cottesloe Theatre, London, 1989. School for Scandal, Bristol Old Vic, 1990. Osric, then later title role, Hamlet, National Theatre Company, Olivier Theatre, London, 1989. The Three Sisters, Sondheim Theatre, 1990–1991. The Way of the World, Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), 1992. Philip, The Gift of the Gorgon, Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), The Pit (theatre), London, 1992. Elomire, La Bête, Really Useful Theatre Company, 1993. Berowne, Love's Labour's Lost, RSC, Barbican Theatre, London, 1994. Mr. Horner, The Country Wife, RSC, Pit Theatre, 1994. Obstetrician, Certain Young Men, Almeida Theatre, London, 1999. Old Times, Donmar Warehouse Theatre, London, 2004. Richard Greatham, Hay Fever, Noël Coward Theatre, London, 2012.
Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Nominated work Result Ref.1990 Laurence Olivier Award Best Newcomer in a Play The Voysey Inheritance 1999 Evening Standard British Film Awards Best Actor An Ideal Husband and The Winslow Boy 1999 London Film Critics Circle Awards British Actor of the Year Happy, Texas, An Ideal Husband and The Winslow Boy 2002 Sitges Film Festival (of Catalonia) Best Actor Cypher 2003 International Fantasy Film Award Awards Fantasporto - Best Actor Cypher
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