Raymond Fearon is a British actor. He played garage mechanic Nathan Cooper on ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2005-2006. Other credits include Band of Gold (1997), EastEnders (2001), As If (2002), the Harry Potter film series (2001-2002), His Dark Materials (2003), Doctors (2008), Raw (2010), Da Vinci's Demons (2014), Fantastic Beasts (film series) (2018-2022), Fleabag (2019), Red Dwarf (2020), Champion (2023), and The Feud (2025).
Early life Fearon was the youngest of ten children born to Jamaican parents living in northwest London. From a young age, he joined the Royal Court Theatre and Tricycle Youth Theatre, before going on to study drama at Rose Bruford College.
Career Theatre Fearon made his reputation as a stage actor, working at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre; Manchester Contact Theatre; Manchester Royal Exchange; Oxford Playhouse; Barn Theatre, Kent; The Almeida; The Crucible, Sheffield; The Donmar Warehouse; The Royal Shakespeare Theatres in Stratford and the National Theatre. He starred in Othello—opposite Gillian Kearney's Desdemona— in Liverpool at the age of 24, becoming the first black actor to play Othello on RSC main stages for over 40 years. His other early stage roles included Charles Surface in The School for Scandal; Betty/Martin in Cloud 9 (play); Longaville in Love's Labour's Lost; Ferdinand in The Tempest; and Pete in Blues for Mister Charlie.
His early theatre work in London included Hugo/Frederick in Ring Round the Moon at the Lilian Baylis Theatre; the title role in The Invisible Man (his one-man show) at the Bridewell Theatre; and Pierre in Venice Preserv'd at the Almeida Theatre.
He has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company(RSC) in their Stratford and London theatres and on tour. He was the first black actor to play the title role in Othello in the main Royal Shakespeare theatre (director Michael Attenborough, 1999) giving a performance alongside Richard McCabe's strong and repressed Iago."First black Othello at RSC since Robeson" The Independent (Retrieved: 3 March 2010) They also played opposite one another in 1996's The White Devil (Gale Edwards, Swan theatre) where he played Brachiano and McCabe the villain Flamineo. Fearon was directed by Attenborough also as Romeo alongside Zoe Waites as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (RSC, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1997).
Other RSC roles have included the First Knight and First Tempter in Murder in the Cathedral (Swan, 1993), Stubb in Moby Dick (musical) (TOP, 1993), the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice (RST, 1994), Paris in Troilus and Cressida (Ian Judge, RST, 1996), the Marquis of Posa in Don Carlos (play) (1999), Pericles in Adrian Noble's Pericles, Prince of Tyre (RST and Roundhouse, 2002) and Mark Antony in Julius Caesar (play) (2012).
In 2003, he played 'Oberon' in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. In 2004, he appeared in as Jean Kiyabe in World Music by Steve Waters at the Donmar Warehouse, and in the same year at the National Theatre as Mark in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads by Roy Williams.
In 2010, he starred as Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the production was directed by Michael Buffong at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.
In July 2013 he played Macduff opposite Kenneth Branagh (as Macbeth) and Alex Kingston (as Lady Macbeth) in Macbeth at Manchester International Festival.Manchester. His performance was broadcast to cinemas on 20 July as part of National Theatre Live.
In December 2017 he played Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. The production was directed by Michael Buffong.
Radio In the BBC's 2003 radio adaptation of His Dark Materials, Fearon appeared as the narrator and as the angel Balthamos.Kim Bunce (28 December 2003) "Dark Drama" The Observer. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
Television and film In 2001 he appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (as Firenze the centaur). He had a minor role as a sentry in Kenneth Branagh's 1996 film version of Hamlet.
Fearon played Nathan Cooper in Coronation Street from 2005 to 2006. He was in the 2006 series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered by Camilla Dallerup, and was voted out in week 6.
From 2013 to 2015, he appeared as a fictionalised version of historical figure Carlo de' Medici on the Starz series Da Vinci's Demons. In 2019, Fearon played the role of Hot Misogynist in season two of the acclaimed BBC Three comedy-drama Fleabag.
In 2023, he starred Beres Champion in the BBC television series Champion, about the Champion family's involvement in the black music scene of London.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 Hamlet Francisco 1999 The Clandestine Marriage Brush 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Firenze Voice and vocal effects 2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Fawkes Vocal effects 2008 The Sous Chef Short film 2009 Lulu and Jimi Jimi 2011 Therapist Bigger Short film 2012 Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation Benjamin Lee 2013 National Theatre Live Macduff Stage production of Macbeth 2014 The Hooligan Factory Midnight 2016 The Complete Walk: Troilus and Cressida Hector Short film 2017 The Yellow Birds Colonel Beauty and the Beast Père Robert The Foreigner Commander Richard Bromley Space for You RF Short film To Love and to Cherish Wilson Short film 2018 2036 Origin Unknown Sterling Brooks Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Fawkes Vocal cameo 2019 Lessons of the Hour Frederick Douglass 2020 Breach Billy Short film 2021 The Protégé Duquet Father Christmas Is Back Felix The Lady of Heaven Abu Bakr 2022 Memory Gerald Nussbaum Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Fawkes Vocal effects Christmas in the Caribbean Gregory Christmas in Paradise Felix Sequel to Father Christmas Is Back 2023 One Year Off George Prince Coffee Wars Bernie Barbie Dan at the FBI 2024 Swede Caroline Lawrence The People Before Pete 2025 My Fault: London William Leister Cleaner DI Kahn Tinsel Town Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1995 Dean Barnet Series 11; episode 79: "Skin Deep" Prime Suspect Mark Whitehouse Series 4; episode 3: "Scent of Darkness" Dressing for Breakfast Steve Series 1; episode 4: "Steve" 1996 The Merchant of Venice Morocco Television film 1997 Band of Gold Paul Episodes 3 & 4: "The Catch: Parts One & Two" Foley Marsh Series 13; episode 124: "Crimes of a Lesser Passion" 2000 Jacob Marley Television film 2001 EastEnders Lennie 3 episodes 2002 Outside the Rules Gary Rainford (unknown episodes) Paul Sharpe Series 18; episode 32: "Ruffled Feathers" As If Riggs Series 2 & 3; 10 episodes 2003 Keen Eddie Georgie Pendergast Episode 7: "Black Like Me" Waking the Dead Miles Patterson Series 3; episodes 3 & 4: "Walking on Water: Parts 1 & 2" 2003 Doctors PC Vernon Samuels Series 5; episode 115: "Alpha Male" 2004 In Search of Shakespeare Various characters Mini-series; episodes 1–4 2005 Revelations Benjamin Mini-series; episode 3: "Hour Three" 2005−2006 Coronation Street Nathan Cooper Series regular; 99 episodes 2008 Doctors Malcolm Tumelo Series 10; 18 episodes 2009 Missing Karl Hughes Series 1; episode 2: "Young and Restless" 2010 Raw Paul Series 2; episodes 3–5 Gabriel Swart Television film 2011 Planet of the Apemen: Battle for Earth Kalay Mini-series; episodes 1 & 2 Morlocks Tyrell Television film Celebrity Mastermind Himself - Contestant Series 10; episode 4 Jeff Television film Death in Paradise Curtis Series 1; episode 7 2011–2012 Above Suspicion DCI/Commander Sam Power Series 3; episodes 1 & 2, & series 4; episode 1 2012 Silk (TV Series)|Silk| Roland Boyce QC | Series 2; episode 3: "In the Family Way" |- | Julius Caesar| Mark Antony | Television film |- | 2013 | Moving On| Steve McCullock | Series 5; episode 1: "Fledgling" |- | 2014–2015 | Da Vinci's Demons| Carlo de' Medici | Series 2 & 3; 9 episodes |- | 2015 | Suspects| Gregor Forrester | Series 3; episode 3: "Safe from Harm" |- | 2016 | New Blood| David Kumalah | Episodes 6 & 7: "Case 3, Parts 1 & 2" |- | 2017 | Snatch| Father John | Series 1; episodes 5, 6 & 8 |- | rowspan=2| 2018 | Midsomer Murders| Carlton Scott | Series 20; episode 2: "Death of the Small Coppers" |- | Origin| Omar Touré | Episode 2: "Lost on Both Sides" |- | rowspan=4| 2019 | Silent Witness| DI Jasper Quint | Series 22; episodes 7 & 8: "Deathmaker: Parts 1 & 2" |- | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators| Major Tony Suffolk | Series 2; episode 2: "The Play's the Thing" |- | Fleabag| Hot Misogynist | Series 2; episodes 2 & 5 |- | Plebs| Magnus | Series 5; episode 7: "The New Flat" |- | 2019–2020 | His Dark Materials| Mr. Hanway | Series 1; episodes 5 & 7; & series 2; episode 2 |- | rowspan=2| 2020 | Red Dwarf: The Promised Land| Rodon | Television special |- | Semi-Detached| Mike Bottford | Episode 3 |- | rowspan=2| 2021 | The Girlfriend Experience| Paul | Season 3; episodes 1 & 3: "Mirrors" & "Deep Fake" |- | Close to Me| Nick | Mini-series; episodes 2–6 |- | 2022 | We Hunt Together| Ch. Supt. Lester Price | Series 2; episodes 3–5 |- | 2023 | Champion| Beres Champion | Main cast; episodes 1–8 |- | 2024 | Father Brown| Silas O'Hagen | Series 11; episode 9: "The Dead of Night" |- | rowspan=2| 2025 | The Feud| Alan Spence | Episodes 1–6 |- | Not Going Out'' John Series 14; episode 1: "House Move"
Radio Year Title Role Notes 2003 His Dark Materials The Angel, Balthamos (Narrator) BBC Radio 4 dramatisation. All episodes
References
External links
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