Edward Maurice Charles Marsan (born 9 June 1968) is an English actor. He won the London Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Happy-Go-Lucky (2008).
Early life and education Marsan was born on 9 June 1968 in the Stepney district of London to a working-class family; his father was a lorry driver and his mother was a school dinner lady and teaching assistant. He was brought up in Bethnal Green and attended Raine's Foundation School. He left school at 16 and initially served an apprenticeship as a printer before beginning his career in theatre.
He trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 1991, and went on to study under Sam Kogan at the Kogan Academy of Dramatic Arts, now known as The School of the Science of Acting, of which Marsan is now a patron. His first year at drama school was funded by Mr Benny, a bookmaker who ran a menswear shop where Marsan worked; he obtained scholarships for the rest of the course. It took many attempts for Marsan to get a place at drama school.
Career
Marsan's first television appearance was in 1992 as a "yob" in the London Weekend Television series The Piglet Files. One of his more significant early television appearances was in the popular mid-1990s BBC sitcom Game On as an escaped convict who was an old flame of Mandy's. Marsan went on to have roles in Casualty, The Bill, Grass, Kavanagh QC, Grange Hill, Silent Witness, Ultimate Force, Southcliffe, and more. He also voiced the Manticore in the Merlin episode "Love in the Time of Dragons".
In 2011, he starred alongside Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan, all three actors relatively unknown at that time, in the British drama film Tyrannosaur.
In 2013, he began portraying Terry Donovan, brother to the lead character in 7 series and 82 episodes of Showtime's drama series Ray Donovan. The same year he played Ludwig Guttmann in the television film The Best of Men. In May 2015, Marsan appeared as the practical magician Gilbert Norrell in the BBC period drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
Marsan's film roles include the main villain in the 2008 superhero film Hancock alongside Will Smith and as Inspector Lestrade in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. His other films include Sixty Six, Gangs of New York, 21 Grams, The Illusionist, V for Vendetta, Gangster No. 1, Miami Vice, Mission: Impossible III, I Want Candy, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky, Filth, Tyrannosaur and Heartless.
In 2021, Marsan appeared as anti-Fascist activist Soly Malinovsky in the television adaptation of the novel Ridley Road. In 2022, he played the real-life role of John Darwin in ITV's drama series The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe.
Marsan appeared as Mitch Winehouse, father of Amy Winehouse, in the biopic Back to Black, which was released in 2024.
Personal life Marsan married make-up artist Janine Schneider in 2002. They have four children. Marsan is a humanist and was appointed a patron of Humanists UK in 2015. He was critical of the lack of representation of working-class people in the arts in 2015 on BBC Radio 5 Live in which he stated too much drama is written from "the white, privileged, middle class perspective". In 2024, he was interviewed on HARDtalk in an episode titled "Do the arts neglect working-class people?".
Marsan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours for service to drama.
Filmography Film
Year Title Role Notes 1997 The Man Who Knew Too Little Mugger No. 1 1999 This Year's Love Eddie Janice Beard Mr. Tense 2000 Gangster No. 1 Eddie Miller 2001 The Emperor's New Clothes Louis Marchand The Bunker Pfc Kreuzmann 2002 Gangs of New York Killoran 2003 AfterLife Jez Walters 21 Grams Reverend John 2004 The Rocket Post Heinz Dombrowsky Vera Drake Reg 2005 The Secret Life of Words Victor Beowulf & Grendel Father Brendan The New World Eddie The Headsman Fabio 2006 V for Vendetta Brian Etheridge Mission: Impossible III Brownway Miami Vice Nicholas Sixty Six Manny Reuben The Illusionist Josef Fischer Pierrepoint James "Tish" Corbitt 2007 I Want Candy Doug Perry Grow Your Own Little John 2008 Happy-Go-Lucky Scott Hancock Kenneth "Red" Parker Jr. Me and Orson Welles John Houseman Faintheart Richard 2009 Red Riding Jack Whitehead Sherlock Holmes Inspector Lestrade The Disappearance of Alice Creed Vic Heartless Weapons Man 2010 London Boulevard DI Bailey 2011 Junkhearts Frank Tyrannosaur James Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Inspector Lestrade War Horse Sgt. Fry 2012 I, Anna DI Kevin Franks Snow White and the Huntsman Duir A Running Jump Perry Short film 2013 Jack the Giant Slayer Crawe The World's End Peter Page Filth Bladesey Still Life John May 2014 God's Pocket Smilin' Jack Moran X+Y Richard 2015 Concussion Steven DeKosky 2016 A Kind of Murder Marty Kimmel The Limehouse Golem Uncle Their Finest Sammy Smith The Exception Heinrich Himmler 2017 Atomic Blonde Spyglass Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House Agency Man 2018 Entebbe Shimon Peres Deadpool 2 The Headmaster White Boy Rick Art Derrick Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle Vihaan Voice and motion capture role Vice Paul Wolfowitz 2019 Hostage Radio Jarvis Dolan Original title: Feedback The Professor and the Madman Muncie Hobbs & Shaw Professor Andreiko Abigail Jonathan Foster Pets United The Cyborg / The Mayor / Frank Stone Voice role The Gentlemen Big Dave 2021Wrath of Man Terry The Virtuoso The Loner Flag Day Mr. Emmanuelle Charlotte Albert Salomon Voice role 2022 The Contractor Virgil Choose or Die Hal Vesper Jonas 2023 Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre Knighton Fair Play Campbell Firebrand Edward Seymour 2024 Back to Black Mitch Winehouse Midas Man Harry Epstein 2025 All the Devils Are Here Ronnie2026Heartstopper Forever Geoff Young Post-production Harry Redknapp Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes 1992 The Piglet Files Yob Episode: "Sex, Spies and Videotape" 1992–1996 The Bill Martin Price/Roy Kilby/Dean Stacey/Gary Vaughan 4 episodes 1996 Casualty Rick Grant Episode: "Chain Reactions" EastEnders Roddy 1 episode Game On Stoat Episode: "Heavy Bondage & Custard Creams" 1996–1998 Grange Hill Andy Sutcliffe/Eddie Sutcliffe 3 episodes 1997 Get Well Soon Brian Clapton Main cast, 6 episodes Kavanagh QC Ian Vincent Episode: "The Ties That Bind" 1999 The Vice Rhys 2 episodes Plastic Man Liam Cooper Miniseries, 2 episodes 2000 The Mrs Bradley Mysteries Ronald Quincy Episode: "The Worsted Viper" 2001 The Monkey King Pigsy Miniseries, 2 episodes 2002 Ultimate Force Badger Episode: "The Killing House" Judge John Deed Ed Hay Episode: "Nobody's Fool" 2003 Grass Sunshine 3 episodes Charles II: The Power and the Passion Titus Oates Episode #1.4 2004 Coming Up Martin Episode: "The Baader Meinhoff Gang Show" Quite Ugly One Morning Stephen Lime Television film Silent Witness Derek Portnoy 2 episodes 2006 Friends and Crocodiles Martin Butterworth Television film 2008 God on Trial Lieble Television film Little Dorrit Pancks Miniseries, 12 episodes The 39 Steps Scudder Television film 2009 Criminal Justice Saul Main cast, 5 episodes 2009–2010 Law & Order: UK Jason Peters 2 episodes 2010 Merlin The Manticore (voice) Episode: "Love in the Time of Dragons" The Sarah Jane Adventures Mr White 2-part story: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith 2011 Moby Dick Stubb Miniseries, 2 episodes 2012 Playhouse Presents The Intruder Episode: "Walking the Dogs" The Best of Men Ludwig Guttmann Television film 2013 Southcliffe Andrew Salter 4 episodes 2013–2020 Ray Donovan Terry Donovan Main cast, 82 episodes 2015 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Gilbert Norrell Miniseries, 7 episodes River Thomas Neill Cream Miniseries, 6 episodes Hunted Narrator (voice) Reality television series 2016 Galavant Death Episode: "Love and Death" 2017 Urban Myths Bob Dylan Episode: "Bob Dylan: Knockin' on Dave's Door" 2018 Indian Summer School Narrator (voice) Reality television series, 3 episodes 2020 Isolation Stories Stephen Miniseries, episode: "Karen" 2021 The Pact Arwel Evans 4 episodes Deceit Professor Paul Britton Miniseries, 4 episodes Ridley Road Soly Malinovsky 4 episodes 2022 Ray Donovan: The Movie Terry Donovan Television film The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe John Darwin Miniseries, 4 episodes 2023 The Power Bernie Monke Main role, 7 episodes The Winter King Uther Pendragon 2 episodes 2024 Franklin John Adams Miniseries, 5 episodes Inside No. 9 Nathaniel Episode: "The Curse of the Ninth" Suspect Dr. Alistair Underwood Episode: "Alistair" Supacell Ray 2 episodes Heartstopper Geoff Young 3 episodes 2025 Reunion Stephen Renworth 4 episodes The Bombing of Pan Am 103 Tom Thurman Miniseries, 5 episodes King & Conqueror King Edward Miniseries, 6 episodes2026 Prisoner Alex Tebbit 3 episodes Upcoming role Upcoming role J. Edgar Hoover Upcoming role
Video games Year Title Role 2020 Deathtrap Dungeon Narrator
Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Work Result Ref. 20047th British Independent Film AwardsBest Supporting Actor/Actress Vera Drake 2005 London Film Critics' Circle Awards British Supporting Actor of the Year 2007 The Last Hangman 200811th British Independent Film Awards BIFA for Best Supporting Actor Happy-Go-Lucky Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA awards EDA Best Actor in Supporting Role EDA Best Seduction (shared with: Sally Hawkins) Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2008 DFWFCA Best Supporting Actor Detroit Film Critics Society Awards DFCS Best Supporting Actor IndieWire Critics Poll ICP Best Supporting Performance Village Voice Film Poll VVFP Best Supporting Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards LAFCA Best Supporting Actor 2009 Chlotrudis Awards Best Supporting Actor Central Ohio Film Critics Association awards COFCA Best Supporting Actor Gold Derby Awards Best Supporting Actor International Cinephile Society Awards ICS Best Supporting Actor International Online Cinema Awards INOCA Best Supporting Actor London Film Critics' Circle Awards British Supporting Actor of the Year National Society of Film Critics NSFC Best Supporting Actor Online Film & Television Association OFTA Best Supporting Actor Online Film Critics Society Awards OFCSA Best Supporting Actor Evening Standard British Film Awards Peter Sellers Award for Comedy 2011 Best Actor The Disappearance of Alice Creed 14th British Independent Film Awards BIFA for Best Supporting Actor Tyrannosaur 2012 Moscow International Film Festival Silver St. George - Best Actor Junkhearts 201316th British Independent Film Awards BIFA for Best Supporting Actor Filth 2014Art Film Festival Blue Angel award for Best Male Performance Still Life Edinburgh International Film Festival Best Performance in a British Feature Film 20155th VOICES Film Festival, Vologda, Russia Best Actor 2022 BAFTA Cymru Best Actor The Pact
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