James D'Arcy (born Simon Richard D'Arcy; 24 August 1975) is an English actor and film director. He is known for his portrayals of Howard Stark's butler, Edwin Jarvis, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Agent Carter and the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame, and murder suspect Lee Ashworth in the second season of the ITV series Broadchurch. D'Arcy also co-starred in Christopher Nolan's war movies Dunkirk (2017) and Oppenheimer (2023). He wrote and directed Made in Italy (2020).

James D'Arcy
D'Arcy in 2012
Born
Simon Richard D'Arcy

(1975-08-24) 24 August 1975 (age 48)
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupations
  • Actor
  • film director
Years active1996–present

Early life edit

Simon D'Arcy was born on 24 August 1975 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.[1][2] His father Richard died when he was a child. His mother, Caroline, was a nurse.[3] She raised D'Arcy and his sister Charlotte in Fulham, London.[2]

In 1991, after graduating from the West Sussex school Christ's Hospital, D'Arcy went to Australia, where he worked in the drama department of a school in Perth for one year.[2] When he returned to London, he entered a three-year course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), completing a BA in Acting in 1995.[2]

Career edit

His first appearances on television were small roles on the television series Silent Witness (1996) and Dalziel and Pascoe (1996),[2] followed by roles in television films such as Ruth Rendell's Bribery and Corruption,[4] The Canterville Ghost,[5] and the title role in The Ice House[2] (all 1997). In 1997, he played Blifil in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling and he appeared in Wilde.[3] In 1999, he acted in the World War I drama The Trench[2] as well as having a small role in the comedy Guest House Paradiso.[3]

From 2001 to the present he has played bigger roles and leading characters in the mini-series Rebel Heart (2001 as Ernie Coyne),[6] The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001, Nicholas Nickleby)[7] and Revelation (2001, Jake Martel).[3] In 2002, he portrayed a young Sherlock Holmes in the television film Sherlock: Case of Evil.[3] In 2003, he played the role of Barnaby Caspian in the film Dot the I,[3] and the character Jim Caddon on the series P.O.W.[8] He also gained wider recognition when he portrayed 1st Lt. Tom Pullings in Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003).[2]

He appeared in the horror films Exorcist: The Beginning (2004, Father Francis), An American Haunting (2005, Richard Powell) and Rise: Blood Hunter (2007, Bishop).[2] He also appeared on television as Derek Kettering in Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Mystery of the Blue Train (2005), as Jerry Burton in Agatha Christie's Marple: The Moving Finger, as Tiberius Gracchus in the Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire episode "Revolution" (2007), as Toby Clifford in Fallen Angel (2007)[citation needed] and as Tom Bertram in ITV's production of Mansfield Park (2007).[3]

He lent his voice to BBC radio dramas such as Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Bram Stoker's Dracula,[9] and Winifred Holtby's The Crowded Street.[10] He played the role of Duncan Atwood in Secret Diary of a Call Girl.[1]

In 2011 he played the role of King Edward VIII in W.E., directed by Madonna.[11] In 2012, he played Rufus Sixsmith (young and old) in addition to two other minor roles in the independent film Cloud Atlas,[3] as well as Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho star Anthony Perkins in Hitchcock.[2] In 2013, he played the role of Eric Zimit in After the Dark (other title: The Philosophers).[3]

In mid-2014 he played the role of Lee Ashworth in series 2 of Broadchurch.[1] He appeared as the main villain in the 2014 action comedy Let's Be Cops, as a malevolent Los Angeles crime boss.[2] In 2015, he appeared in the films Survivor and Jupiter Ascending.[3] He starred as a British Army Colonel Winnant in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (2017).[2] In 2018, he appeared in the Showtime series Homeland.[12][13]

Between January 2015 and March 2016 D'Arcy was a series regular in the television series Agent Carter. In the series, he played Edwin Jarvis, the loyal butler of Howard Stark, which shares continuity with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was his first comedic role.[1][14] He reprised his role of Edwin Jarvis in Avengers: Endgame, making D'Arcy the first to have portrayed the same character originally from an MCU TV series into an MCU film.[1][15] In 2017, he appeared in the film The Snowman.[3] D'Arcy starred in the war film Oppenheimer in 2023.[16]

D'Arcy made his directorial debut with Made in Italy of 2020.[17]

In 2024 he portrayed the role of Mr Greed in the music video "HAHAHA" by American rapper Lil Dicky.[18]

Filmography edit

Film edit

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997WildeFriend
1998Norman Ormal: A Very Political TurtleCrap Actor Man 2
HiccupBarryShort
1999The TrenchPte. Colin Daventry
Guest House ParadisoTimothy Barker
2001RevelationJake Martell
2003dot the iBarnaby F. Caspian
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the WorldLt. Tom Pullings
2004Exorcist: The BeginningFather Francis
2005An American HauntingRichard Powell
2007Rise: Blood HunterBishop
2008Flashbacks of a FoolJack Adams
2010Natural SelectionJohn Henry WilsonShort
2011The Flight of the SwanAlexis
Age of HeroesIan Fleming
ScrewedSam
W.E.Edward VIII
2012In Their SkinBobby
The Domino EffectMark
Cloud AtlasRufus Sixsmith, Nurse James, Archivist
HitchcockAnthony Perkins
OvernightTom
2013After the DarkMr. Zimit
Dreams Never EndThe WolfShort film
2014Let's Be CopsMossi Kasic
Instruments of DarknessBanquo
2015Jupiter AscendingMaximilian Jones
SurvivorPaul Anderson
2016GuernicaHenry Hillard, author/journalistAbout the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War
2017DunkirkColonel Winnant
The SnowmanFilip Becker
2019Avengers: EndgameEdwin JarvisCameo
Life LikeJulian
2020Made in ItalyWriter and Director, post-production
LX 2048Adam Bird
Six Minutes to MidnightCaptain Drey
2021WarningGodVoice
2022North of NormalSam
Banking on Mr. ToadKenneth Grahame
2023OppenheimerPatrick Blackett

Television edit

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996Silent WitnessStudentEpisode: "Long Days, Short Nights: Part 1"
Dalziel and PascoeFranny RooteEpisode: "An Advancement of Learning"
BrooksideMartin CathcartEpisode: "Things to Sort Out"
1997The Canterville GhostLord CheshireTV film
The Ruth Rendell MysteriesNicholas Hawthorne2 episodes
The Ice HouseJonathan MayburyTV film
A Dance to the Music of TimeNicholas JenkinsMiniseries; episode: "The Twenties"
The History of Tom Jones: A FoundlingBlifilMiniseries; 5 episodes
1999SunburnPhil1 episode
2001Rebel HeartErnie CoyneMiniseries; 4 episodes
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas NicklebyNicholas NicklebyTV film
Dark RealmDeanEpisode: "Party On"
2002Come TogetherJackTV film
Sir Gawain and the Green KnightSir Gawain
Sherlock: Case of EvilSherlock Holmes
2003P.O.W.Jim Caddon6 episodes
2005Agatha Christie's PoirotDerek KetteringEpisode: "The Mystery of the Blue Train"
2006Agatha Christie's MarpleJerry BurtonEpisode: "The Moving Finger"
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an EmpireTiberius GracchusEpisode: "Revolution"
The Battle for RomeTiberius GracchusTV film
2007ThemCain Johnson
GreenSy
Fallen AngelToby CliffordMiniseries; episode: "The Judgement of Strangers"
Mansfield ParkTom BertramTV film
The Inspector Lynley MysteriesGuy ThompsonEpisode: "Know Thine Enemy"
2008BonekickersCaptain RobertsEpisode: "The Lines of War"
The CommanderJerryTV film
2009The EastmansDr. Peter EastmanUnsold pilot
Into the StormJock ColvilleTV film
VirtualityDr. Roger Fallon
2009–10Secret Diary of a Call GirlDuncan8 episodes
2011The CloserProfessor Alex Banks
2012The Making of a LadyCaptain Alec OsbornTV film
2012Those Who KillThomas SchaefferMain role
2015BroadchurchLee AshworthSeries 2
2015–16Agent CarterEdwin JarvisMain role; 18 episodes
2018HomelandAnsonRecurring role
Das BootSinclair
2019The RookAndrew BristolMiniseries
The Hot ZoneTravis Rhodes
2021LeonardoLudovico SforzaMain role
Red ElectionAdam Cornwell
2022DeadlineJamesMain role
GraceDSI Cassian PeweSeries 2
2024ConstellationMagnusMain role

Awards edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Meet James D'Arcy of new Channel 5 thriller Deadline". Deadline. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "James D'Arcy biography and filmography". Tribute. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "James D'Arcy". www.nndb.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024. The source incorrectly states that he was born in London; he was raised in London.
  4. ^ "Ruth Rendell mysteries". catalog.lib.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. ^ "The Canterville Ghost". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. ^ McCarthy, Mark (6 May 2016). Ireland's 1916 Rising: Explorations of History-Making, Commemoration & Heritage in Modern Times. Routledge. p. 344. ISBN 978-1-317-11287-7.
  7. ^ "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Part 1 (2001)". 12 July 2016. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  8. ^ "British Film Institute Collections Search - P.O.W. (2003)". collections-search.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Read by James D'Arcy". audible.com. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – 15 Minute Drama, Winifred Holtby – The Crowded Street, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  11. ^ Gabriel, Mary (10 October 2023). Madonna: A Rebel Life. Little, Brown. p. PT545. ISBN 978-0-316-45644-9.
  12. ^ O'Connell, Michael (19 December 2017). "'Homeland' Adds James D'Arcy for Season 7". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  13. ^ Ausiello, Michael (19 December 2017). "Homeland: James D'Arcy to Play Agent From Carrie's Past in Season 7". TVLine. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Chapter 2 - From Script to Screen - James D'Arcy (playing) Edwin Jarvis". Marvel's Agent Carter: Season One Declassified. Marvel Entertainment. 13 September 2018. ISBN 978-1-302-50078-8.
  15. ^ Baysinger, Tim (26 April 2019). "It's Finally All Connected: How 'Avengers: Endgame' Finally Acknowledged the MCU's TV Universe". TheWrap. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  16. ^ Grobar, Matt (2 March 2022). "Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' Adds James D'Arcy & Michael Angarano". Deadline. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  17. ^ McNary, Dave (29 October 2018). "Liam Neeson to Star in Comedy 'Made in Italy'". Variety.
  18. ^ Until better sources are available see the Actors Credits at the James D'Arcy page at imdb. Also many hits on youtube.
  19. ^ "James D'Arcy". The Times. 11 February 2024. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 11 February 2024.

External links edit