David Westhead
Born
David William Logan Westhead

(1963-06-01) 1 June 1963 (age 60)
Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
NationalityBritish
OccupationActor
Years active1988–present

David William Logan Westhead (born 1 June 1963) is an English actor.

Early life

Westhead was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire. He studied drama at Bristol University before going on to RADA, from where he graduated in 1987, after which he joined the Actors' Touring Company.

Career

He is notable as having been a member of the regular cast of The Bill, Criminal Justice, Blackeyes, Stanley and the Women, Bramwell, The Silence, Life Begins, The Lakes, Grafters, The Time of Your Life and W1A. He has also had guest appearances in Wycliffe (Wycliffe and the Pea Green Boat as Freddie Tremaine), Doctor Who (The Shakespeare Code, as William Kempe), Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me as Charlie, Foyle's War (A War of Nerves), Midsomer Murders (The House in the Woods), Agatha Christie's Poirot (Cards on the Table) and Lewis (The Gift of Promise). He has also appeared in the film Mrs Brown (as the Prince of Wales), and onstage he has played Tristan Tzara in a 1993 British production of Travesties, which The Observer review said "David Westhead's Tzara [is] blissfully adept and funny".[1]

David has for many years been a leading actor with The Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre, and The Royal Court Theatre. His credits include the BAFTA nominated Donovan Quick,[2] Wilde, Stage Beauty, 'Beyond the Sea', Golden Globe winning Gideon's Daughter, Wallis & Edward, 'Beneath the Skin', Emmy Award winning The Lost Prince, 'She's Gone', 'The Time of Your Life', 'The Key', 'Safe House', 'The Lakes', Turning World, Grafters, 'The Unknown Soldier', My Fragile Heart, Blackeyes. David has the title role in "Suicide Man" and has appeared in "The Real McCoy" for the BBC in the Cape Flats Townships of South Africa. In 2010 he starred as Frank Evans in the BBC's flagship drama "The Silence".

In 2002 he and two colleagues founded Wilton Pictures, a production company specialising in making documentaries.

Also a lecturer in drama it was whilst he was teaching in South Africa that he met a group of disadvantaged youngsters with potential as photographers. Along with professional photographer John Cole – who, like David, lives in Brighton – he put them on an eight-week crash course in photography, enabling them to make a professional living from it. The exhibition of their work, entitled 'Wembley to Soweto', was exhibited at London's South Bank in July 2011. He received the Media Society's 2013 bursary award for this project.[3]

In 2014, he played Neil Reid in W1A.

In 2016, Westhead played the role of Tony Blair's minder in the BBC television film Reg.[4] In 2016, he appeared in the Netflix comedy series Lovesick.

He played Prime Minister John Vosler in the 2018 BBC series Bodyguard.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Mrs Brown Bertie, Prince of Wales
Wilde Edward Carson
2001 Queen's Messenger Sir Desmond Grey
2004 Stage Beauty Harry
Beyond the Sea Dr Fields
2011 The Iron Lady Reg Prentice
2022 Enola Holmes 2 Henry Lyon

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Jenny's War Navigator TV serial
1989 Blackeyes Mark Wilsher TV miniseries
1991 Stanley and the Women Stillsman TV miniseries
1994 Wycliffe Freddie Tremaine Episode: "The Pea Green Boat"
1995 Witness Against Hitler Leo Lange TV film [5]
1996 The Bill PC Mick Sampson Episode: "Confession"
Bramwell Paul Mills Episode: "The Rule of Thuggery"
1997 Turning World Danny Miller Episode: 3
1997–99 The Lakes Arthur Thwaite Main cast
1998 The Unknown Soldier Jeff Quinn TV miniseries
1998–99 Grafters Nick Costello Main cast
2000–01 McCready and Daughter DCI Alan Kendall Main cast
2000 Where the Heart Is Mike Episode: "No Regrets"
Dalziel and Pascoe Peter Deller Episode: "Above the Law"
My Fragile Heart DCI Peter Murray TV miniseries
Donovan Quick George Mackie TV film[6][2]
2002 The Wonderful World of Disney Van Den Meer Episode: "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister"
Always and Everyone Phillip Mallett Episode: "Against the State"
Safe House Father TV film
2003 The Lost Prince Fred TV miniseries
William and Mary Alistair Harper Episode: 2
Servants Mr Prothero TV miniseries
The Key Neath TV miniseries
Blue Dove Malcolm Sharp TV miniseries
2004–06 Life Begins Brian Middleton 10 episodes
2004 Family Business Tom Williams Episode: 2
She's Gone Peter Vine TV film
Foyle's War Mark Talbot Episode: "A War of Nerves"
2005 Beneath the Skin Dominic Hintlesham TV film
Born and Bred Silas Craddock Episode: "Someone to Watch Over Me"
Rose and Maloney Wallace Canford Episodes: "Carl Callaghan", "Annie Johnson" and "Alan Richmond"
Midsomer Murders Gerry Moore Episode: "The House in the Woods"
Wallis & Edward Ernest Simpson, Wallis Simpson's second husband TV film
2006 Gideon's Daughter Bill TV film
Agatha Christie's Poirot Superintendent Jim Wheeler Episode: "Cards on the Table"
2007 Wild at Heart Bennett Episode: 2.3
Doctor Who William Kempe Episode: "The Shakespeare Code"
The Time of Your Life Dave TV miniseries
2008 Criminal Justice Barry Coulter Series one
2009 Moving Wallpaper Gareth Episode: "Renaissance Part VI"
New Tricks Mike Barnes Episode: "Death of a Timeshares Salesman"
Murderland Tony Philips TV miniseries
2010 The Silence Superintendent Frank Evans TV miniseries
2011 The Runaway Ron Carver TV miniseries
Lewis Leon Suskin Episode: "The Gift of Promise"
Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me Charlie Archer TV film
2012 DCI Banks Gareth Lambert Episode: "Strange Affair"
2013 Silent Witness DI Bob Cherry Episodes: "Legacy – Part 1" [7] & "Part 2" [8]
2014 Endeavour Val Todd Episode: "Trove"
Common Barnes-Williams TV film
2014–20 W1A Neil Reid
2015 The Coroner Grantham Naseby Episode: "Capsized"
2016 Jericho Jonas Sorsby Episode: 4
Reg Tony Blair's minder TV film [4]
Lovesick Alexander Episode: "Isabel"
2017 Loaded Lawyer Episode: "Lawsuit"
2018 Bodyguard Prime Minister John Vosler TV miniseries

Theatre

Date Title Role Director Company / Theatre
1981 – 1982 The Critic [9] Richard Brandon Drama Department, Bristol University
1981 – 1982 All the Interesting Characters Are Already Dead [9] Frank Stirling Drama Department, Bristol University
1982 – 1983 The Cuckoo and the Owl [9] Oliver Neville Drama Department, Bristol University
1982 – 1983 The Bloom of the Diamond Stone [9] Emer Gillespie Drama Department, Bristol University
1983 – 1984 Ivanov [9] Oliver Neville Drama Department, Bristol University
1983 – 1984 The Innocent Mistress [9] Martin White Drama Department, Bristol University
1983 – 1984 Four Doctors [9] Edward Braun Drama Department, Bristol University
1989 – 1990 The School for Wives [9] Annie Castledine Derby Playhouse
30 November 1989 – 20 January 1990 A Study in Scarlet [10] Dr John Watson Michael Crompton Greenwich Theatre
16 January 1992 – All My Sons [11] George Deever David Thacker Young Vic, London
21 April 1992 – A Jovial Crew Randall Max Stafford-Clark Royal Shakespeare Company / Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon [12]
1992 – 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / Barbican Theatre, London [13]
22 February 1993 – 27 February 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / Newcastle Playhouse [14]
22 April 1993 – 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / The Pit, London [15]
2 July 1992 – The Odyssey Nestor Gregory Doran Royal Shakespeare Company / The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon [16]
1992 – 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / Barbican Theatre, London [17]
22 June 1993 – 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / The Pit, London [18]
1 September 1992 – 1993 Tamburlaine Cosroe & Orcanes Terry Hands Royal Shakespeare Company / Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon [19]
14 October 1993 – 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / Barbican Theatre, London [20]
3 November 1992 – 1993 The Changeling Antonio Michael Attenborough Royal Shakespeare Company / Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon [21]
1992 – 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / Barbican Theatre, London [22]
1 March 1993 – 9 March 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / Newcastle Playhouse [23]
25 May 1993 – 1993 Royal Shakespeare Company / The Pit, London [24]
4 Jan 1993 – 17 Jan 1993 A Corpse With Feet [25] Performer Ron Cook Buzz Goodbody Studio, The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon
16 September 1993 – 1994 Travesties [1] Tristan Tzara Adrian Noble Royal Shakespeare Company / Barbican Theatre, London [26]
24 March 1994 – 4 June 1994 Royal Shakespeare Company / Savoy Theatre, London [27]
22 September 1994 – 18 February 1995 The Man of Mode [28] Mr Dorimant Max Stafford-Clark Out of Joint and Royal Court Theatre /
Royal Court Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, and other locations
October 1994 – 18 February 1995 The Libertine [29] John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester Max Stafford-Clark Out of Joint and Royal Court Theatre /
Royal Court Theatre, London, Warwick Arts Centre, and other locations
13 April 1996 – 1996 The Prince's Play [30][31] HRH The Prince of Wales Richard Eyre National Theatre / Olivier Theatre, London
29 April 1998 – Talk of the City Robbie Stephen Poliakoff Royal Shakespeare Company / Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon [32]
10 February 1999 – Royal Shakespeare Company / Young Vic, London [33]
Jan 2003 – Almost Nothing [34] Royal Court Theatre, London
28 February 2007 – 24 March 2007 Macbeth [35][36][37] Macbeth Ian Brown West Yorkshire Playhouse / Quarry Theatre, Leeds

Audio work

Voice talent : Eric Ambler's Topkapi for BBC Radio 4 Extra

References

  1. ^ a b Usurpation supreme – Michael Coveney, The Observer, 19 Mar 1993
  2. ^ a b BAFTA Awards – nominated – Single Drama in 2001
  3. ^ "The Media Society's 2013 bursary award was presented to David Westhead's Wembley to Soweto, project" – Ami Sedghi, The Guardian, 24 Oct 2013
  4. ^ a b "BBC One: Reg". BBC Online. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. ^ BFI – "Witness against Hitler"
  6. ^ Donovan Quick – Radio Times
  7. ^ BBC One – Silent Witness, Series 16, Legacy, Part 1
  8. ^ BBC One – Silent Witness, Series 16, Legacy, Part 2
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h David Westhead – Theatricalia
  10. ^ A Study in Scarlet – Theatricalia
  11. ^ All My Sons – Theatricalia
  12. ^ A Jovial Crew – Theatricalia
  13. ^ A Jovial Crew at Barbican Theatre, London – Theatricalia
  14. ^ A Jovial Crew at Newcastle Playhouse – Theatricalia
  15. ^ A Jovial Crew at The Pit, London – Theatricalia
  16. ^ The Odyssey – Theatricalia
  17. ^ The Odyssey at Barbican Theatre, London – Theatricalia
  18. ^ The Odyssey at The Pit, London – Theatricalia
  19. ^ Tamburlaine – Theatricalia
  20. ^ Tamburlaine at Barbican Theatre, London – Theatricalia
  21. ^ The Changeling – Theatricalia
  22. ^ The Changeling at Barbican Theatre, London – Theatricalia
  23. ^ The Changeling at Newcastle Playhouse – Theatricalia
  24. ^ The Changeling at The Pit, London – Theatricalia
  25. ^ A Corpse With Feet – Theatricalia
  26. ^ Travesties – Theatricalia
  27. ^ Travesties at Savoy Theatre, London – Theatricalia
  28. ^ The Man of Mode – Theatricalia
  29. ^ The Libertine – Theatricalia
  30. ^ The Prince's Play – Theatricalia
  31. ^ Theatre: The Prince's Play, Royal National Theatre – Paul Taylor, The Independent, 22 April 1996
  32. ^ Talk of the City –Theatricalia
  33. ^ Talk of the City at Young Vic, London – Theatricalia
  34. ^ Theatre Review: Almost Nothing – Michael Billington, The Guardian, 22 Jan 2003
  35. ^ Macbeth – Theatricalia
  36. ^ Sleepwalking into tragedy – Theatre Review: Macbeth, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds – Clare Brennan, The Guardian, 18 Mar 2007
  37. ^ Theatre review: Macbeth at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds – J. D. Atkinson, British Theatre Guide

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