Julian Ovenden
Ovenden in 2016
Born
Julian Mark Ovenden

(1976-11-29) 29 November 1976 (age 47)
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
Alma materNew College, Oxford
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active1999–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2010)​
Children2

Julian Mark Ovenden (born 29 November 1976) is an English actor and singer. He has starred on Broadway and West End stages, in television series in both the United Kingdom and United States, in films, and performed internationally as a concert and recording artist.

Early life and education

Ovenden was born on 29 November 1976 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.[1][2] He is one of three children[2] of the Reverend Canon John Ovenden, a former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II.[3] He sang in the St Paul's Cathedral Choir, London as a child. He later won a music scholarship to Eton College.[3] He subsequently read music at New College, Oxford on a choral scholarship.

Whilst he has received training as an opera singer,[4] he has professionally used his music training in musical theatre. He continued academic studies in drama at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.[2]

Career

His theatre work includes the multi award-winning Merrily We Roll Along[5] and Grand Hotel[6] for Michael Grandage at the Donmar Warehouse; Annie Get Your Gun for Richard Jones at The Young Vic;[7] Michael Legrand's Marguerite at the Haymarket for Jonathan Kent;[8] King Lear for Yukio Ninagawa at the RSC;[9] Butley at the Booth Theatre on Broadway opposite Nathan Lane;[10] Death Takes a Holiday for The Roundabout Theatre Company in New York;[11] A Woman of No Importance for Adrian Noble at the Haymarket;[12] Finding Neverland for The Weinstein Company;[13] the Parisian premiere of Sunday in the Park with George;[14] Show Boat at the Lincoln Centre in New York;[15] My Night with Reg at the Donmar Warehouse;[16] Ivo van Hove's All About Eve at the Noël Coward Theatre opposite Gillian Anderson;[17] and South Pacific at the Chichester Festival Theatre.[18]

Ovenden has also sung musical theatre songs in several concerts at the Proms, in particular concerts of Stephen Sondheim[19] and of Rodgers and Hammerstein.[20] In 2015, he played Captain Georg von Trapp in the ITV live musical adaptation, The Sound of Music Live.[21]

Ovenden first appeared on British TV in a recurring role over five seasons of Foyle's War opposite Michael Kitchen. He also appeared in two seasons of Downton Abbey. Other British TV work includes The Forsyte Saga, Any Human Heart, and The Royal. On US TV, Ovenden was a recurring cast member in Person of Interest (Jeremy Lambert) for three years. He has also appeared in seasons of Cashmere Mafia, Related and SMASH. Recently he has portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in The Crown and is starring as William de Nogaret in Knightfall.

Ovenden's recent film work includes Colonia opposite Emma Watson and Daniel Bruhl, The Confessions with Daniel Auteuil, Toni Servillo and Connie Nielsen and British indie war film, Allies (Captain Gabriel Jackson).

As a solo singer Ovenden has appeared with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic,[22] the New York Pops,[23] The Northern Sinfonia,[24] the Liverpool Philharmonic,[25] the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,[26] the London Philharmonic Orchestra,[27] the John Wilson Orchestra,[28] the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra[29] and the BBC Concert Orchestra.[30] He has also appeared at The Proms at London's Royal Albert Hall, where he is a regular performer.[31] Ovenden made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2014[32] and followed it up with another concert in 2015.[33]

Ovenden recorded a debut album for Decca Records in 2013 titled If You Stay[34] and has since made a Rodgers and Hammerstein record with John Wilson for Warner Classics[35] and a Downton Abbey Christmas record for Warner Music that went double platinum.[36] In late 2015, he signed a multiple record deal with East West Records and his new album was released in February 2016.[37]

Personal life

Ovenden lives with his wife, opera singer Kate Royal, and their son and daughter.[3]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
2010 1st Night Tom Chambers
2014 Allies Captain Gabriel Jackson
2015 Colonia Roman Breuer
2015 The Sound of Music Live Captain von Trapp
2016 The Confessions Matthew Price
2018 Made in Italy Gordon
2018 Head Full of Honey Serge
2018 Surviving Christmas with the Relatives Dan
2022 The People We Hate at the Wedding Alcott
2022 The Lost Girls Clayton

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Come Together Matt Television film
2002–2003 The Forsyte Saga Val Dartie 6 episodes
2002–2008 Foyle's War Andrew Foyle 6 episodes
2003–2004 The Royal Dr David Cheriton Main role (series 1–3)
2004 A Christmas Carol Fred Anderson Television film
2005 Agatha Christie's Poirot Michael Shane Episode: "After the Funeral"
2005–2006 Related Jason Greenstein 13 episodes
2006 Charmed Novak Episode: "12 Angry Zen"
2008 Cashmere Mafia Eric Burden Main role
2010 Any Human Heart Ernest Hemingway Miniseries; 3 episodes
2011 Midsomer Murders Ben Viviani Episode: "Dark Secrets"
2013 Smash Simon 4 episodes
2013–2014 Downton Abbey Charles Blake 9 episodes
2014 The Assets Gary Grimes Miniseries; 5 episodes
2014–2016 Person of Interest Jeremy Lambert 7 episodes
2014 Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Michael Faraday (voice) Episode: "The Electric Boy"
2015 Tim Rice: A Life In Song Featured Solo Singer
2016 Death in Paradise Dan Hagen Episode: "The Complex Murder"
2016 Major Crimes Peter Ogden Episode: "Tourist Trap"
2017–2019 Knightfall William de Nogaret Main role
2017 The Crown Bobby Kennedy Episode: "Dear Mrs. Kennedy"
2020 Bridgerton Henry Granville 5 episodes
2020 Adult Material Tom Pain Channel 4 series
2020 Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance Himself BBC
2024 Trigger Point Commander John Francis BBC

Theatre

Year Title Role Theatre Location
2000-01 Merrily We Roll Along Franklin Shepard Donmar Warehouse Off-West End
2001 King Lear Fool Royal Shakespeare Company London
2003 A Woman of No Importance Francis Theatre Royal Haymarket West End
2004 Grand Hotel Baron Felix von Gaigern Donmar Warehouse Off-West End
2006 Butley Joseph Keyston Booth Theatre Broadway
2008 Marguerite Georges Theatre Royal Haymarket West End
2009 Annie Get Your Gun Frank Butler Young Vic West End
2010 Oklahoma! Curly Mclain — UK National Tour
2011 Death Takes A Holiday Death Roundabout Theatre Company New York City
2012 Finding Neverland J. M. Barrie Leicester Curve Theatre Leicester
2013 Sunday In The Park With George George Theatre de Chatelet Paris
2015 My Night With Reg Guy Donmar Warehouse Off-West End
2016 Show Boat Cap'n Andy Hawkins Lincoln Center New York City
2018 All About Eve Bill Sampson Noël Coward Theatre West End
2021 South Pacific Emile de Becque Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester
2022-23 Sadler's Wells Theatre / Various London / UK National Tour
2023 Annie Get Your Gun Frank Butler London Palladium West End

References

  1. ^ "England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916–2005". Ancestry.com.
  2. ^ a b c Liz Hoggard (20 May 2008). "Marguerite's man". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Chrissy Iley (15 April 2012). "Julian Ovenden: the sweet-singing son of a Queen's chaplain". The Telegraph.
  4. ^ Dalya Alberge (30 October 2010). "Opera: it sounds like being the next big thing in movies". The Observer. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  5. ^ Michael Billington (13 December 2000). "The heart-piercing, time-travelling Sondheim: Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar Warehouse, London)". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  6. ^ Michael Billington (30 October 2010). "Grand Hotel (Donmar Warehouse, London)". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  7. ^ Michael Billington (18 October 2009). "Annie Get Your Gun (Young Vic, London)". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  8. ^ Michael Billington (21 May 2008). "Marguerite (Haymarket, London)". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  9. ^ "King Lear, Ninagawa/Horio, Royal Shakespeare Company, October 1999". ahds.rhul.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  10. ^ Ben Brantley (30 October 2010). "Zingers Shoot Forth From Inside a Toxic Fog". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
  11. ^ Set Aside That Scythe, and Let’s Put on a Show, Charles Isherwood, New York Times, 21 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  12. ^ "A Woman of No Importance, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London". The Independent. 21 September 2003. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  13. ^ Healy, Patrick (20 December 2011). "Weinstein Company Moving Ahead With 'Finding Neverland' Musical, Its First". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  14. ^ Benzel, Jan (18 April 2013). "Supersizing a 'Sunday in the Park'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  15. ^ ][1]. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  16. ^ My Night With Reg review – fine revival for caustic study of gay manners, Michael Billington, The Guardian, 6 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  17. ^ "Sonia Friedman Productions". www.soniafriedman.com. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  18. ^ Supercool (10 July 2021). "South Pacific". Chichester Festival Theatre. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  19. ^ Andrew Clements (1 August 2010). "Prom 19: Sondheim at 80 (Royal Albert Hall, London)". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  20. ^ Andrew Clements (23 August 2010). "A Celebration of Rodgers & Hammerstein (Royal Albert Hall, London)". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  21. ^ "How will The Sound of Music Live work?". Radio Times. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Vanessa Williams, Julian Ovenden and Lauren Worsham Will Star in New York Philharmonic Show Boat". Playbill. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  23. ^ "Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden Kick Off New York Pops Season at Carnegie Hall Tonight". Playbill. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  24. ^ Ltd, Made Media. "John Wilson & The John Wilson Orchestra". Sage Gateshead. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  25. ^ Jones, Catherine (19 October 2012). "Julian Ovenden on Peter Pan and singing with the John Wilson Orchestra". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  26. ^ "Tim Rice: A Life in Song | Southbank Centre". www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  27. ^ "A Conversation With Julian Ovenden". Edward Seckerson. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  28. ^ "BBC – Proms – Julian Ovenden". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  29. ^ RTÉ. "RTÉ Orchestras: RTÉ Concert Orchestra New Year's Eve Gala with Julian Ovenden". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  30. ^ "Prom 19 – Prom 19". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  31. ^ "BBC Proms". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  32. ^ "Michael Feinstein". carnegiehall.org. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  33. ^ "Downton Abbey's Julian Ovenden Will Replace Steven Pasquale Opposite Sierra Boggess at Carnegie Hall". Broadway.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  34. ^ "Julian Ovenden: the sweet-singing son of a Queen's chaplain". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  35. ^ "'Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies' CD to Feature Sierra Boggess, Julian Ovenden and More". Playbill. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  36. ^ "Downton Abbey now has a Christmas album". The Independent. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  37. ^ "Julian Ovenden signs record deal with East West Records - Entertainment Focus". www.entertainment-focus.com. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2017.

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