Max Bennett (born November 24, 1984) is an English actor. On television, he is best known for playing Monk Adderley in Poldark on the BBC, and Robert Southwell in Will for TNT. On film, he is best known for playing David in the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and Brown in Guy Ritchie's crime caper The Gentlemen. He has worked extensively in London theatre, with leading roles in the West End, as well as for the Donmar Warehouse, Royal Court, Young Vic, Shakespeare's Globe and the National Theatre.

Early life

Bennett was born in Leytonstone, London,^[1] and attended The Latymer School in Edmonton,^[2] where he was Head Boy and played the title role in Hamlet in his final year.^[3] He trained with the National Youth Theatre, appearing in their production of The Master and Margarita at the Lyric Hammersmith.^[4] Bennett studied Modern and Medieval Languages (French and Italian) at Queens' College, Cambridge. Whilst there, he performed with the Footlights and the Marlowe Society and was named in Varsity's 'Talent 100' as "without doubt the most sought-after actor in Cambridge".^[5] He trained at the École Jacques Lecoq in Paris.^[1]

Career

Bennett's first professional role was in film, while he was still living in Paris. He appeared opposite Jean Dujardin in the 2007 French comedy 99 Francs, following this up with another cameo the following year, in Saul Dibb's The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley.^[6]

After spending a year establishing a stage career, including a role in Samuel West's 2008 production of Waste at the Almeida that The Times named as one of its "Productions of the Decade",^[7] in 2009 Bennett won second prize in the Ian Charleson Awards^[8] for two performances: as Frank in George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession^[9] and as Claudio in Measure For Measure.^[10]

Leading roles followed, notably as Ferdinand in 2011's Luise Miller in Michael Grandage’s critically acclaimed Donmar Warehouse production.^[11] Bennett played the tragic hero opposite Felicity Jones. The Arts Desk wrote, "Max Bennett is terrific as the hotheaded young Ferdinand, very fit in his hussar’s uniform".^[12] Soon afterwards, Bennett began filming on Joe Wright's film adaptation of Anna Karenina, released in 2012.^[13]

He then began his association with the Royal Court, appearing in Dominic Cooke's 2012 production of In Basildon by David Eldridge,^[14] before joining the cast of Posh, as it transferred to the West End later that year.^[15] After another Donmar Warehouse production,^[16] he returned to the Royal Court in 2013 for A Time To Reap, where he brought "a thrilling sense of danger" as Piotr.^[17]

After more film and television roles,^[18] Bennett appeared as Greg in 2013's hit West End revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy Relatively Speaking at the Wyndham's Theatre,^[19] the Telegraph remarking he "memorably captures the confusion of the gawky young innocent abroad".^[20]

He followed this by playing Edmund opposite Frank Langella in the Chichester Festival Theatre production of King Lear,^[21] which transferred to the Harvey Theatre of New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2014.^[22] The Hollywood Reporter wrote "excelling on the villainous side is Max Bennett as Edmund", Variety noting "he’s a fantastic actor. Vocally assured and quick on his feet, he claims the stage with total assurance. But it’s not all for show. There’s an intelligence to his delivery that makes every word of every line of every speech perfectly understandable."^[23]

He was back on the London stage later in 2014, playing the lead in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe,^[24] the acclaimed production^[25] courting controversy as Transport for London banned its posters.^[26] Bennett's first leading role in film followed, playing Sal in "weirdly warming, visually affecting fable" Set the Thames on Fire.^[27]

More television was next for Bennett, with a 2015 stint on CTV’s medical drama, Saving Hope,^[28] before an episode of ITV’s Endeavour in 2016.^[29] He went back to working with classical text, but still on the small screen, appearing as John Talbot in the BBC/NBC mini-series The Hollow Crown, which starred Benedict Cumberbatch.^[30] Bennett then played Coottsey in Mike Bartlett's BBC film King Charles III in 2017,^[31] after their previous collaboration on 2015's Young Vic production of Bartlett's play Bull.^[32]

Bennett took on a series regular role in Craig Pearce and Shekhar Kapur's Will released on TNT in 2017. He played Jesuit poet, priest and martyr Robert Southwell, Shakespeare's cousin in the show and the most wanted man in England, "a messianic, charismatic leader bent on fomenting Catholic rebellion".^[33]

In 2017, it was announced that Bennett would be joining the cast of the fourth series of the BBC’s Poldark, as "unscrupulous society figure" Monk Adderley,^[34] a "psychopath with a death wish", according to The Guardian, "played brilliantly by Max Bennett".^[35] The Telegraph described him as "seized by the kind of malign competitive lust not seen on screen since Dangerous Liaisons".^[36]

The following year saw Bennett appear in the record-breaking and multi-award-winning Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, playing David, Mary Austin's new partner following her split from Freddie.^[37]

In 2019, a return to the stage followed for Bennett as he appeared in ANNA at the National Theatre, Ella Hickson's sound-led collaboration with Ben and Max Ringham, directed by Natalie Abrahami. Playing "sinister boss Christian",^[38] The Stage's five-star review found him "tall and threatening with bright blond hair and a voice that could cut glass".^[39]

Bennett was on the big screen again in 2020, playing privileged junkie Brown in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen.^[40]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations