Lloyd Owen

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Lloyd Owen
Owen in 2006
Born
Marcus Richard Lloyd Owen

(1966-04-14) 14 April 1966 (age 58)
Charing Cross, London, England
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1988–present
SpouseJuliette Mole
Children2
Parent

Marcus Richard Lloyd Owen (born 14 April 1966) is a British actor. Despite being born in London, he considers himself Welsh due to both his parents being from Wales and only having moved to London for purposes of professional progression. Trained at the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, he is known for portraying Indiana Jones's father Professor Dr. Henry Jones Sr. in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles between 1992 and 1993 and Paul Bowman-MacDonald in the BBC Scotland series Monarch of the Glen from 2002 to 2005. He starred as solicitor William Heelis in the film Miss Potter (2006) and commander Nathan Walker in Apollo 18 (2011). He plays the role of Elendil in the Amazon Prime fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022).

Early life

Owen was born on 14 April 1966 at the Charing Cross Hospital in Westminster, London.[1] He was brought up in London, although both of his parents were Welsh – his father, actor Glyn Owen (1928–2004), was from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, while his mother, actress Patricia Mort, was from Morriston in Swansea. Owen considers himself Welsh.[2] His sister is the actress Cathy Owen (b. 1968).

Owen said he grew up around "a mob of entertaining, troublesome, fascinating" actors involved in challenging the Lord Chamberlain during some of the most exciting days of a very controversial Royal Court Theatre.[3] When he was at Highgate School,[4] because his father was an actor, his teachers thought that he should be able to act, too. However, at first he was not interested. "I was always made to read plays at school but I never wanted to. Then I was made to take part in a school play and I didn't want to do that either but I started to get approval for my acting. I was reasonably academic, good at sport, but somehow with the acting, people said 'that was fantastic'. So I thought, 'maybe that's what I'll do then".[5]

At 16, Owen went straight from school to the National Youth Theatre, and subsequently received formal training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, after which he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company.[6] While at RADA he managed to get an acting job and an Equity card, but when he told the principal he needed a term off, the request was denied and he was expelled from the Academy after just a year. Fortunately, Owen landed a job with Cheek by Jowl and followed the theatre company on tour around the world performing Shakespeare plays.[5] Owen has said that he wished he had gone to university, and that he had been "in too much of a rush".[7]

Career

Owen's breakthrough role was Professor Henry Jones, Sr., father of Indiana Jones, in eight episodes of the TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1992 and 1993. Subsequently, he portrayed the lead role of Paul Bowman-MacDonald in 28 episodes of the popular BBC Scotland series Monarch of the Glen between 2002 and 2005.[8] He also played Professor Jon Ford in the BBC Northern Ireland series The Innocence Project (2006–2007).[9] In 2014, Owen appeared in the second season of The CW's supernatural show The Originals as Ansel, Klaus's father. He also had a recurring role of the U.S. President Farrell in 2015 comedy series You, Me and the Apocalypse.[10] In 2019, he played Dominic Swanson in the ITV drama Cleaning Up. In 2020, it was announced that Owen joined the cast of the Amazon Prime Video fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), where he plays the role of Elendil.[11][12]

Owen's film career has included appearances in short films, and supporting roles in The Republic of Love (2003) (as Peter),[13] which was based on a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carol Shields, and in Miss Potter (2006) (as a solicitor named William Heelis who married children's author Beatrix Potter).[14] In 2011, he starred in sci-fi film Apollo 18 as Commander Nathan "Nate" Walker. He also played officer John Clive in the 2018 Hindi film Thugs of Hindostan.

However, Owen's first love has always been the theatre. Early in his professional career he was involved in the Cheek by Jowl productions of Philoctetes and the Shakespeare plays Macbeth, The Tempest and Twelfth Night. Owen's break on stage was playing Nick in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, directed by Howard Davies, at the Almeida Theatre in London in 1996. Owen studied the play during his A-levels, and it is his favourite play. Other highlights of his stage career include playing Dan in Closer by Patrick Marber in 1998 and George in The York Realist by Peter Gill in 2002.[1] Critics praised his performance in the latter play as "astonishing in its power, throttled fury and sadness"[15] and "superb, richly voiced",[16] and called him "a fast-rising star".[17]

Personal life

Owen is married to actress and artist Juliette Mole. Together they have two children, Maxim (b. 1990) and Mimi (b. 1998).[2][5]

Owen speaks fluent French.[18]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Between Dreams Stephen Tredre Short film
2002 The Seasons Alter Oberon Short film
2003 The Republic of Love Peter
Confused Johnny Short film
2004 Get the Picture Jake Wells Short film
2006 Miss Potter William Heelis
2011 Apollo 18 Nathan Walker
2013 Free Ride The Captain
2017 The Man with the Iron Heart Commandant Schuster
2018 Thugs of Hindostan John Clive
2022 Bounce Surgeon Short film; director and producer
2023 Wonderwell Adam

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Boon Pete Blisset Series 3, episode 7: "Honourable Service"
1991 The Chief PC Farrell Series 2, episode 3: "Jack and Jill"
1992 Forever Green Paul Sherringham Series 2, episode 4
Science Fiction Lord Byron Series 2, episode 6: "The Story of Frankenstein"
1992–1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Professor Henry Jones, Sr. 8 episodes
1993 Stay Lucky Gerry Cook Series 4, episode 3: "A Quick Killing"
All in the Game Darren Matthews
1994 The Cinder Path Charlie MacFell
1996 The Bill David Seabrook Series 12, episode 24: "Boy Meets Girl"
Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father Professor Henry Jones, Sr. Television film
1998 Get Real Adam
1999 Casualty Jack Chandler 2 episodes: "Calm Before the Storm"
2000 Harbour Lights Inspector Nick Preston Series 2, episode 2: "Thicker Than Water"
2001 Gypsy Girl Jack Series 1, episode 1
Hearts and Bones James Norton
2001–2002 Des del balcó Patrick O'Brien
2002 Coupling James 3 episodes
Dead Gorgeous Vic Television film
Wire in the Blood Spencer Watts 2 episodes: "Justice Painted Blind"
2002–2005 Monarch of the Glen Paul Bowman-MacDonald
2003 The Vice Delaney Series 5, episode 5: "Outcast"
2004 Dragons Alive Narrator Documentary
2005 The Ghost Squad DI Bryce Series 1, episode 1: "One of Us"
2006–2007 The Innocence Project Professor Jon Ford
2007 Viva Laughlin Ripley Holden
2008 Inseparable Justin / Clyde Television film
2009 Taking the Flak Jack Series 1, episode 1: "Bigfooting"
Inside the Box Kenneth Donnegan Television film
2012 Fairly Legal Robin Archer 2 episodes
2013 National Theatre Live: 50 Years On Stage Tony Blair Television film; segment "Stuff Happens"
2014 The Originals Ansel 2 episodes
2015 Midsomer Murders Louis Paynton Series 17, episode 4: "A Vintage Murder"
You, Me and the Apocalypse U.S. President Farrell 6 episodes
Der Beobachter Tom Ward Television film
2016 Death in Paradise Dr Sam Blake Series 5, episode 1: "The Complex Murder"
Silent Witness Det Supt Mitchell 2 episodes: "Life Licence"
2019 Cleaning Up Dominic Swanson
2022–present The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Elendil

Stage

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
As You Like It Charles / William Wolsey Theatre [19]
The Passport Young Vic
The Parquet Floor Young Vic
1987 Twelfth Night Sebastian Cheek by Jowl / Swan Theatre [19]
1987–1988 Macbeth Donalbain Cheek by Jowl / York Theatre Royal
1988–1989 The Tempest Ferdinand Cheek by Jowl / Donmar Warehouse
Philoctetes Sailor Cheek by Jowl / Donmar Warehouse
1989 Hamlet Laertes Leicester Haymarket Theatre
1994 Henry VI, Part 3 Edward IV Royal Shakespeare Company / The Other Place
1995 Our Boys Joe Donmar Warehouse
Grab the Dog Royal National Theatre / The Studio
1996 East Lynne Captain Francis Levison Greenwich Theatre
1996–1997 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Nick Almeida Theatre / Aldwych Theatre, West End [20]
1998 Closer Dan Lyric Theatre, West End [21]
1999 Morphic Resonance Wallace Donmar Warehouse
2000 The Way of the World Mirabell Royal Exchange Theatre [22]
Julius Caesar Brutus Young Vic [23]
2001 Edward II Mortimer the Younger Crucible Theatre [24]
2001–2002 The York Realist George The Lowry / Bristol Old Vic / Royal Court Theatre / Strand Theatre, West End [17][25]
2003 Iphigenia Agamemnon Crucible Theatre [26]
2004 Clouds Owen Shorter Cambridge Arts Theatre / Yvonne Arnaud Theatre [27]
2005 Paul Peter Royal National Theatre / Cottesloe Theatre [28]
2010 Blood and Gifts Jim Warnock Royal National Theatre / Lyttelton Theatre
2011 Loyalty Nick Beeching Hampstead Theatre
2012–2013 The Bodyguard Frank Farmer Adelphi Theatre, West End [29]
2014 Good People Mike Hampstead Theatre / Noël Coward Theatre, West End
2016 The End of Longing Joseph Playhouse Theatre, West End [30]
2019–2020 Noises Off Lloyd Dallas Garrick Theatre, West End

Radio

Year Title Role Notes
2001 'Tis Pity She's a Whore Soranzo BBC Radio 3
2007 Keep Your Pantheon Lupus Albus BBC Radio 4
2009 The Man in the Wooden Hat Terry BBC Radio 4
2010 Goldfinger Felix Leiter BBC Radio 4
The School for Husbands and The Imaginary Cuckold Valére L.A. Theatre Works
2011 The Rivals Captain Jack Absolute L.A. Theatre Works
England, Their England Pendragon BBC Radio 4
2012 Uncle Fred in the Springtime Horace Pendlebury-Davenport BBC Radio 4
2014 On Her Majesty's Secret Service Franklin BBC Radio 4
2015 Michael Frayn's Matchbox Theatre Performer BBC Radio 4
2020 The Man with the Golden Gun Chief-of-Staff BBC Radio 4
Leave It to Psmith Sebastian Beach BBC Radio 4

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic Various characters
2017 Horizon Zero Dawn Ted Faro / Jarm
2022 Horizon Forbidden West Ted Faro

References

  1. ^ a b Terri Paddock (3 February 2003), 20 questions with... Lloyd Owen, WhatsOnStage.com, archived from the original on 30 November 2007.
  2. ^ a b Driscoll, Rob (4 November 2006). "Lloyd Owen: Everything but my dad". WalesOnline. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  3. ^ Marshall, Charlotte (7 December 2012). "The Big Interview: Lloyd Owen". Official London Theatre. Society of London Theatre. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  4. ^ As an alumnus of Highgate School, Owen is a member of the Old Cholmeleian Society and Old Cholmeleian Sports Club, both named after the school's founder Sir Roger Cholmeley: Famous Old Cholms: Lloyd Owen, Old Cholmeleian Sports Club, 21 December 2005, archived from the original on 9 October 2007, retrieved 27 June 2007.
  5. ^ a b c Alison Maloney (October 2006), "From laird to lawyer", Sunday Post Magazine Online, archived from the original on 28 September 2007."
  6. ^ Taylor, Bryony Rae (2 October 2019). "Interview: Lloyd Owen Talks Noises Off at the Garrick Theatre". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  7. ^ Monarch of the Glen: Live chat: Lloyd Owen, BBC, 15 November 2003, archived from the original on 27 August 2006, retrieved 25 January 2010.
  8. ^ See Return of the Monarch: Lloyd Owen talks about the final series of Monarch of the Glen, GMTV, 15 September 2005, archived from the original on 28 September 2007, retrieved 25 January 2010.
  9. ^ A BBC spokeswoman said the remaining episodes will "definitely be shown", but that it was not yet known when: Ben Dowell (3 December 2006), "Innocence lost on BBC1 viewers: Prime-time drama of young lawyers righting wrongs has been pulled from the schedules", The Guardian, archived from the original on 15 June 2009.
  10. ^ Lee, Ben (13 February 2015). "Lloyd Owen cast in Sky1 and NBC's Apocalypse Slough". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  11. ^ Otterson, Joe (3 December 2020). "'Lord of the Rings' Series at Amazon Adds 20 Actors to Cast". Variety. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  12. ^ Coggan, Devan (13 July 2022). "Welcome to Númenor: Get an exclusive look at The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  13. ^ "The Republic of Love (2003)", Movies & TV Dept., The New York Times, 2012, archived from the original on 26 October 2012, retrieved 25 January 2010.
  14. ^ About Miss Potter: The actors on their characters: Interview: Matyelok Gibbs and Lloyd Owen (Miss Wiggin & William Heelis), Visual Hollywood, 2006, archived from the original on 19 June 2008, retrieved 25 January 2010.
  15. ^ Nicholas de Jongh in the Evening Standard (9 January 2002): see Lloyd Owen at Actors in Good Company. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
  16. ^ Stephen Brown in The Times Literary Supplement (25 January 2002): Lloyd Owen at Actors in Good Company. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
  17. ^ a b Billington, Michael (9 January 2002). "The York Realist: Royal Court, London [theatre review]". The Guardian.
  18. ^ Lloyd Owen at the website of Hamilton Hodell, his agent Archived 5 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
  19. ^ a b "The production programme for Cheek by Jowl's 1987 – 1988 production of Macbeth" (PDF). Cheek by Jowl. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  20. ^ Spencer, Charles (28 September 1996). "Howls of pain from the marital bearpit [review of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]". The Daily Telegraph. [dead link]
  21. ^ "Archive Page for Closer". Albemarle of London. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  22. ^ Hopkin, James (26 April 2000). "Just enough tomfoolery: The Way of the World: The Royal Exchange, Manchester [review]". The Guardian.
  23. ^ Billington, Michael (22 September 2000). "Poor start at the Young Vic [review of Julius Caesar]". The Guardian.
  24. ^ Billington, Michael (15 March 2001). "Majestic decline of Joseph Fiennes: Edward II: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield [review]". The Guardian. Spencer, Charles (15 March 2001). "Fiennes leaves Shakespeare in Hollywood [review of Edward II]". The Daily Telegraph.
  25. ^ Macaulay, Alastair (10 January 2002). "Flawless acting on a Yorkshire farm [review of The York Realist]". Financial Times. [permanent dead link] Spencer, Charles (10 January 2002). "Before the sixties began to swing [review of The York Realist]". The Daily Telegraph. "Say it with Vaseline: The York Realist: Royal Court, London SW1 [review]". The Guardian. 13 January 2002. Grayling, A.C. (13 January 2002). "The York Realist by Peter Gill: Royal Court Theatre 4 January – 2 February 2002". Online Review London. Archived from the original on 30 May 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2007. Dalglish, Darren (15 January 2002). "The York Realist". The London Theatre Guide Online. Retrieved 27 June 2007. "Reviews of Past Productions: The Royal Court presents The English Touring Theatre production of The York Realist written and directed by Peter Gill". Royal Court Theatre. 2002. Archived from the original on 26 April 2004. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
  26. ^ Billington, Michael (12 February 2003). "Iphigenia". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022. Spencer, Charles (13 February 2003). "How to rip the heart out of Euripides". The Daily Telegraph. Shuttleworth, Ian (19 February 2003). "Unspeakable actions of wartime [review of Iphigenia]". Financial Times. [permanent dead link]
  27. ^ Spencer, Charles (18 November 2004). "Lost in the tropical haze [review of Clouds]". The Daily Telegraph. Billington, Michael (24 November 2004). "Clouds: Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford (theatre review)". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2022. van Emst, Christine (24 November 2004). "Cirrus comedy". This is Local London. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  28. ^ Billington, Michael (10 November 2005). "Paul: National, London". The Guardian. Nightingale, Benedict (10 November 2005). "Theatre: Paul". The Times. Spencer, Charles (10 November 2005). "A powerful and thrilling act of heresy [review of Paul]". The Daily Telegraph. Hemming, Sarah (11 November 2005). "The apostle, the songstress and the superficial Scrooge [review of Paul]". Financial Times. [permanent dead link] Sierz, Aleks (11 November 2005). "Paul". The Stage. Hemming, Sarah (15 November 2005). "Paul". Financial Times. [permanent dead link]
  29. ^ Limited, London Theatre Direct (1 May 2012). "Lloyd Owen to star in West End's hottest new show The Bodyguard". London Theatre Direct. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  30. ^ "Casting announced for Matthew Perry's The End of Longing". whatsonstage.com. Whats On Stage. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.

External links