Birthday:
17 June 1982, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK
Thomas Arthur Darvill (born 17 June 1982) is an English actor, known professionally as Arthur Darvill.[1] He is noted for his work in the plays Terre Haute (2006) and Swimming with Sharks (2007), but is best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor's companion Rory Williams in the television series Doctor Who.
Darvill's mother Ellie worked with masks, puppets and live acting as a member of Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre, which was based at Midlands Arts Centre, and toured England and the world. She is perhaps best known as the puppeteer and voice behind Why Bird from Playdays.
Prior to the birth of his sister, Darvill went on some of the tours,
helping with the setting up of the show. His father played the Hammond organ for artists including Edwin Starr, Ruby Turner, Fine Young Cannibals and UB40.[2] Darvill attended the Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire from 1993 to 2000.[1]
Career
Early work
Darvill joined Stage2 Youth Theatre Company at the age of 10.[2] He was a member from 1991 to 2000 and landed a job on CITV in 2000, presenting the continuity links between the shows.[citation needed] He left in 2001, founded his own theatre company (called Fuego's Men), and performed in the Midlands.[citation needed] At the age of 18, Darvill moved to London with four friends from youth theatre, each having secured a place at a drama school. They moved into a house in White City together. Darvill trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is trained in stage combat.[2]
Darvill made his professional stage debut playing condemned criminal Harrison in Edmund White's Terre Haute, which ran at the Assembly Rooms during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His performance was praised by Nicholas de Jongh of the Evening Standard and Susannah Clap of The Observer.[3][4] Darvill appeared in Terra Haute's transfer to Trafalgar Studios in 2007.[5] His performance gained him a Best Newcomer nomination at the 2007 Evening Standard Theatre Awards.[6]
Darvill played Rob in the 2007 monologue Stacy, in a performance The Times described as "compelling".[7] Later that year, he appeared in the Vaudeville Theatre's production of Swimming with Sharks with Christian Slater, Helen Baxendale, and Matt Smith (which gained him a London Newcomer Award nomination).[8] In 2008, Darvill made his television debut in the ITV crime drama He Kills Coppers. The same year, he played Edward "Tip" Dorrit in the BBC serial Little Dorrit.[9]
2010 onwards and Doctor Who
Darvill began playing Rory Williams, companion to the Eleventh Doctor, in the fifth series of the BBC's science fiction show Doctor Who (reuniting with his Swimming with Sharks co-star Matt Smith). He became a regular character in the sixth series, and confirmed that he would be appearing in the seventh series;[10] however, the seventh series was his last.[11] Darvill had a minor role as a stable groom in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, and played Mick Gallagher in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. In summer 2011, he appeared in Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London.[2]
Darvill is also a musician and composer; he has written songs and music for the Bush Theatre,[citation needed] and composed the score for Che Walker's 2008 play Frontline at the Globe Theatre.[2] In June 2009, the musical Been So Long, based on Ché Walker's 1998 play, opened at the Young Vic.
Darvill had worked with Walker for a number of years since they had
first met at RADA, developing the songs and music for the show. The
musical was performed at the Latitude Festival in July and had a run at the Traverse Theatre in August. Darvill received a Judge's Discretionary Award from MTM for his music.[12][13] In 2010, Darvill helped promote the solo album of Fyfe Dangerfield, playing with him on sessions for Graham Norton's show and on Xfm.[2]
Darvill has undertaken a number of radio and voice projects, including Doctor Who audiobooks. In December 2011, he played Keith Moon for BBC Radio 4's Burning Both Ends. In 2012, he voiced Gulliver in Radio 4's Gulliver's Travels and Sam in the short film Penguin.[14]
He gave an interview and appeared on the front cover of the October 2012 issue of Gay Times. [15]
Personal life
Darvill plays the guitar and keyboard and formed an indie band called Edmund in his teenage years, named after Edmund Pevensie, his favourite character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[2] He enjoys cookery and attending the theatre and music concerts. He collects taxidermy.[2]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sooty | Tom[16] | |
| 2008 | He Kills Coppers | Police constable | |
| 2008 | Little Dorrit | Edward "Tip" Dorrit | 7 episodes |
| 2010–2012 | Doctor Who | Rory Williams | Series 5–7 (27 episodes) |
| 2012 | The Paradise | Bradley Burroughs | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Broadchurch | Reverend Paul Coates | |
| 2013 | The White Queen | Harry Stafford |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Pelican Blood | Cameron | |
| 2010 | Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll | Mick Gallagher | |
| 2010 | Robin Hood | Groom | |
| 2012 | Penguin | Sam | Short film Voice |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Little Shop of Horrors | Seymour Krelborn | Midlands Arts Centre[17] |
| 2006 | Terre Haute | Harrison | Wildman Room, Assembly Rooms Trafalgar Studios |
| 2007 | Stacy | Rob | Arcola Theatre |
| 2007 | Swimming with Sharks | Rex | Vaudeville Theatre |
| 2010 | Marine Parade | Old Market, Hove, East Sussex | |
| 2011 | Doctor Faustus | Mephistopheles | Shakespeare's Globe |
| 2012 | Our Boys | Parry | Duchess Theatre |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Doctor Who: The Gunpowder Plot | Rory Williams | Voice and likeness |
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