David Harewood
actor
DAVID HAREWOOD was born in Birmingham in 1965. He got his start in acting by winning a place on a six-week course at the prestigious National Youth Theatre and then went on to earn a coveted place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he shed his distinctive "Brummie" accent.
Not long after leaving RADA, he was cast as the male lead in a production of Romeo and Juliet. In 1995, Vanessa Redgrave cast him as the lead in another Shakespearian tragedy, Antony and Cleopatra, opposite herself in a production which they reprised on a lengthy two-year tour. David then went on to take the title role in yet another Shakespearean tragedy, Othello, at the Royal National Theatre, directed by Sam Mendes, which later went to Broadway. David appeared at the Royal National Theatre again in Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, and His Dark Materials, under the direction of Nicholas Hytner. Most recently David starred as Martin Luther King in Katori Hall’s play The Mountaintop which premièred at the London fringe venue Theatre 503 before transferring to the Trafalgar Studios in the West End.
David's most popular and well-known TV roles include; Augustus "Gus" Pottinger in Babyfather, Sergeant Joe Robinson in The Vice, Max Robertson in Fat Friends and Dr. Mike Gregson in the medical drama Always and Everyone. David also played Major Simon Brooks in The Palace and has guest starred in a number of popular TV series, including: The Bill, Casualty, The Last Enemy, New Tricks, Ruby in the Smoke, Criminal Justice and Silent Witness. He is currently starring as Tuck in the BBC1 adaptation of Robin Hood.
David's numerous film credits include The Merchant of Venice, a production that featured Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons in the leading roles, Separate Lies, written and directed by Julian Fellowes, Mad Dogs and Englishmen and the Oscar nominated Blood Diamond in which he starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
David appeared on Celebrity Mastermind in December 2008 specialising in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. He is currently directing a children's theatre group in London, aimed at involving underprivileged and at-risk young people in the performing arts.
David lives in South London with his fiancée Kirsty and their two young daughters, Maize and Raven.
