Jack Davenport

Jack Arthur Davenport (born 1 March 1973) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series This Life and Coupling, and as Admiral James Norrington in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He has also appeared in other Hollywood films, such as The Talented Mr. Ripley and Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Jack Davenport
Davenport in White Famous in 2017
Born
Jack Arthur Davenport

(1973-03-01) 1 March 1973
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
United States
EducationDragon School, Oxford
Cheltenham College, Gloucestershire
(independent boarding school) British American Drama Academy
OccupationActor
Years active1996–present
Spouse
(m. 2000)
Children1
Parents
Relatives

On television, Davenport is known for his roles in the ensemble drama series FlashForward, Smash, and The Morning Show as well as his leading role in the 2013 ITV drama series Breathless.

Early life

Davenport, the son of actor Nigel Davenport and actress Maria Aitken,[1] was born in Wimbledon, London,[2] and lived in Ibiza, Spain, for the first seven years of his life. His uncle is writer and former Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken, his maternal grandmother was socialite Penelope Aitken, his maternal grandfather was politician William Aitken, and one of his maternal great-grandfathers was John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby.[3] Through his uncle Jonathan Aitken's marriage to Elizabeth Rees-Williams, Davenport is a step-cousin of Damian, Jared, and Jamie Harris, her sons from her marriage to Richard Harris. His parents divorced when he was seven, at which point he was sent to the independent Dragon School in Oxford, as his parents did not want him to become involved in the divorce proceedings. He then went on to attend Cheltenham College, a boarding independent school for boys (now co-educational), in the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, in the West of England, followed by the British American Drama Academy in London.

Career

Davenport's acting career began at age 18 when he took a gap year after attending Cheltenham College. A director from Theatr Clwyd in Wales was impressed by his performance in a summer drama course and asked Davenport to work for him. He performed bit parts in Hamlet, where he became friends with Rhys Ifans.

The following year, he began attending the University of East Anglia (UEA), concentrating in film studies and English literature. He dabbled in acting again during his time at UEA, but considered becoming a member of a film crew rather than acting. After his graduation, his mother advised him to write to John Cleese requesting work on the set of his upcoming film, Fierce Creatures, so that Davenport could gain experience behind the camera. Cleese instead sent Davenport's letter to the casting department, and he was subsequently cast in his first onscreen role as a trainee zookeeper. After the production of Fierce Creatures was completed, Davenport found an agent who secured him an audition for the role of Miles Stewart in the BBC television drama series This Life.

Since then Davenport has played roles in many successful films and TV series, including The Talented Mr. Ripley, Coupling and Ultraviolet, as well as the box office hit Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and its sequels, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End.

During his career Davenport has also performed voice-overs, having narrated the audio versions of John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps and recorded parts in Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. He also provides the voice over for the British MasterCard advertisements (the American being done by Billy Crudup).

In 2006, he featured in the ITV1 drama The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant and in 2009 starred in the film The Boat That Rocked.

Davenport in 2007

In 2007 Davenport was cast in Swingtown, a period and relationship drama for CBS about the impact of sexual and social liberation in 1970s American suburban households, with story arcs involving open marriages and key parties. The series was cancelled after one season.

In 2008, Davenport was cast in the ABC pilot FlashForward, which was based on a Robert J. Sawyer novel. In the series, Davenport played the character of Lloyd Simcoe, a physicist allegedly responsible for a worldwide blackout, which causes the whole world to see the future. The show was cancelled after a single season.

In February 2011, Davenport was cast in the NBC musical drama pilot Smash.[4] It ran for two seasons and became a cult favorite on streaming services.[5] The first season of the series follows a group of people putting on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway. Davenport plays the musical's director. The second season expands as the various cast members branch out into other productions; Davenport's character, Derek Wills, quits the Broadway production of Bombshell to pursue a small off-Broadway musical and take it to Broadway with his protégé, Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee). The season ends with the two shows competing at the Tonys.

Davenport starred as the replacement singer in the video for Snow Patrol's single "Called Out in the Dark", released on YouTube on 17 August 2011, alongside Tara Summers and Gary Lightbody.[6]

2018 saw Davenport's Broadway debut playing the Earl of Warwick in a revival of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan starring Condola Rashad.

Personal life

Davenport married actress Michelle Gomez on 1 May 2000. Their son was born in 2010. On 28 February 2023, Gomez announced on Instagram that she, Davenport, and their son had become naturalized American citizens.[7][8]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Fierce Creatures Student Zoo Keeper
The Moth Robert Bradley TV film
1998 Macbeth Malcolm TV film
Tale of the Mummy Detective Bartone
The Wisdom of Crocodiles Sergeant Roche
1999 The Cookie Thief A Man Short film
The Talented Mr. Ripley Peter Smith-Kingsley
2000 The Wyvern Mystery Harry Fairfield TV film
Offending Angels Rory
2001 Gypsy Woman Leon
The Bunker LCpl. Ebert
Subterrain Businessman
Not Afraid, Not Afraid Michael
Look Stanley Short film
2002 The Real Jane Austen Henry Austen TV documentary film
2003 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl James Norrington
Eroica Prince Lobkowitz TV film
The Welsh Great Escape Narrator TV film
2004 The Boy Who Would Be King Narrator TV documentary film
Terrible Kisses Man Short film
The Libertine Harris
2005 The Wedding Date Edward Fletcher-Wooten
A Higher Agency John Short film
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest James Norrington Teen Choice Award for Choice Rumble
2007 This Life + 10 Miles Stewart TV film
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End James Norrington
2009 That Deadwood Feeling Jack
The Boat That Rocked Twatt
2011 The Key Man Bobby
Mother's Milk Patrick Melrose
2013 Haven't We Met Before? Man Short film
2014 Death Knight Love Story Zeliek
Kingsman: The Secret Service Lancelot
Sea of Fire Marty Kesowich TV film
2016 Guernica Vasyl
Americana Calib
A United Kingdom Alistair Canning
Untitled Sarah Silverman Project Blake TV film
Prototype Edward Conway TV film
2017 The Tank Will Sacks
The Wilde Wedding Rory Darling
The Stolen Joshua McCullen
Doomsday Warren TV film
2021 Dagger Will Short film, voice role

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996-1997 This Life Miles Stewart Series regular
1998 Ultraviolet Detective Sergeant Michael Colefield Series regular
1999 Boiling Point Narrator Mini-series
1999 Omnibus Narrator Episode: "Our Julie"
2000-2004 Coupling Steve Taylor Series regular
2001 Scribbling Narrator Episode: "Part Two"
2002 Dickens Charley Dickens 2 episodes
2004 Agatha Christie's Marple Superintendent Harper Episode: "The Body in the Library"
2005-2007 The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant Lieutenant Ralph Clarke Mini-series
2008 Swingtown Bruce Miller Series regular
2009-2010 FlashForward Lloyd Simcoe Series regular
2012-2013 Smash Derek Wills Series regular
2013 Breathless Otto Powell Series regular
2014 The Good Wife Frank Asher Episode: "Parallel Construction, Bitches"
2015 Life in Squares Older David Garnett 1 episode
2016 The Mindy Project Leland Breakfast Episode: "Leland Breakfast Is the Miracle Worker"
2017 White Famous Peter King Series regular
2018 Next of Kin Guy Harcourt Mini-series
Deception Alistair Black 3 episodes
2019 Why Women Kill Karl Grove Series regular
2019 The Morning Show Jason Craig Series regular
2021 Why Women Kill The Narrator Series regular
2022 Ten Percent Jonathan Nightingale Series regular
2023 Accused John

Theatre

Year Play Role Venue Notes
1991 Hamlet Lou Scunt Theatr Clwyd, Mold, Flintshire
1999 The Tempest John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith Various with Holders Season Barbados
2001 The Servant Tony Lyric Theatre, London
2002 Lady Windermere's Fan Lord Darlington Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
2003 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Toby Young Soho Theatre, London
2006 Enemies Yakov Bardin Almeida Theatre, London

Radio

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2002 Laurence Olivier Awards Most Promising Performer The Servant Nominated
2006 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Rumble (with Orlando Bloom) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Won

References

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