David Thewlis bio, age, wife, height, relationships, awards 2025

Biography of David Thewlis

David Thewlis is an English actor, screenwriter, and director whose creative portfolio spans over eighty vivid, memorable, and sometimes controversial film characters. From the werewolf professor Remus Lupin at Hogwarts to poet Paul Verlaine, Nazi official Ralph, and cynical murderer Christopher Edwards—these are just a few roles that have earned him global fame and critical acclaim.

Childhood and Youth

The future actor was born in Blackpool, a coastal resort town in Lancashire county, northwest England. His real name is David Wheeler, and Thewlis is his mother's maiden name. He adopted it as his stage name in 1984 when joining the Actors' Union after discovering someone with his exact name was already registered.

His parents, Alec Raymond Wheeler and Maureen Thewlis, ran a small shop selling souvenirs and children's toys. The apartment where David grew up was situated on the floor above the same building.

David was the Wheelers' second son and didn't initially stand out among his brothers. He excelled in school, wrote poetry, and showed talent for drawing, but rock music was his true passion. He idolized The Beatles and tried to follow in their footsteps.

Together with friends Cliff Ashcroft and Chris Swift, the young man played bass guitar in the rock band QED. The band performed at hotels, restaurants, and clubs while participating in local music festivals. David's bass skills earned him an invitation to join punk band "Door 66," and he toured London with them.

Door 66 – Mooneys House

Surprisingly, David never considered acting in his youth—music was his sole focus. Once in London, he applied to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, following in the footsteps of many friends. The school's mix of music lessons and acting classes fascinated David.

After graduating in 1984, he registered with the Actors' Union and started hunting for theater work. He made his professional stage debut in a Buddy Holly musical at Greenwich.

For ten years, David took on numerous roles, though all remained secondary and unremarkable. His screen characters catapulted him to worldwide fame—vivid, unusual, sometimes scandalous, but always captivating audiences and critics alike.

Acting Careers

David started acting in films in 1986, and he initially took on minor roles in small productions, as most actors do. One of these was a small, uncredited role in cult director Mike Leigh's "Life Is Sweet." Mike was blown away by the young actor's raw dramatic talent, and a few years later, he invited David to play the role of the wandering philosopher Johnny in the movie "Naked" (1993).

David's character is absolutely despicable – he's not only destroyed his own life but wreaked havoc on everyone around him. Thewlis actually worried that audiences might confuse him with Johnny, since the character was so utterly vile and repulsive. But the actor's fears proved unfounded – the film was recognized with a huge number of awards and nominations, and Mike Leigh and David Thewlis won the Best Director and Best Actor awards respectively at the Cannes Film Festival with the "Prix du Jury."

After that breakthrough, directors were lining up to work with the previously unknown actor. Soon after came another masterpiece – the biographical drama "Total Eclipse" (1995), exploring the explosive relationship between French poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine.

Thewlis brilliantly captured Verlaine's agonizing, almost hypnotic obsession with young rebel Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio), who storms into his life with shocking audacity. The passionate kiss between the leads shocked many viewers: while homosexuality wasn't exactly taboo anymore, directors still shied away from it unless absolutely essential.

In 1996, Thewlis debuted as a scriptwriter and director with the short film "Hello, Hello, Hello." The film was critically acclaimed and nominated for a BAFTA Award.

Hello, Hello, Hello - Thewlis» short film

Meanwhile, David kept surprising audiences with his incredible range, brilliantly transforming into the fairytale King Einon in the family adventure "Dragonheart" that same year.

The following year, he starred alongside Brad Pitt in the intense geopolitical drama "Seven Years in Tibet" – a role that got both actors permanently banned from China.

His performance as journalist Dan Starkey in the black comedy "Divorcing Jack" earned David a nomination at the British Independent Film Festival in 1998. That same year, he took on the role of English pianist Kinsky in Bernardo Bertolucci's sensual psychological drama "Besieged" – a performance he still considers his career best.

In 2003, Thewlis released his second directorial effort "Cheeky," also starring in the lead role. The film flew under the radar, but "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" instantly catapulted him to global stardom.

The role in 'Harry Potter' brought David global fame

Thewlis brought to life Remus Lupin – the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who transforms into a werewolf during certain lunar phases. He reprised the role throughout the rest of the beloved "Harry Potter" series, which wrapped up in 2011.

Thewlis on the set of 'The Order of the Phoenix'

Thewlis didn't just hold his own alongside his younger co-stars – he became the saga's most memorable adult character and won over J.K. Rowling herself.

David Thewlis & Alan Rickman - DH Part 2 Premiere

In 2008, David took on one of his most challenging roles in "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," playing an influential Nazi official and the main character's father in this acclaimed Holocaust drama. While the film earned numerous prestigious awards, historians weren't impressed, citing significant factual errors.

David Thewlis in the drama 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'

Thewlis also delivered memorable performances in Luc Besson's biographical drama "The Lady," Steven Spielberg's war epic "War Horse," the action-packed "RED 2" alongside Bruce Willis and John Malkovich, the psychological thriller "Stonehearst Asylum," and the Oscar-nominated romantic drama "The Theory of Everything."

Thewlis brought his distinctive presence to the third season of "Fargo" and entered the superhero realm with "Wonder Woman" and "Justice League," once again showcasing his remarkable versatility.

David Thewlis's Personal Life

David Thewlis's first wife was actress and director Sarah Sugarman, whom he married in 1992. Their union was short-lived, and so was his second marriage to actress Kate Hardie in 1998.

Kate had a son from a previous relationship, and David got along with him incredibly well. That's when he first thought about having his own kids and was thrilled when his next girlfriend, Anna Friel, announced her pregnancy.

In 2005, his only daughter Gracie was born, and the actor lived with her mother for 10 years. In 2010, Anna left him for actor Rhys Ifans – Thewlis's co-star in the movie "Anonymous" – but maintained a friendly relationship with her ex.

Anna Friel was great for David – she helped him kick bad habits, start eating better, and take care of his health. She also gave him a daughter, whom Thewlis adores and tries to be as involved in raising as possible.

In July 2021, it came out that five years earlier, the 58-year-old actor had remarried – this time to a French artist named Hermine Poitou. He dedicated a touching post to her on Instagram, describing the story of their acquaintance.

When they first met, she was wearing a red dress with white polka dots and smoking tobacco from a clay pipe. She told him she used to work as a director of a flea circus – and surprisingly, this turned out to be true. Of course, such an unusual woman didn't leave David unmoved – he fell in love with her at first sight.

The newlyweds settled in the quiet, upscale town of Sunningdale in southern England, where they bought a cozy little mansion on the shores of picturesque Virginia Water Lake.

David Thewlis Now

On December 6, 2021, the TV series "Landscapers" premiered with David Thewlis in the lead role. The series is based on true events that unfolded in Nottinghamshire in May 1998 and sent shockwaves through English society. The story follows a seemingly well-off elderly couple, Susan and Christopher Edwards, who murdered the wife's parents fifteen years earlier, buried them in their backyard, and had been living comfortably off the victims' pensions ever since.

A scene from the TV series 'The Landscapers'

Thewlis's screen partner was Oscar-winning English actress Olivia Colman, who was so captivated by this chilling true story that she convinced her husband, writer Ed Sinclair, to pen the screenplay.

David Thewlis Interview: The Fagin Secret He Hid From The Artful Dodger Cast

Thewlis also delivered a compelling performance in the TV series "The Sandman", Neil Gaiman's comic adaptation, as Doctor Destiny – a character who acquires a powerful artifact while protagonist Morpheus is imprisoned and uses it to torment people.

David Thewlis in the TV series 'The Sandman'

The actor also appeared in "Enola Holmes 2" and lent his voice to the main villain in the animated film "The Amazing Maurice".

Interesting Facts

Thewlis is passionate about painting, plays the guitar and piano, writes poetry and prose. In 1999, he published his debut novel "The Late Hector Kipling," which became a bestseller in England in 2007.

While studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, David supported himself through musical performances and commercial work.

While filming the thriller "The Island of Dr. Moreau," the actor fell off a horse and broke his leg. He vowed never to watch the film and kept his promise, not even attending the premiere.

Thewlis auditioned for the role of Professor Quirrell in the first part of the "Harry Potter" series, but at that time the role went to Ian Hart. However, he landed the role of Remus Lupin without even auditioning – J.K. Rowling and director Alfonso Cuarón could only picture David in the role.