David Thewlis is an English actor, screenwriter, and director with a creative portfolio that boasts over eighty vivid, memorable, and sometimes even controversial film characters. He has portrayed the werewolf and Hogwarts professor Remus Lupin, the poet Paul Verlaine, the Nazi official Ralph, and the cynical murderer Christopher Edwards—just a few of the roles that have brought the actor global fame and acclaim.
David Thewlis
Childhood and Youth
The future actor was born in the coastal resort town of Blackpool, located in the northwest of England, in Lancashire county. His real name is David Wheeler, and Thewlis is his mother's maiden name. He adopted it as a stage name in 1984 when he decided to join the Actors' Union and discovered that someone with his exact name was already registered.
David Thewlis as a child
His parents, Alec Raymond Wheeler and Maureen Thewlis, owned 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 Thewlis with his sister
David was the second son of the Wheelers and initially did not stand out among his brothers. He did well in school, wrote poems, was good at drawing, but his main passion was rock music. He admired the work of The Beatles and tried to emulate his idols.
Together with friends Cliff Ashcroft and Chris Swift, the young man played bass guitar in the rock band QED. The guys performed in hotels, restaurants, and clubs, and participated in local music festivals. David played the instrument well, and was invited to join the punk band "Door 66," with whom he went on tour in London.
Door 66 – Mooneys House
As it turns out, David didn't even consider an acting career in his youth and was exclusively interested in music. After arriving in London, he decided to apply to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where many of his friends had studied. The school alternated music lessons with acting classes, and David found this very interesting.
In 1984, having successfully completed his studies, the graduate registered with the Actors' Union and began looking for work in the theater. His debut on the professional stage was a performance in a play about musician Buddy Holly, staged in Greenwich.
David Thewlis in his youth
Over ten years, David played many roles, but all were secondary and inconspicuous. His screen characters brought him worldwide fame—vivid, unusual, sometimes even scandalous, but always generating keen interest among the public and critics.
Acting Careers
David started acting in films in 1986, and initially, as it often happens, he played minor characters in small episodes. Among these was a tiny, unnamed part in the film "Life Is Sweet" by the cult director Mike Leigh. For Mike, the young actor's unique dramatic talent was a revelation, and a few years later, he invited David to play the role of the wandering philosopher Johnny in the movie "Naked" (1993).
As Johnny in 'Naked'
David's character is simply terrible – he not only completely destroyed his own life but also caused suffering to everyone around him. Thewlis was even worried that this would affect how viewers saw him personally, as Johnny was so vile and repulsive. However, the actor's worries were in vain – 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 such success, a queue of directors formed for the then-unknown actor. Soon after, another masterpiece was released – the biographical drama "Total Eclipse" (1995), which depicts the tumultuous relationship between the French poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine.
A scene from 'Total Eclipse'
Thewlis masterfully conveyed Verlaine's painful, almost hypnotic dependency on the young hell-raiser Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio), who intruded into his life in the most brazen manner. Many viewers were shocked by the kiss between the main characters: although the theme of homosexuality was no longer taboo, directors tended to avoid it unless necessary.
David Thewlis and Leonardo DiCaprio
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
At the same time, David continued to surprise audiences with a diverse range of screen characters, and that same year, he brilliantly transformed into the fairytale King Einon in the children's adventure movie "Dragonheart."
David in 'Dragonheart'
A year later, alongside Brad Pitt, he appeared in the serious geopolitical drama "Seven Years in Tibet," which led to the actors being permanently banned from entering China.
A scene from 'Seven Years in Tibet'
For his role as journalist Dan Starkey in the black comedy "Divorcing Jack," David was nominated for an award at the British Independent Film Festival (1998). That same year, he played the English pianist Kinsky in Bernardo Bertolucci's sensual psychological drama "Besieged" and still considers this to be the best work of his acting career.
A scene from 'Besieged'
In 2003, Thewlis presented his second directorial work "Cheeky," in which he also played the lead role. The film went largely unnoticed, but when "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was released, he instantly became a world-famous actor.
The role in 'Harry Potter' brought David global fame
Thewlis played the role of Remus Lupin – a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who turns into a werewolf during certain phases of the moon. He can also be seen in the following parts of the famous "Harry Potter" series, which concluded in 2011.
Thewlis on the set of 'The Order of the Phoenix'
The actor managed not only to stand out among his younger colleagues but also became the most memorable 'adult' character in the saga and a favorite of J.K. Rowling, the author of the books about the young wizards.
David Thewlis & Alan Rickman - DH Part 2 Premiere
In 2008, one of the best films about the Holocaust, "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," was released, where David played an influential Nazi official, the father of the main character. The film was recognized with many prestigious awards, but historians were not thrilled, finding many factual inaccuracies.
David Thewlis in the drama 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'
Also noteworthy is Thewlis's participation in Luc Besson's biographical drama "The Lady," Steven Spielberg's war adventure film "War Horse," the action-packed "RED 2" with Bruce Willis and John Malkovich, the psychological thriller "Stonehearst Asylum," and the romantic drama "The Theory of Everything," which received five Oscar nominations.
A scene from 'RED 2'
Thewlis appeared in the third season of the dark comedy "Fargo" and featured in the superhero movies "Wonder Woman" and "Justice League," once again demonstrating the unique versatility of his acting talent.
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, as was his second marriage to actress Kate Hardie, which took place in 1998.
David Thewlis and Sarah Sugarman
Kate had a son from a previous husband, with whom David got along very well. It was then that he first considered having his own children and was overjoyed when his next girlfriend, Anna Friel, announced her pregnancy.
With Anna Friel and daughter
In 2005, his only daughter Gracie was born, with whose mother the actor lived in a domestic partnership for 10 years. In 2010, Anna left for actor Rhys Ifans – Thewlis's co-star in the movie "Anonymous," maintaining a friendly relationship with her former husband.
Anna Friel did a lot for David – thanks to her, he gave up bad habits, started eating right, and took care of his health. She also gave him a daughter, whom Thewlis adores, cares for, and tries to participate in her upbringing as much as possible.
David Thewlis and his daughter Gracie
In July 2021, it became known that five years earlier, the 58-year-old actor had remarried – this time his chosen one was a French artist named Hermine Poitou. He dedicated a touching post to her on Instagram, describing the story of their acquaintance.
At their first meeting, the girl was wearing a red dress with white polka dots and smoking tobacco from a clay pipe. She said that she used to work as a director of a flea circus, and, surprisingly, this turned out to be true. Of course, such an unusual person did not leave David indifferent, who fell in love with her at first sight.
Wedding photo with Hermine
The newlyweds settled in the quiet, upscale town of Sunningdale in the south of England, where they bought a small cozy mansion on the shores of the picturesque Virginia Water Lake.
David Thewlis Now
On December 6, 2021, the premiere of the TV series "Landscapers" took place, in which David Thewlis played the main role. The film is based on true events that occurred in Nottinghamshire in May 1998 and sparked a strong reaction in English society. The story centers around a seemingly well-off and elderly couple, Susan and Christopher Edwards, who fifteen years ago killed the wife's parents, buried them in their backyard, and lived comfortably on the elderly couple's pensions all this time.
A scene from the TV series 'The Landscapers'
Thewlis's screen partner was Oscar-winning English actress Olivia Colman, who was so struck by this gruesome tale that she convinced her husband, writer Ed Sinclair, to write the screenplay for the film.
David Thewlis Interview: The Fagin Secret He Hid From The Artful Dodger Cast
Thewlis also played an interesting role in the TV series "The Sandman", an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comics – Doctor Destiny, who acquires a valuable artifact while the main character Morpheus is imprisoned and uses it to harm people.
David Thewlis in the TV series 'The Sandman'
The actor also appeared in the second part of the movie "Enola Holmes" and voiced the main antagonist 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 first novel "The Late Hector Kipling," which became a bestseller in England in 2007.
While studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, David earned a living through music performances and commercials.
During the filming of 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 was cast as Remus Lupin without an audition – J.K. Rowling and director Alfonso Cuarón envisioned only David for the role of Lupin.
