# Ben Daniels
**Ben Daniels** is an English actor known for an award-winning stage career that includes a Laurence Olivier Award for *All My Sons* and a Tony Award nomination for the Broadway revival of *Les Liaisons Dangereuses*, alongside screen roles in *House of Cards*, *The Exorcist*, *The Crown*, *Flesh and Bone*, and *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*. He was born in 1964 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England[1](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-ben-daniels_18330/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography) |
| Training | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), enrolled at age 18[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography) |
| Major theater award | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor, 2001 (2000 season), for *All My Sons* at the Royal National Theatre, Cottesloe[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) |
| Broadway recognition | Tony nomination for Best Actor, Theatre World Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for *Les Liaisons Dangereuses* (2008)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [4](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/ben-daniels-473783) |
| Signature television roles | James Steel in *Law & Order: UK* (four seasons), Father Marcus in *The Exorcist*, Adam Galloway in *House of Cards*, Paul Grayson in *Flesh and Bone*, Lord Snowdon in *The Crown*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [5](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/) |
| Notable film role | General Merrick in *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* (2016)[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography) |
| Recent stage work | Gregor Antonescu in Terence Rattigan's *Man and Boy*, National Theatre Dorfman, 30 January to 14 March 2026[6](https://www.westendtheatre.com/289587/news/ben-daniels-to-star-in-man-and-boy-at-londons-national-theatre-in-2026/) |
## Early life and training
Daniels grew up in what he has described as a small working-class town and family in the middle of England, and became interested in acting through drama lessons at comprehensive school[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [7](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withben-daniels-8001/). He studied theater through childhood and enrolled at the [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-academy-of-music-and-dramatic-art) at age 18[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography). His first big break, by his own account, was a 1986 production of Alan Ayckbourn's *Family Circles* at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre, in which he played a character called James[1](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-ben-daniels_18330/). His earliest screen work included a role in the music video for the Moody Blues song "Your Wildest Dreams" (1986), a small part in the film *Wish You Were Here* (1987), and television appearances on *One by One* and the TV movie *Freedom Fighter* (1988)[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842).
## Theatre career
**Breakthrough and Olivier Award.** Daniels's early work in theaters around the UK led to his casting as Richard Loeb, one of the two Chicago "thrill killers" in John Logan's factual play *Never the Sinner* at London's Playhouse Theatre, a performance that earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/). BroadwayWorld records that nomination in the 1991 Olivier Awards, in the category [Performance](https://www.edgepedia.org/performance) of the Year by an Actor in a Supporting Role[9](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Daniels/). Further nominations followed for *Martin Yesterday* by the Canadian writer Brad Fraser (M.E.N. Best Actor nomination) and *As You Like It* (TMA Supporting Actor nomination)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/).
At the [Royal National Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-national-theatre) he played Chris, the son who comes to realize his family's crimes, in [Arthur Miller](https://www.edgepedia.org/arthur-miller)'s *All My Sons*, directed by Howard Davies in a cast with [Julie Walters](https://www.edgepedia.org/julie-walters) and Catherine McCormack. The performance won him both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Supporting Actor, the latter with 93 percent of theatregoers' votes[1](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-ben-daniels_18330/). The IMDb trivia record places the Olivier Award in 2001, for the 2000 season, at the National's Cottesloe auditorium[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/).
**Broadway.** Daniels made his Broadway debut as the Vicomte de Valmont opposite Academy Award nominee [Laura Linney](https://www.edgepedia.org/laura-linney) in the Roundabout Theatre Company's 2008 revival of Christopher Hampton's *Les Liaisons Dangereuses*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [10](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/actor-playing-showy-central-role-17381/). For that performance, Daniels earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, a Theatre World Award recognizing a breakthrough Broadway debut, a Drama Desk nomination in the Distinguished Performance category, and an Outer Critics Circle nomination.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [9](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Daniels/) He returned to Broadway in 2012 as Robert in the [Roundabout](https://www.edgepedia.org/roundabout) revival of *Don't Dress for Dinner*[9](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Daniels/). His British stage credits also include *The Normal Heart* at the National Theatre, where he won the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor[11](https://www.westendtheatre.com/139848/star-watch/ben-daniels/), productions of *Thérèse Raquin*, *Iphigenia at Aulis*, and *Three Sisters* at the National, *Tales from Hollywood*, *The Wild Duck*, *Luise Miller*, and *The God of Hell* at the Donmar Warehouse, *The Haunted Child* at the Royal Court, and *900 Oneonta* at the Old Vic, which drew an Evening Standard Award nomination[9](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Daniels/). In 2023 he appeared in *Medea* at @sohoplace[12](https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/actor-ben-daniels-im-a-terrible-corpser-the-slightest-thing-can-get-out-of-control).
**Man and Boy.** In 2026 Daniels led the cast of Terence Rattigan's *Man and Boy* at the National Theatre's Dorfman Theatre, part of the first season announced by incoming artistic director Indhu Rubasingham[6](https://www.westendtheatre.com/289587/news/ben-daniels-to-star-in-man-and-boy-at-londons-national-theatre-in-2026/). Directed by Anthony Lau in his National Theatre debut, the production ran from 30 January to 14 March 2026, with Daniels as Gregor Antonescu, a corrupt financier who takes refuge in the New York apartment of his estranged son Basil, played by Laurie Kynaston[13](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/national-theatre-unveils-complete-cast-for-man-and-boy-revival_1705813/). Time Out gave the production five stars and called Daniels's performance "easily the best stage performance of the year to date"[14](https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/man-and-boy-review). The production was streamed on National Theatre at Home[15](https://www.ntathome.com/man-and-boy).
## Screen career
Daniels's television breakthrough came as the philandering Finn Bevan in three seasons of the BAFTA-nominated BBC series *Cutting It* (2002)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/). He then played senior crown prosecutor James Steel in four seasons of ITV's *Law & Order: UK* (2009 to 2014)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography). Other British television work includes *The Passion* (2008, as Caiaphas), *The Virgin Queen* (2005, as [Francis Walsingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/francis-walsingham)), HBO's *Conspiracy* (2001), *Ian Fleming: Bondmaker* (2005), *The State Within* (2006), *The Hollow Crown* (as Buckingham), *Jamaica Inn*, and *The Paradise*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [5](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/).
**American and streaming television.** Daniels played [Claire Underwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/claire-underwood)'s British photographer lover Adam Galloway in the first two seasons of Netflix's *House of Cards*[5](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/) • [7](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withben-daniels-8001/), and Paul Grayson, the artistic director of a ballet company, in Starz's limited series *Flesh and Bone*[5](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/). He played Father Marcus in Fox's horror series *The Exorcist* (2016 to 2018)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Lord Snowdon, in Netflix's *The Crown*[5](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/). Later genre roles include Brainwave/Walter Sampson in Netflix's *Jupiter's Legacy*, Bel Riose in Apple TV+'s *[Foundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/foundation-tv-series)*, Círdan the Shipwright in Amazon's *The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power*, and Santiago in AMC's *Interview with the Vampire*[5](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/).
**Film.** His film roles include Augustin Robert, a soldier who falls in love with a leopard, in *Passion in the Desert* (1997); the neo-hippy Tony in *Beautiful Thing* (1996); DJ Bob in [Michael Winterbottom](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-winterbottom)'s *I Want You* (1998); Leopold the Tutor in *Madeline* (1998); the religious fanatic Goat in *Doom* (2005); the title role's Gareth in *Locke* (2013); Fum in *Jack the Giant Slayer* (2013); General Merrick in *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* (2016); Colonel Sigurd von Ilsemann in *The Exception* (2016); Daniel in *Captive State* (2019); Dr. Rivers in Terence Davies's *Benediction*; and a bartender in *Argylle* (2024)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/) • [5](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/). Fandango describes *Rogue One*, in which he played the [Rebel Alliance](https://www.edgepedia.org/rebel-alliance)'s General Merrick, as his biggest film[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography). In 2018 he sang and played [Pontius Pilate](https://www.edgepedia.org/pontius-pilate) in NBC's *Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert*, performing numbers including "Pilate's Dream" and "Trial Before Pilate"[9](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Daniels/) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842).
## Personal life
Daniels's partner from 1993 to 2024 was the actor Ian Gelder; they married in 2008 and met while performing in a London production of *Entertaining Mr. Sloane*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/). Gelder died of bile duct cancer on 6 May 2024, at the age of 74[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/). Daniels lives in [South London](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-london)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/). In the *Independent on Sunday* 2006 Pink List of influential gay men and women he was placed at number 47[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/). On his birth name, sources disagree: Fandango states he was born David Daniels[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography), while [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) lists his birth name as Ben Daniels[16](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ben-daniels/credits/3030129424/).
## References
1. [20 Questions With… Ben Daniels, WhatsOnStage (23 April 2001)](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-ben-daniels_18330/)
2. [Ben Daniels Biography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/ben-daniels-153794/biography)
3. [Ben Daniels Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842/bio/)
4. [Ben Daniels – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/ben-daniels-473783)
5. [Ben Daniels CV, Hamilton Hodell](https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/ben-daniels/cv/film-98/)
6. [Ben Daniels to star in Man and Boy at London's National Theatre in 2026, West End Theatre](https://www.westendtheatre.com/289587/news/ben-daniels-to-star-in-man-and-boy-at-londons-national-theatre-in-2026/)
7. [8 Questions With… Ben Daniels, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withben-daniels-8001/)
8. [Ben Daniels, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199842)
9. [Ben Daniels, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Daniels/)
10. [Any actor playing a showy central role in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/actor-playing-showy-central-role-17381/)
11. [Ben Daniels, West End Theatre star page](https://www.westendtheatre.com/139848/star-watch/ben-daniels/)
12. [Actor Ben Daniels: 'I'm a terrible corpser', The Stage (14 February 2023)](https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/actor-ben-daniels-im-a-terrible-corpser-the-slightest-thing-can-get-out-of-control)
13. [National Theatre unveils complete cast for Man and Boy revival, WhatsOnStage](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/national-theatre-unveils-complete-cast-for-man-and-boy-revival_1705813/)
14. [Man and Boy review, Time Out London](https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/man-and-boy-review)
15. [Man and Boy, National Theatre at Home](https://www.ntathome.com/man-and-boy)
16. [Ben Daniels credits, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ben-daniels/credits/3030129424/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames D to E*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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