# Tobias Menzies
**Tobias Menzies** (born 1974) is an English stage, television, and film actor best known for his dual roles as Frank Randall and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall in Starz's *Outlander*, as Brutus in HBO's *Rome*, as Edmure Tully in HBO's *Game of Thrones*, and as [Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/prince-philip-duke-of-edinburgh) in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's *The Crown*, a performance that won him a Primetime Emmy Award.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tobias-menzies)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1974, North London, England[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) |
| Training | Year Out Drama Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1993–1994; BA in Acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), 1998[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) |
| Breakthrough role | Brutus in the BBC/HBO series *Rome* (2005–07)[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tobias_menzies) |
| Signature dual role | Frank Randall and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall in *Outlander*; Golden Globe nomination in 2016[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) |
| Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 73rd Emmys, for Prince Philip in *The Crown*[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tobias-menzies) |
| Other major roles | Edmure Tully in *Game of Thrones*; James Fitzjames in *The Terror*; Edwin Stanton in *Manhunt*[4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/) |
| Recent film work | Don in *You Hurt My Feelings* (2023); Peter Banning in *F1: The Movie* (2025)[4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/) |
## Early life and training
Menzies was born in [North London](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-london) in 1974, the son of a teacher and a BBC radio producer.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) When he was six, his parents split up, and he relocated to Kent alongside his mother, who taught drama, and his brother; between ages seven and 14 he was educated at a Steiner school, after which he sat his exams at a private school in Surrey.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings) He has described the [Steiner system](https://www.edgepedia.org/steiner-system)'s broad education, with its regular class recitations, as making performance feel ordinary rather than special; he acted in only one play at his subsequent school.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings)
His original plan after school was to study mime at the [Jacques Lecoq](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacques-lecoq) school in Paris, the training ground of the physical theater company [Complicité](https://www.edgepedia.org/complicite), which he admired, but he could not raise the funds. He instead won a scholarship to RADA, where his classmates included [Sally Hawkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/sally-hawkins) and Maxine Peake, and graduated with a BA in Acting in 1998.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings) After graduating he took part in improvisation workshops with The Spontaneity Shop, a British improvisation comedy company, as part of a RADA graduate program.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/)
## Television career
**Early work and *Rome*.** After graduating in 1998, Menzies began landing recurring roles on British television, including *Casualty* (BBC) and *Ultimate Force* (ITV).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tobias_menzies) His first big break came in 2005 with the part of Brutus in the historical series *Rome*, a BBC/HBO co-production that ran through 2007 and made him a recognizable face in the United States and abroad.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tobias_menzies) The Guardian later called it his big TV breakthrough.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings)
**Character work in prestige series.** Through the 2010s Menzies built a record of supporting parts in widely watched series: Edmure Tully in *Game of Thrones*, Nathaniel Bloom in *The Honourable Woman*, Geoffrey Dromgoole in *The Night Manager*, Dr. Harries in the [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) comedy *Catastrophe*, Liam Monroe in *Black Mirror*, and roles in *Doctor Who*, *The Shadow Line*, and *The Thick of It*.[6](https://www.amc.com/shows/the-terror/cast/tobias-menzies--1033009) • [4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/) His *Game of Thrones* return in 2016, after the character had been absent for three years, went unannounced; Menzies told [Entertainment Weekly](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment-weekly) that the producers had not told him he would be back and contacted him only shortly before shooting to check his availability.[7](https://time.com/4351789/game-of-thrones-red-wedding-return/)
**Outlander.** In Starz's adaptation of [Diana Gabaldon](https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-gabaldon)'s novels, Menzies played both Frank Randall, a twentieth-century academic, and Frank's sadistic eighteenth-century ancestor Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) • [6](https://www.amc.com/shows/the-terror/cast/tobias-menzies--1033009) This part brought him a 2016 Golden Globe nod, in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/)
**The Crown.** When *The Crown* recast its leads for its third and fourth seasons, creator [Peter Morgan](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-morgan) auditioned Menzies opposite [Olivia Colman](https://www.edgepedia.org/olivia-colman), who was taking over as Queen Elizabeth; [Mark Strong](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-strong) and then Paul Bettany had been considered for Philip before falling through, and Menzies was offered the part two weeks after his audition.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings) He replaced Matt Smith as Prince Philip and studied Smith's mannerisms but relied mainly on archive footage of Philip himself.[8](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/tobias-menzies-interview-almeida-the-crown-olivia-colman-a4165356.html) His and Colman's seasons covered events from 1964 to 1977.[8](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/tobias-menzies-interview-almeida-the-crown-olivia-colman-a4165356.html) The role brought him a 2020 Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama, and the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 73rd Emmys.[1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tobias-menzies) Menzies has singled out the season-three episode built around the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, in which Philip meets the astronauts and confronts an existential crisis, as the performance of which he is most proud.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings)
**Later television.** He played James Fitzjames in FX's *The Terror* (2018) and starred as [Edwin Stanton](https://www.edgepedia.org/edwin-stanton) in Apple TV+'s limited series *Manhunt* (2024).[4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/) Comedy credits include *Catastrophe* on Amazon and *This Way Up* on Hulu.[9](https://images.nationaltheatre.org.uk/uploads/2025/10/OCT-16-The-Other-Place-press-release.pdf)
## Film work
Menzies's film credits include Villiers in the 2006 [James Bond](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-bond) reboot *Casino Royale*, a naval officer in [Joe Wright](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-wright)'s *Atonement* (2007), Lewis in *Black Sea* (2014), Marius in *Underworld: Blood Wars* (2016), and Don, a New York therapist, opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Nicole Holofcener's *You Hurt My Feelings* (2023).[6](https://www.amc.com/shows/the-terror/cast/tobias-menzies--1033009) • [4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings) In 2025 he appeared as Peter Banning in *F1: The Movie*, directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt, and he is due to appear in Ruben Östlund's *The Entertainment System Is Down*.[9](https://images.nationaltheatre.org.uk/uploads/2025/10/OCT-16-The-Other-Place-press-release.pdf) • [4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/)
## Theatre
Menzies has worked extensively on the London stage. In 2003 he was nominated for the Ian Charleson Award for his Tusenbach in Michael Blakemore's production of *Three Sisters* at the Playhouse Theatre, and in 2005 he was one of the leads in Nicholas Hytner's acclaimed National Theatre production of Alan Bennett's *The History Boys*, playing the young teacher Irwin.[10](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Tobias%2BMenzies-167514/biography) • [11](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580014/otherworks/) Other stage work includes Captain Plume in *The Recruiting Officer* at the Donmar Warehouse, Edgar in *King Lear* for Headlong, Joe Cardin opposite Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss in *The Children's Hour*, and Astrov in Robert Icke's *Uncle Vanya* at the Almeida Theatre.[6](https://www.amc.com/shows/the-terror/cast/tobias-menzies--1033009) • [4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/) In 2024 he appeared in two productions: Rupert Goold's *The Hunt* at the Almeida Theatre and St Ann's Warehouse in New York, and Alexander Zeldin's *The Other Place*, inspired by the story of Antigone, opposite Emma D'Arcy at the National Theatre; the latter production transferred to The Shed in New York in 2026.[9](https://images.nationaltheatre.org.uk/uploads/2025/10/OCT-16-The-Other-Place-press-release.pdf) • [4](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/)
## Acting style and recognition
Menzies is often cast as anti-heroes, villains, or aggressive high-status characters, a typecasting he has connected to a hard look in repose, while describing himself as unlike those figures in temperament.[8](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/tobias-menzies-interview-almeida-the-crown-olivia-colman-a4165356.html) He has described his own preference in acting terms: "I like roles where the inside is bigger than the outside. I'm drawn to interiority," and critics have noted his restraint, from the weary Philip in *The Crown* to the deadpan gynaecologist in *Catastrophe*.[12](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/tobias-menzies-crown-outlander-other-place-b2623171.html)
His awards include the 2021 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, two Golden Globe nominations (2016 for *Outlander*, 2020 for *The Crown*), a 2019 Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama/Genre for *The Crown*, and a 2021 BAFTA TV Award nomination for Supporting Actor.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tobias-menzies) • [1](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/) • [13](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580014/awards/) Of the three actors who have played Prince Philip in *The Crown*, Menzies is the only one to win an Emmy for the role.[14](https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/tobias-menzies-tv-shows-manhunt-outlander-the-crown-the-terror/)
## References
1. [Tobias Menzies, Golden Globes](https://goldenglobes.com/person/tobias-menzies/)
2. [Tobias Menzies, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tobias-menzies)
3. [Tobias Menzies, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tobias_menzies)
4. [Tobias Menzies CV, Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/tobias-menzies/pdf/)
5. [Tim Lewis, "'I'm monomaniacal, I get slightly obsessive': actor Tobias Menzies on tennis, moon landings and people watching," The Guardian, 23 July 2023](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/23/tobias-menzies-interview-you-hurt-my-feelings)
6. [Tobias Menzies, The Terror cast bio, AMC](https://www.amc.com/shows/the-terror/cast/tobias-menzies--1033009)
7. ["Spoiler Alert: Game of Thrones Actor Had No Idea That His Character Would Return," Time, 30 May 2016](https://time.com/4351789/game-of-thrones-red-wedding-return/)
8. [Nick Curtis, "Tobias Menzies interview," London Evening Standard, 12 June 2019](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/tobias-menzies-interview-almeida-the-crown-olivia-colman-a4165356.html)
9. [The Other Place press release, National Theatre, 16 October 2025](https://images.nationaltheatre.org.uk/uploads/2025/10/OCT-16-The-Other-Place-press-release.pdf)
10. [Tobias Menzies biography, Filmweb](https://www.filmweb.pl/person/Tobias%2BMenzies-167514/biography)
11. [Tobias Menzies, Other works, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580014/otherworks/)
12. [Ellie Harrison, "Tobias Menzies: 'Sometimes I feel like I could use an extra layer or two of skin'," The Independent, 7 October 2024](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/tobias-menzies-crown-outlander-other-place-b2623171.html)
13. [Tobias Menzies, Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580014/awards/)
14. [Tobias Menzies' Best Period Roles, Ranked, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/tobias-menzies-tv-shows-manhunt-outlander-the-crown-the-terror/)
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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 Mc to M*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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