# John Hopkins (actor)

John Hopkins (born 1975) is an English actor. Some of his best-known roles include Sgt. Dan Scott on Midsomer Murders (2004–2005), Lowell in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Sir Francis Basset in the British TV series Poldark (2017–2018). In addition to his television and film work, Hopkins also acts on stage and does voiceovers for video games, television and radio.

## Early life and education

John Hopkins was born in Luton, England, a town close to London. There is little publicly available information about his family or childhood. He attended secondary school at Manshead CofE Upper School in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, and later studied at the University of Leeds (1993-1996), majoring in English. Hopkins received a Sunday Times Short Story Award for student-actors for his role in A Short Play About Sex and Death. After graduation from the University of Leeds, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (1997-2000). He was noticed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and had his first repertory season there (2001-2002).

## Career

In 2002, Hopkins began receiving offers for television roles. Some of the first were minor parts in Trial and Retribution 7 and Love in a Cold Climate. After those, he accepted an offer to play the role of Detective Sergeant Dan Scott in the British television series Midsomer Murders. His involvement with the show continued from the beginning of the 7th series (2004) to the end of the 8th series. Hopkins' character was conceived as a "ladies' man" because of his appearance. During this time, John Nettles was playing the lead role of "Barnaby". Because the actors shared the same first name, Hopkins was assigned the nickname "Hoppers". The two formed a friendship while working together from 2004 to 2005 when Hopkins left the show, returning to the Royal Shakespeare Company to participate in the 2006-2007 London and Stratford-upon-Avon season. At that time, he played Caesar opposite Patrick Stewart in Antony and Cleopatra. He also appeared in Patrick Barlow's comedic version of The 39 Steps as Richard Hannay, as Richard I at the Shakespeare's Globe in the Holy Warriors, and as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. He has also continued to work in television; his credits there include Stan Lee's Lucky Man and the BBC drama Poldark as Sir Francis Basset. Billington in 2018 for The Guardian referred to Hopkins as "one of our best Shakespearean actors", and he was named one of "10 best British actors on stage now" in The Times article by Dominic Maxwell.

### Interview for the Midsomer Murders Society

Hopkins thinks that the whole concept of the Midsomer Murders series is based on the idea of presenting serenity in an issued society. He considers that show is crucial for almost everyone because it demonstrates how all the problems can be solved, where good wins over evil, and everyone returns to the ordinary life once all is done. Hopkins joined the television show when it already had vast popularity. Therefore, as he states, "a bit more pressure was on me than the other guys". Hopkins describes his character as a person who is unwelcoming towards the countryside. He prefers city life and always looks for the method to escape but never achieves it. The relationship between Sergeant Dan Scott (Hopkins' role) and Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Barnaby (John Nettles' role) was tense at the beginning, but eventually became smoother, despite Barnaby's disapproval of Scott's ways. The character Scott and the actor Hopkins have quite different attitudes towards country life; Hopkins feels delighted about spending time in the country. Midsomer Murders allowed him to get to know other great British performers, including the actor Diana Quick and the rower Sir Steve Redgrave. While filming the show, Hopkins got a chance to participate in a movie made by his friends in Prague. His character was a man who woke up in Prague with amnesia. He said he enjoyed playing an "action hero".

### Interview on Christmas and The Festive Episode

Hopkins stated that he enjoys getting away on Christmas holidays to the Lake District, Peak District or Wales. He and his friends climb mountains between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve. Those days remind him of childhood. Before the trip, Hopkins visits his family. Together they eat and watch Midsomer Murders, and recount stories from the past. However, one Christmas he had to spend shooting for the TV show. The shooting was in an old abandoned house which was reputed to be haunted. Hopkins recalled wondering what story was behind the house and the atmosphere it created by sudden sounds and changes in temperature. Hopkins mentioned in the interview that he gained some weight during the winter episodes, due to wearing layers of clothing to keep warm.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby | Lord | TV movie (Uncredited) |
| 2001 | The Pool | Frank | Film debut |
| 2005 | Experiment | Morgan | |
| 2010 | Dora and Diego’s 4-D Adventure Catch That Robot Butterfly | Background cast | Short film, animation |
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Lowell | |
| 2011 | Scenes of an Adult Nature | Tom | Short film |
| 2011 | Love Me or Else | Detective Franks | Short film |
| 2012 | Hacks | Connor Feast | TV movie |
| 2014 | The Face of an Angel | Joe | |
| 2015 | Baklava | Game Short Host | Short film |
| 2017 | The Child in Time | Home Secretary | TV movie |
| 2019 | Four | N/A | Short film, writer |
| 2021 | Absent Now the Dead | Odysseus | Voice |
| 2021 | The Mezzotint | Binks | TV movie |
| 2021 | Hilda and the Mountain King | Erik Ahlberg | TV movie |
| 2021 | Night and Day | Laurence | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Love in a Cold Climate | Robert Parker | Mini-series |
| 2003 | Spooks | Anton | 1 episode |
| 2003 | Trial & Retribution | Ian Frogton QC | 1 episode |
| 2004–2005 | Midsomer Murders | Sergeant Dan Scott | 14 episodes, series 7 and 8 |
| 2005 | Family Affairs | Rex Randall | 15 episodes |
| 2005 | All-Star Poker Challenge | Self | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | The Path to 9/11 | British Reporter | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Tripping Over | Nathaniel | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Robin Hood | John of York | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Mutual Friends | Sam Westwood Jones | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Wire in the Blood | DI Andy Hall | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | The Bill | Daniel Pfeiffer | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Hotel Babylon | Phil McGuiness | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Identity | Justin Curtis | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Merlin | Sir Oswald | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Dick and Dom’s Funny Business | Various | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Secret Diary of a Call Girl | Tom | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Casualty | Tom Russel | 1 episode |
| 2013 | Dancing on the Edge | Prince George | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Catastrophe | Sandy Laybourne | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Doctors | Matt Flowers | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Lucky Man | Charles Collins | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | The Lodge | Samuel "SJ" James | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Endeavour | Dr. Dean Powell | 1 episode |
| 2017–2018 | Poldark | Sir Francis Basset | 8 episodes |
| 2018 | Watergate | H.R. Bob Haldeman | Documentary-series |
| 2019 | Jesus: His Life | Peter | 7 episodes |
| 2020 | Agatha Raisin | Tom 'Bunchie' Richards | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Hilda | Erik Ahlberg | 13 episodes |
| 2022 | Trying | Lawrence | Season 3, Episode 5 |
| 2023 | Funny Woman | Andrew O'Shea | Season 1, Episodes 4, 5, & 6 |
| 2023 | Masters of the Air | Dr. Wendell 'Smokey' Stover | Episodes 2, 4, 5, 7, & 8 |
| 2024 | A Very Royal Scandal | Jeffrey Epstein | Parts 1 & 2 |
| 2024 | Paris Has Fallen | Richard | Episodes 4, 6, 7, & 8 |

### Theatre

Theatre Performances of John Hopkins :
| Year | Title | Role | Company / Director |
| 2001 | King John | Dauphin | Royal Shakespeare Company / Gregory Doran |
| | Julius Caesar | Octavius (Ian Charleston nomination) | Royal Shakespeare Company / Edward Hall |
| | Antony and Cleopatra | Dolabella | Royal Shakespeare Company / Michael Attenborough |
| | Much Ado About Nothing | Claudio / Benedick | Royal Shakespeare Company / Gregory Doran |
| | Play (Samuel Beckett) | Man | Natalie Abrahami |
| | Screams from Job | Eli | Tassos Stevens |
| | Venus and Adonis | Narrator | Royal Shakespeare Company / Gregory Doran |
| 2006 | The Tempest | Sebastian | Royal Shakespeare Company / Rupert Goold |
| | Holy Warriors | Richard I | Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 2006 | Antony and Cleopatra | Caesar | Royal Shakespeare Company / Gregory Doran |
| 2007–2008 | The Country Wife | Harcourt | West End / Johathan Kent |
| | Hamlet | Cladius / Various | Tim Carroll |
| 2009–2010 | 39 Steps | Richard Hannay | West End / Maria Aitken |
| 2019–2020 | A Christmas Carol | Ebenezer Scrooge | Bristol Old Vic / Tom Morris |
| 2023 | Bleak Expectations | Gently Benevolent | West End / Caroline Leslie |
| 2024 | My Fair Lady | Henry Higgins | Leeds Playhouse & Opera North / James Brining |
| 2024–5 | Dr Strangelove | General Ripper | Noel Coward Theatre / Armando Iannucci |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Ryse: Son of Rome | Marius | |
| 2015 | Sword Coast Legends | Javen Tamikos | |
| 2015 | Assassin's Creed Syndicate | Maxwell Roth | |
| 2016 | Tom Clancy's The Division | Aaron Keener | |
| 2016 | Hitman | The Shadow Client / Lucas Grey | |
| 2016 | Battlefleet Gothic: Armada | Captain Tiberus Solarian / Makefica Arkham | |
| 2017 | Horizon Zero Dawn | Erend | |
| 2017 | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III | Space Marines | |
| 2017 | Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age | Hendrik | |
| 2018 | Hitman 2 | Lucas Grey | |
| 2019 | Anthem | The Bard | |
| 2019 | Tom Clancy's The Division 2 | Aaron Keener | |
| 2020 | Total War: Warhammer II | Eltharion The Grim | (DLC) |
| 2021 | Hitman 3 | Lucas Grey | |
| 2021 | Last Stop | Dan Hughes / 80s Policeman 2 | |
| 2021 | Scarf | voice | |
| 2022 | Horizon Forbidden West | Erend | |
| 2023 | Final Fantasy XVI | Elwin Rosfield | |
| 2023 | Baldur's Gate 3 | Arnell Hallowleaf | |
| 2023 | Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin | Iden, Knights Excelsior | |
| 2024 | Skull & Bones (video game) | John Scurlock | |
| 2024 | Rise of the Ronin | Commodore Matthew Perry | |
| 2024 | Stellar Blade | Clyde | |
| 2024 | Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered | Erend | |
| 2024 | Lego Horizon Adventures | Erend | |

### Audio

| Year | Title | Type | Role | Notes |
| 2022- | Short History of... (Series 3-) | Podcast | Presenter / Narrator | starting with: The Great Fire of London Noiser Podcasts |
| 2022-2023 | Scotland Yard Confidential | Podcast | Presenter / Narrator | starting with: The London Cellar Murder Noiser Podcasts |

## Awards

Hopkins has been nominated for several awards during his career. He received two nominations for his voice in the video game Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) for the voiceover of "Erend".
Awards :
| Year | Award name | Category | Status |
| 2001 | Ian Charleson Award | | Additional award |
| 2018 | Behind the Voice Actors Awards (BTVA) Video Game Voice Acting Award | Best Male Vocal Performance in a Video Game in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 2018 | Behind the Voice Actors Awards (BTVA) Video Game Voice Acting Award | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game | Nominated |
| 2023 | The British Short Film Awards | Best Actor, Smile School | Nominated |
| 2024 | UK Theatre Awards | Best Performance in a Musical, My Fair Lady | Nominated |