# Jason Watkins

Jason Peter Watkins (born 28 October 1962) is an English stage, film and television actor. He played the lead role in the two-part drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He has also played William Herrick in Being Human, Gavin Strong in Trollied, Simon Harwood in W1A, Gordon Shakespeare in the film series Nativity, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson in Season 3 of The Crown and Detective Sergeant Dodds in McDonald & Dodds.

## Early life

Watkins was born in 1962, in Windsor Road, Albrighton, Shropshire, where he lived until the age of seven, when his parents moved to Wolverhampton. His father Alan was a metallurgist at Marston in Wolverhampton and his mother a teacher at Albrighton's primary school. He credits his introduction to entertainment to taking lessons in clowning at Bridgnorth from mime artist Ben Benison, also a presenter on TV programme Vision On.
Being dyslexic, Watkins enjoyed drama as a subject least affected by this issue. He furthered his acting skills as a student of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating in 1985 with an Acting (RADA Diploma).

## Career
### Stage

Following his graduation from RADA, Watkins established himself as a stage actor, joining the National Theatre company.
He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Servant For Two Masters at the (Young Vic, subsequently transferred to New Ambassadors Theatre). His other theatre work includes Rafts and Dreams at the Royal Court Theatre, Philistines and Landscape with Weapon (by Joe Penhall) at the National Theatre, London (2007) and A Laughing Matter (by April De Angelis) at the Royal National Theatre in 2003.
In 2018, he played the predatory serial killer Ralph in a revival of Bryony Lavery's play Frozen at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

### Television

In 1987, Watkins debut appearance on television was in EastEnders as estate agent Gerry Fairweather, a role he played for 11 episodes.
Watkins's more prominent television roles have included the vampire leader William Herrick in Being Human; the crime suspect Jason Buliegh in Conviction; Bradley Stainer in Funland; and the dog-walking crime witness Francis Cross in Five Days. He also played Oswald Cooper in "The Great and the Good", an episode of Lewis; Plornish in the 2008 BBC production of Little Dorrit; and Cabbage Patterson in the BBC adaptation of Lark Rise to Candleford. He had a cameo as Gene Hunt's dissolute lawyer Colin Merric, in episode seven of the second series of Life on Mars.
In 2006, he played the pioneering radiologist Ernest Wilson in a BBC pilot, Casualty 1906. Also in 2006 he played the part of Sir Christopher Hatton in The Virgin Queen, a four-part BBC drama. He then featured in the second series of the BBC's comedy Psychoville, as Peter Bishop, owner of Hoyti Toyti, an antique shop specialising in toys. Additionally he appeared as Doctor Roger Brierley in Victoria Wood's television film Housewife, 49.
Since 2011, he has also appeared in the Sky One sitcom Trollied as the store manager Gavin. In early 2012 he joined the cast of the BBC drama Prisoners' Wives, appeared as Detective Gilks in Dirk Gently and portrayed a smooth Church of England PR man in Twenty Twelve.
On 11 May 2013, he appeared in the Doctor Who story Nightmare in Silver, written by Neil Gaiman, featuring the Cybermen. Also in 2013 he played an anaesthetist in The Wrong Mans. In 2014, he appeared as Simon Harwood in the BBC comedy series W1A.
In 2014, he played the leading role in a two-part ITV drama entitled The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, about the innocent initial suspect in the 2010 murder of Joanna Yeates. He won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for this role.
In 2016, Watkins played the role of Pastor Hansford in the four-part ITV drama The Secret. Watkins appeared in two episodes of The Hollow Crown and played the role of Malcolm Turner in the BBC sitcom series Love, Nina. He narrated the Channel 4 documentary series The Job Interview, appeared as Tony Michaels in an episode of Friday Night Dinner and was cast as Mr Humphries in the BBC revival of Are You Being Served?.
In 2017, Watkins played Solomon Coop, private secretary to the Prince Regent (later George IV), in the BBC One series Taboo. Also on BBC One, Watkins performed as Wilfred Lucas-Dockery, the governor of the prison in the third episode of the BBC's adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh novel Decline and Fall. He played Simon in the second series of the ITV drama Safe House in 2017, as well as playing Tim Ifield in the fourth series of Line of Duty. In 2018 he played Roger in the BBC sitcom Hold the Sunset and Emlyn Hooson in the Russell T Davies miniseries A Very English Scandal, and he provided the voice of Captain Orchis in the BBC adaptation of Watership Down.
In 2019, Watkins played Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the third series of the Netflix drama The Crown. Since 2020 he has appeared in a leading role as DS Dodds in the Bath-set ITV crime drama series McDonald & Dodds.
In 2022, Watkins appeared as Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the series SAS: Rogue Heroes.
In 2023, Watkins starred as Ed Collier in the Channel 5 series The Catch, alongside Aneurin Barnard and Poppy Gilbert. The same year, it was confirmed that Watkins would be a contestant on the third series of the ITV show Cooking with the Stars, alongside other celebrities including Joanna Page, Matt Willis and Peter Andre.
Watkins voices Alfred Pennyworth in the Prime Video animated series Batman: Caped Crusader.

### Film

Watkins's film roles include character parts in Confetti, High Hopes, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Golden Compass and Wild Child. He played Gordon Shakespeare in the first three films in the Nativity series.

## Personal life

Watkins is married to jewellery and fashion designer Clara Francis. On New Year's Day 2011, their 2-year-old daughter died of sepsis. He dedicated his 2015 BAFTA award to her and campaigns for greater awareness of sepsis. He is a Patron of Child Bereavement UK, a charity that supports children, young people and families when a child grieves or when a child dies. He and his wife have two other children. He also has two sons from his first marriage to actress Caroline Harding.

## Awards

| Year | Ceremony | Award | Nominated work | Result |
| 2001 | Olivier Awards | Best Supporting Actor | A Servant To Two Masters | Nominated |
| 2002 | Helen Hayes Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor | A Servant To Two Masters | Won |
| 2015 | British Academy Television Awards | BAFTA Award for Best Leading Actor | The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies | Won |
| 2015 | British Academy Television Awards | BAFTA Award for Best Mini-Series | The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies | Won |
| 2016 | Royal Television Society Awards | Best Drama Serial | The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies | Won |
| 2020 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Crown | Won |

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987–1988 | EastEnders | Gerry Fairweather | 11 episodes |
| 1991 | Soldier Soldier | Cpl Geoff Porter | Appeared in episode "Battlefields" |
| 1993 | The Buddha of Suburbia | Terry | |
| 1993 | The Good Guys | Paul | Appeared in the episode "All That Sparkles" |
| 1993 | Between The Lines | Custody Sergeant | 1 episode "Manslaughter" |
| 1994 | Casualty | Partridge | 1 episode "Love and Affection" |
| 1999 | Bostock's Cup | Tommy Bennett | TV film |
| 2004 | Conviction | Jason Bueleigh | Recurring role |
| 2005 | The Booze Cruise II: The Treasure Hunt | Laurence | TV film |
| 2005 | Funland | Bradley Stainer | |
| 2006 | Blue Murder | Barr | Episode: "In Deep" |
| 2006 | Housewife, 49 | Dr Roger Brierley | TV film |
| 2007 | Life on Mars | Colin Merrick | Episode 15 |
| 2008 | Little Dorrit | Mr Plornish | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 2008 | Lewis | Oswald Cooper | Series 3, episode 4: "The Great And The Good" |
| 2008 | Miss Austen Regrets | James Stanley Clarke | TV film |
| 2008 | Hotel Babylon | Murray | Guest role |
| 2009 | Agatha Christie's Poirot | Joe Bland | Series 12, episode 1: "The Clocks" |
| 2009–2012 | Being Human | William Herrick | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 2010–2012 | Dirk Gently | DI Gilks | Recurring role |
| 2011–2018 | Trollied | Gavin Strong | Main role, 67 episodes |
| 2011 | Psychoville | Peter Bishop | Recurring role |
| 2012 | Miranda | Dick Twist | Episode: "It Was Panning" |
| 2012 | Prisoners' Wives | William (Gemma boss) | Six episodes |
| 2013 | Doctor Who | Webley | Episode: "Nightmare in Silver" |
| 2013 | The Wrong Mans | Anaesthetist | Guest role |
| 2013 | Call the Midwife | Rev. Applebee-Thornton | Guest role Series 2: Episode 4 |
| 2014–2017 | W1A | Simon Harwood | Three series, 14 episodes |
| 2014 | The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies | Christopher Jefferies | Two-part drama |
| 2016 | The Secret | Pastor Hansford | Four-part drama |
| 2016 | The Hollow Crown | Suffolk | Episodes: "Henry VI Part I" and "Henry VI part II" |
| 2016 | Love, Nina | Malcolm Turner | Sitcom series |
| 2016 | The Job Interview | Himself, narrator | Documentary series |
| 2016 | Friday Night Dinner | Tony Michaels | Episode: "The Two Tonys" |
| 2016 | Are You Being Served? | Mr Humphries | TV special |
| 2016 | Would I Lie to You? | Himself | Series 10, episode 8 |
| 2017 | Inside No. 9 | Kevin | Episode: "The Bill" |
| 2017 | Taboo | Solomon Coop | Episodes 2–8 |
| 2017 | Line of Duty | Tim Ifield | Season 4, 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Decline and Fall | Governor Wilfred Lucas-Dockery | Part 3 |
| 2017 | Safe House | Simon Duke | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Inside The Tower of London | Narrator | |
| 2018 | Watership Down | Captain Orchis (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2018 | A Very English Scandal | Emlyn Hooson | TV Mini-Series, 2 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Hold the Sunset | Roger | Series 1–2 |
| 2019 | The Crown | Harold Wilson | Main role (Season 3) |
| 2020 | Des | Brian Masters | TV miniseries |
| 2020 | Midsomer Murders | Joe Ferabbee | Series 20, Episode 6: "Send in the Clowns" |
| 2020 | Hitmen | The Lawyer | Series 1, Episode 1: "Birthday" |
| 2020–2024 | McDonald & Dodds | DS Dodds | |
| 2021 | The Trick | Professor Phil Jones | Dramatisation of the "climategate" controversy. |
| 2021 | Around the World in 80 Days | Bernard Fortescue | |
| 2022 | A Ghost Story for Christmas | Mr Wraxall | Episode: "Count Magnus" |
| 2022 | SAS: Rogue Heroes | Winston Churchill | |
| 2023 | The Catch | Ed Collier | Channel 5 series - all 4 episodes |
| 2023 | Archie | Stanley Fox | |
| 2024 | Coma | Simon Henderson | |
| 2024 | Batman: Caped Crusader | Alfred Pennyworth (voice) | |
| 2024 | Jason Watkins & Lady Jane Grey: A Tower of London Special | Himself | One-off documentary; also features Tracy Borman |
| 2025 | Catch You Later | Huw Miller | Upcoming four-part thriller |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | High Hopes | Wayne | |
| 1992 | Split Second | Coroner's Assistant | |
| 1997 | Tomorrow Never Dies | Principal Warfare Officer | |
| 1999 | Onegin | Guillot | |
| 2004 | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason | Charlie Parker-Knowles | |
| 2006 | Confetti | Gregory Hough | |
| 2007 | The Golden Compass | Bolvangar Official | |
| 2008 | Wild Child | Mr Nellist | |
| 2009 | Nativity! | Mr Gordon Shakespeare | |
| 2012 | Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger | Mr Gordon Shakespeare | |
| 2014 | Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey? | Mr Gordon Shakespeare | |
| 2017 | Hampstead | James Smythe | |
| 2017 | The Children Act | Nigel Pauling | |
| 2018 | The Man Who Killed Don Quixote | Rupert | |
| 2019 | We Are Where We Are | Andy | Short |
| 2023 | The One Note Man | One Note Man | Short |
| 2023 | Wicked Little Letters | Mr. Treading | |