kids encyclopedia robot

Adrian Lester facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Adrian Lester

Inside the Library of Birmingham - Way out - levels 9 to 7 - stairs photo - Adrian Lester (9985970356).jpg
Born
Anthony Harvey

Birmingham, England
Alma mater Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation Actor, writer, director
Years active 1987–present
Spouse(s)
Lolita Chakrabarti
(m. 1997)
Children 2
Relatives Reeta Chakrabarti (sister-in-law)

Adrian Anthony Lester CBE (born Anthony Harvey) is an English actor, director and writer. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the London stage, and has also been nominated for a Tony Award.

Early life and education

Lester was born in Birmingham, the son of Jamaican immigrants, Monica, a medical secretary, and Reginald, a manager for a contract cleaning company.

From the age of nine, Lester sang as a boy treble in the choir of St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham. At 14, he began acting with the Birmingham Youth Theatre. After leaving Archbishop Masterson RC School, Lester attended Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College for one year, before completing three years of training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Career

Theatre

Lester received an Ian Charleson Award commendation and a Time Out Award for his 1991 performance as Rosalind in Cheek by Jowl's all-male production of As You Like It. In 1992 he played Paul in the UK premiere of John Guare's Six Degrees Of Separation, alongside Stockard Channing at the Royal Court Theatre in a production that transferred to the West End's Comedy Theatre. In 1993, he played Anthony Hope in the National Theatre's production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He has also appeared on stage as Robert in the Donmar Warehouse production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, for which he won an Olivier Award, and in the title role of Hamlet (Carlton TV Theatre Award).

In 2003, he played the title role in Henry V at the National Theatre.

In 2010, he played the part of Brick in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre in London.

In 2012, he appeared as Ira Aldridge in the play Red Velvet, written by his wife Lolita Chakrabarti.

Lester played the part of Othello in the Shakespeare play of the same name in 2013 alongside Rory Kinnear as Iago at the National Theatre. Both actors won the Best Actor award in the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for their roles; the award is traditionally given to only one actor, but the judges were unable to choose between the pair.

In 2018, he played Sky Masterson in the Royal Albert Hall production of Guys and Dolls.

In 2021, he appeared in the live-streamed production of Hymn written by his wife Lolita Chakrabarti for the Almeida Theatre. The play co-starred Danny Sapani and was performed with social distancing in place in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions.

He made his Broadway debut in the 2021 production of The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes. His performance earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Television

In 1997, Lester starred in an episode of Silent Witness. It was in a two-part episode of series two entitled "Cease upon the Midnight", where he played the part of Danny Morris.

He is known for playing a big-time con artist named Michael "Mickey Bricks" Stone on the BBC television series Hustle between 2004 and 2012. The character was written out of the fourth series and replaced by Ashley Walters, although Lester returned from the fifth series (2009) onwards.

On American television, he appeared on the sitcom Girlfriends from 2002 to 2003, as Ellis Carter, a film star who dated Tracee Ellis Ross's character, Joan Clayton.

In late 2005, he had a major guest-starring role in Channel 4's police drama The Ghost Squad.

In 2008, he starred on the BBC drama Bonekickers, a programme focusing on a team of archaeologists.

He played the character Myror in a 2009 episode of the British television drama Merlin.

In 2024, Netflix announced that Lester will play the role of Destiny in the upcoming second season of The Sandman.

Film

Lester played campaign manager Henry Burton in Mike Nichols' film Primary Colors (1998), based on the novel by Anonymous (Joe Klein). His character is believed to represent George Stephanopoulos. This part earned him a Chicago Film Critics Association award nomination for "Most Promising Actor".

He appeared in Kenneth Branagh's Love's Labour's Lost, a musical adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, set in the 1930s. The film itself was poorly received, but Lester received a British Independent Film Awards nomination for his performance.

In The Day After Tomorrow, Lester had a small but important role as Simon, one of the three researchers who drink a toast of "twelve-year-old Scotch" shortly before freezing to death.

He filmed scenes for Spider-Man 3 (2007), as a research scientist who is sought after by the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) to find a cure for his ailing daughter. He was seen in one teaser trailer for the film; however, his scenes were cut from the final theatrical version.

Other work

In 2010, Lester appeared in the documentary When Romeo Met Juliet together with his wife Lolita Chakrabarti as acting mentors to the pupils of two Coventry schools involved in a production of Romeo and Juliet.

He recorded Alpha Force: Survival, an audio book written by Chris Ryan.

Personal life

In 1997 Lester married actress and writer Lolita Chakrabarti, whom he met while they were both students at RADA. They live in East Dulwich, south-east London with their two daughters.

In 2007, Lester took part in Empire's Children, a Channel 4 documentary exploring the journey taken by the "Windrush Generation" to the United Kingdom. Lester's grandfather, Kenneth Nathaniel Lester, was to be included in the documentary, but was unwell during filming in Jamaica and could not be interviewed. Kenneth died soon after the documentary completed filming and never saw the programme aired.

In April 2013, Lester appeared on the Cultural Exchange feature of Front Row on BBC Radio 4, a feature of the programme where people had to choose a piece of art that meant a great deal to them. He chose "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley.

Lester holds a 4th Dan black belt in Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Les Soeurs Soleil Isaac Nelson
1997 Up on the Roof Scott
1998 Primary Colors Henry Burton
2000 Love's Labour's Lost Dumaine
2000 Maybe Baby George
2000 Best Rocky
2000 Born Romantic Jimmy
2001 Dust "Edge"
2002 The Final Curtain Jonathan Stitch
2004 The Day After Tomorrow Simon
2006 As You Like It Oliver De Boys
2006 Scenes of a ... Peter Brian "Pete" Maxwell
2007 Spider-Man 3 Dr. Phil Wallace Scenes deleted
2007 Starting Out in the Evening Casey Davies
2008 Doomsday Sergeant Norton
2009 Case 39 Wayne
2013 Jimi: All Is by My Side Michael X
2017 Grey Lady Julius Johnson
2017 Euphoria Aron
2018 Mary Queen of Scots Lord Randolph

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 A Sort of Innocence Dave 1 episode
1988 Boon Fast Eddie's Staff Member Episode: "Beef Encounter"
1991 For the Greater Good Young Gay Man Episode: "Member"
1992 Touch and Die Lute TV film
The Bill Dotun Konchella Episode: "Just Send Some Flowers"
1995 The Affair Ray TV film
1996 Soldier Soldier Mokete Malange Episode: "Divided Loyalties"
Company Bobby TV film
1997 Silent Witness Danny Thomas Episode: "Cease Upon the Midnight"
2000 Storm Damage Danny TV film
Jason and the Argonauts Orpheus Mini-series
2002 The Tragedy of Hamlet Hamlet TV film
2002–2003 Girlfriends Ellis Carter 9 episodes
2004–2012 Hustle Mickey Stone Series regular
2005 Afterlife D.I. Felix George Episode: "Lower Than Bones"
The Ghost Squad D.I. Gus Philips Episode: "Colour Blind"
2006 Beyond Morris Fitch TV film
2007 Ballet Shoes Mr. Sholsky TV film
2008 Being Human Herrick Episode: "Pilot"
Bonekickers Ben Ergha Mini-series
2009 Merlin Myror Episode: "The Once and Future Queen"
Sleep With Me Richard TV film
2013 Robot Chicken Bow/Lego Man Episode: "Eaten by Cars"
2014–2015 Red Band Society Dr. Naday 4 episodes
2015 London Spy Professor Marcus Shaw Mini-series
2016 Undercover Nick Johnson Mini-series
2017 Riviera Robert Carver 10 episodes
2018 Trauma Jon Allerton Mini-series
2019 Curfew Simon Donahue 2 episodes
The Rook Conrad Grantchester Series regular
2020 Staged Adrian Lester Episode: "Ulysses"
Life David Aston Series regular
2022 Trigger Point Joel Nutkins 1 episode
The Undeclared War Andrew Makinde 6 episodes
2023–2024 Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures Narrator (voice) Animated series
2024 Renegade Nell Earl of Poynton
TBA The Sandman Destiny

Awards and honours

Lester was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours, both for services to drama.

In July 2013, he received an honorary degree from the University of Warwick.

In July 2019, Lester was made an Honorary Doctor of Arts at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
1994 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Supporting Performance in a Musical Sweeney Todd Nominated
1995 Best Actor As You Like It Nominated
1996 Best Actor in a Musical Company Won
1999 Chicago Film Critics Association Award Most Promising Actor Primary Colors Nominated
2000 British Independent Film Award Best Actor Love's Labour's Lost Nominated
2012 Evening Standard Theatre Award Best Actor Red Velvet Nominated
Critics' Circle Theatre Award Best Actor Won
2013 Evening Standard Theatre Award Best Actor Othello Won
2016 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor Red Velvet Nominated
2022 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play The Lehman Trilogy Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actor in a Play Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Adrian Lester para niños

kids search engine
Adrian Lester Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.