Damian Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Damian Lewis CBE
Lewis in 2015
Born	Damian Watcyn Lewis (1971-02-11) 11 February 1971 (age 54) London, England
Education	Guildhall School of Music and Drama (BA)
Occupation	Actor musician presenter producer
Years active	1993–present
Spouse(s)	Helen McCrory ​ ​ (m. 2007; died 2021)​
Partner(s)	Alison Mosshart (2022–present)
Children	2
Relatives	Ian Bowater (grandfather) Bertrand Dawson (great-grandfather) Alfred Yarrow (great-great-grandfather)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Folk jazz roots rock rock blues
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Labels	Decca

Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is a British actor, musician, and producer. He became well-known for his role as U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.

Lewis won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role as U.S. Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland. He also received nominations for playing Henry VIII of England in Wolf Hall. He played Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime series Billions for six seasons. In 2019, he appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as actor Steve McQueen.

Early Life and School

Lewis was born in St John's Wood, London, on February 11, 1971. He was the first son of Charlotte Mary and John "J." Watcyn Lewis. His father was an insurance broker in the City of London.

His grandparents on his father's side were Welsh. Lewis says he thinks of himself as "London Welsh." His grandfather on his mother's side was Sir Ian Bowater, who was a Lord Mayor of London. His great-great-grandfather was Sir Alfred Yarrow, a famous shipbuilder.

Lewis visited the United States many times as a child during summer breaks. He decided he wanted to be an actor when he was 16 years old.

He went to Ashdown House School and then Eton College. He later graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1993.

Acting Career Highlights

Lewis's first TV appearance was in 1995. He played a medical student in an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot. He also appeared in A Touch of Frost (1996) and the film Robinson Crusoe (1997).

He worked as an actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played roles in plays like Little Eyolf and Cymbeline. Later, he starred in Pillars of the Community at the National Theatre in 2005.

Damian Lewis at an event in Berlin.

1. 1. 1. Big Roles and TV Shows

Lewis played Laertes in a play called Hamlet. Steven Spielberg saw this play and later cast Lewis in Band of Brothers (2001). In this miniseries, Lewis played Richard Winters, a respected leader. This was one of his first roles where he used an American accent.

He played Soames Forsyte in the ITV series The Forsyte Saga. This role earned him good reviews. He then starred in the film Dreamcatcher. He also played a man searching for his daughter in Keane. His acting in Keane was highly praised.

Lewis played Jeffrey Archer in the TV special Jeffrey Archer: The Truth. In 2005, he appeared in a BBC TV version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. He also played Yassen Gregorovich in the film Stormbreaker (2006).

From 2007 to 2009, Lewis starred as Charlie Crews in the American TV series Life on NBC. The show won an AFI Award for best television series.

1. 1. 1. Recent Acting Work

In 2009, Lewis starred in The Baker, a film directed by his brother, Gareth. He also helped produce and acted in The Escapist. He led the cast in the play The Misanthrope in London in 2009.

From 2011 to 2013, Lewis had a main role as Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland. For this role, he won a Primetime Emmy Award.

In 2016, he began starring as billionaire Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime series Billions. He left the show in 2021 but returned for part of season 7. In 2016, he also appeared in the spy film Our Kind of Traitor.

In 2024, he played two roles, Peter Radley and Will Radley, in the vampire comedy film The Radleys.

Music Career

Lewis has always wanted to be a musician. In 2022, he started working with jazz artist Giacomo Smith. They began by playing cover songs and then wrote new music for an album. Lewis described the music as "rootsy, jazzy, rock’n’rolly, singer-songwritery-type."

He released his first song, "Down On the Bowery," on April 13, 2023. His first album, Mission Creep, was released in June 2023 by Decca Records.

On July 9, 2023, he sang the national anthem at the British Grand Prix. A saxophonist played alongside him.

Other Activities

In 2009, Lewis was featured in a book called Inspired By Music. This book was for the Prince's Trust charity. It included stories from celebrities about songs that inspired them.

In 2010, Lewis became an ambassador for the charity Christian Aid. He has played for England in Soccer Aid several times, including in 2006, 2016, 2018, and 2022. He also played golf for Europe in the All*Star Cup in 2006.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis and his wife Helen McCrory helped with Feed NHS. This fundraiser provided food from restaurants to NHS staff. By April 2020, they had raised £1 million for the charity.

Awards and Recognition

CBE neck decoration

Lewis was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014 for his work in drama. He was then promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2022 for his work in drama and charity.

His role as U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in Band of Brothers earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

For his role as U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas Brody in Homeland, Lewis won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 2012.

His performance as Henry VIII of England in Wolf Hall earned him more nominations for the Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awards.

Personal Life

Helen McCrory and Lewis at the 2013 British Academy Film Awards

Lewis married actress Helen McCrory on July 4, 2007. They had a daughter and a son. Helen McCrory passed away from cancer on April 16, 2021.

Lewis is a fan of Liverpool F.C., a football club.

Since 2022, he has been in a relationship with singer Alison Mosshart.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Stage Performances

Discography

Albums

Singles

Other Music Appearances

Images for kids

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  Damian Lewis at Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2024

See also

In Spanish: Damian Lewis para niños