Douglas Hodge facts for kids

Douglas William Hodge (born 25 February 1960) is a talented English actor, director, and musician. He has had a long and successful career in theatre, as well as appearing in many popular films and TV shows. You might have seen him in movies like Robin Hood (2010), Joker (2019), or TV series such as Penny Dreadful (2016) and The Great (2020–2023).

Early Life and Education

Douglas Hodge was born on 25 February 1960 in Plymouth, Devon, England. When he was young, his family moved to Wigmore, Gillingham, Kent. He went to Fairview Primary School and The Howard School in Rainham, Kent. He was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, which is a very famous acting school. Even though he left before finishing his studies, it didn't stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming an actor.

A Career in Acting, Directing, and Music

Douglas Hodge is known for his wide range of talents. He has performed in many plays, directed shows, and even writes and performs his own music.

Theatre Performances

Douglas Hodge has performed in many important theatre productions. He has acted in plays by famous writers like Harold Pinter and Anton Chekhov. Some of his notable roles include playing Jerry in Betrayal and Aston in The Caretaker. For his role in The Caretaker, he was nominated for an Olivier Award, which is a very prestigious award for theatre in the UK.

In 2005, he played Nathan Detroit in the musical Guys and Dolls and received another Olivier Award nomination. A big moment in his career was when he starred as Albin in the musical La Cage aux Folles. He won the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for this role in London. When the show moved to Broadway in New York City in 2010, he continued to play Albin and won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, which is one of the highest honors in American theatre.

He also played the main character in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare's Globe and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical in London.

Writing and Composing for the Stage

Beyond acting, Douglas Hodge also writes and composes music for theatre. He wrote the music and lyrics for the musical 101 Dalmatians, which is based on the famous novel by Dodie Smith. This musical opened in July 2022 at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. He also co-wrote another musical called Meantime.

Directing Theatre Productions

Douglas Hodge has also worked as a director. He directed Torch Song Trilogy in 2012 and was an Associate Director at the Donmar Warehouse. He also directed the world premiere of Last Easter and the play See How They Run. In the year 2000, he directed the show for the Millennium Dome Show.

Television Roles

Douglas Hodge has appeared in many television shows. He was in the BBC production Middlemarch in 1994. Other TV appearances include Capital City (1989–1990), Only Fools and Horses (1996), and The Way We Live Now (2001).

More recently, he played Rex Mayhew in The Night Manager (2016) and Rolo Haynes in an episode of Black Mirror called "Black Museum" (2017). He was also Inspector Bartholomew Rusk in Penny Dreadful and Grimes in Decline and Fall. From 2020 to 2023, he played General Velementov in the historical comedy series The Great.

Film Appearances

Douglas Hodge has acted in many films. Some of his movie roles include Sir Robert Loxley in Robin Hood (2010), Paul Burrell in Diana (2013), and Horace Kephart in Serena (2014). He also appeared as Alfred Pennyworth in the movie Joker (2019) and Jack Willis in Gemini Man (2019).

Music Albums

Douglas Hodge is also a musician and has released two albums of his own songs. His first album, "Cowley Road Songs," came out in 2005, followed by "Nightbus" in 2009. In 2012, he won the Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Award for his song 'Powercut'.

Personal Life

Douglas Hodge has two children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations