David Dawson

Acting

David Dawson

Born

1982-09-07 (44)

Place of birth

Widnes, Cheshire, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

29 titles

David Robert Dawson (born 7 September 1982) is an English actor. He has had a varied career on television, including roles in The Road to Coronation Street (2010), series 2 of Luther (2011), Ripper Street (2012–2016), The Secret Agent (2016), as King Alfred in The Last Kingdom (2015–2018) and as Joseph Merrick ("The Elephant Man") in Year of the Rabbit (2019). On stage, Dawson received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for playing Smike in the 2007 production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Other notable performances have been in the 2009 production of Comedians, the 2010 production of Posh, and the 2011 production of Luise Miller.

Known for

Luther poster
7.9

A dark psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as Luther, a man struggling with his own terrible demons, who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts.

Luther

2010

Peaky Blinders poster
8.5

A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world.

Peaky Blinders

2013

The Last Kingdom poster
8.3

A show of heroic deeds and epic battles with a thematic depth that embraces politics, religion, warfare, courage, love, loyalty and our universal search for identity. Combining real historical figures and events with fictional characters, it is the story of how a people combined their strength under one of the most iconic kings of history in order to reclaim their land for themselves and build a place they call home.

The Last Kingdom

2015

The Borgias poster
7.6

Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family.

The Borgias

2011

Ripper Street poster
7.4

A drama set in the East End of London in 1889, during the aftermath of the "Ripper" murders. The action centres around the notorious H Division – the police precinct from hell – which is charged with keeping order in the chaotic streets of Whitechapel. Ripper Street explores the lives of characters trying to recover from the Ripper's legacy, from crimes that have not only irretrievably altered their lives, but the very fabric of their city. At the drama's heart our detectives try to bring a little light into the dark world they inhabit.

Ripper Street

2012

Secret Diary of a Call Girl poster
6.8

It's her business doing pleasure with you. A witty and provocative series based on the real-life adventures of a high-class escort. Juggling her own reality with her clients' fantasies can be difficult, but this savvy sweetheart knows every trick in the book, and she's doing it in style.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

2007

Film credits

2020s · 4 titles

2010s · 4 titles

2000s · 3 titles

The Rise of the Nutters poster
8.6

With Hugh in Australia and Glenn in Wales, Ollie is left in charge, feeding policies to junior minister Ben Swain. He is one of the 'Nutters', the group keen to take power when the P.M. resigns and keen to make a name for himself - which he does in the wrong sense when Jeremy Paxman skewers him on 'Newsnight'. This is music to Tucker's ears as it is in his interest for the P.M. to remain in power for as long as he can. Ollie's new girlfriend Emma is working for Shadow Minister Peter Mannion and hopes to impress by stealing one of Ollie's idea for use on their immigration policy though things do not go fully to plan.

The Rise of the Nutters

2007

Gracie! poster
5.5

In 1939 Gracie Fields, the 'Queen of Hearts', is at the height of her success as a singer and actress and the whole nation seems to wish her a speedy recovery from cervical cancer. When World War Two breaks out, Gracie sings for the troops despite poor health, to the dismay of her fussy husband, film director Monty Banks, an Italian, born Mario Bianchi. With Italy's entry into the war Monty is in danger of being interned so Gracie consents to his moving to America whilst she tours Canada, fund-raising for the war effort. She is accused of deserting the country which made her famous and booed offstage, though she later tours battlefields as a singer. With the war over she regains popularity, performing 'Take Me To Your Heart Again' at the London Palladium. Banks dies in 1950 and, though still a successful singer, Gracie never regains her pre-war iconic status.

Gracie!

2009

Damage poster
1.0

Set in affluent, contemporary, south-side Dublin, the Cahills appear to have the world at their feet. Dad Aidan, is a successful property tycoon, his wife Michelle, a successful estate agent and their fashion model daughter, Emma's 21st birthday party at the family home should be a night to remember. That night however, a rape at the party shatters their seemingly perfect lives. With the key suspect released on bail, and dark family secrets coming to the fore, Emma's life begins to free-fall. Slowly, having made radical changes to her life, Emma builds towards recovery - until a chance meeting with her rapist bolsters her conviction that she'll need to confront him in court before she can get on with her life.

Damage

2007

Series credits

Luther poster
7.9

A dark psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as Luther, a man struggling with his own terrible demons, who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts.

Luther

2010

Peaky Blinders poster
8.5

A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world.

Peaky Blinders

2013

The Last Kingdom poster
8.3

A show of heroic deeds and epic battles with a thematic depth that embraces politics, religion, warfare, courage, love, loyalty and our universal search for identity. Combining real historical figures and events with fictional characters, it is the story of how a people combined their strength under one of the most iconic kings of history in order to reclaim their land for themselves and build a place they call home.

The Last Kingdom

2015

The Borgias poster
7.6

Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family.

The Borgias

2011

Ripper Street poster
7.4

A drama set in the East End of London in 1889, during the aftermath of the "Ripper" murders. The action centres around the notorious H Division – the police precinct from hell – which is charged with keeping order in the chaotic streets of Whitechapel. Ripper Street explores the lives of characters trying to recover from the Ripper's legacy, from crimes that have not only irretrievably altered their lives, but the very fabric of their city. At the drama's heart our detectives try to bring a little light into the dark world they inhabit.

Ripper Street

2012

Secret Diary of a Call Girl poster
6.8

It's her business doing pleasure with you. A witty and provocative series based on the real-life adventures of a high-class escort. Juggling her own reality with her clients' fantasies can be difficult, but this savvy sweetheart knows every trick in the book, and she's doing it in style.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

2007

The Hollow Crown poster
7.4

A series of British television films featuring William Shakespeare's History Plays.

The Hollow Crown

2012

Falling poster
2.2

A nun and priest, each dedicated to their religious calling, unexpectedly fall in love and must confront what this means for their vows and faith.

Falling

2026

Maigret poster
7.6

Adaptation of the novels written by Georges Simenon featuring his fictional French police commissioner Jules Maigret.

Maigret

2016

Dancing on the Edge poster
6.7

An explosive 1930s drama following a jazz band in London at a time of huge change.

Dancing on the Edge

2013

Banished poster
7.2

Banished is a British period drama television serial created by Jimmy McGovern. The seven-part serial first aired on BBC Two from 5 March to 16 April 2015. It received mixed reviews, with most of the criticism for its perceived inaccuracies to the depicted events. Though set in the stark historical reality of the founding of the penal colony in Australia in 1788 after the arrival of the First Fleet, it is not the story of Australia and how it came to be. Rather, it is a tale of love, faith, justice and morality played out on an epic scale in a confined community where the stakes are literally life and death.

Banished

2015

Year of the Rabbit poster
7.0

Set in the dark heart of Victorian London, Detective Inspector Rabbit is a hardened booze-hound who's seen it all. Rabbit's been chasing bad guys for as long as he can remember, but these days his heart keeps stopping at inopportune moments.

Year of the Rabbit

2019

The Burning Girls poster
6.9

Follows Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter in Chapel Croft, a place for a fresh start that soon reveals its community's dark history and where ancient superstitions and mistrust of outsiders are quite common.

The Burning Girls

2023

The Secret Agent poster
5.8

London, 1886. Unbeknownst to his loyal wife Winnie, Verloc, a Soho store owner, works as a secret agent for a powerful foreign government.

The Secret Agent

2016

This Town poster
6.7

An extended family and four young people are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music, which exploded from the grass roots of Coventry and Birmingham in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, uniting black, white and Asian youths.

This Town

2024

The Mystery of Edwin Drood poster
5.9

Choirmaster John Jasper is obsessed with his nephew's fiancé. Will he take his opportunity to get rid of Edwin Drood?

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

2012

The Experiment poster
NR

The Experiment was a documentary series broadcast on BBC television in 2002 produced by Steve Reicher and Alex Haslam in which 15 men are randomly selected to be either "prisoner" or guard, contained in a simulated prison over an eight-day period. “The BBC Prison Study explores the social and psychological consequences of putting people in groups of unequal power. It examines when people accept inequality and when they challenge it”. The documentary presented the findings of what subsequently became known as The BBC Prison Study

The Experiment

2002