Dominic West

Dominic Gerard Francis Eagleton West (born 15 October 1969) is an English actor, director, and musician. West's notable roles include playing Jimmy McNulty in HBO's The Wire (2002–2008), Noah Solloway in Showtime's The Affair (2014–2019) earning him a Golden Globe nomination, and Charles, Prince of Wales, in Netflix's The Crown (2022–2023), earning him additional nominations for both a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award. He made his television debut in BBC's Out of Hours (1998) followed by other appearances in A Christmas Carol (1999), 28 days (2000) alongside Sandra Bullock, and Nicholas Nickleby (2001). His breakout role was Detective Jimmy McNulty in The Wire. West then starred in the BBC series The Hour (2011–2012), this performance earning him another Golden Globe nomination. He also received a BAFTA Award for his portrayal of serial killer Fred West in ITV's Appropriate Adult (2011), and a nomination for his role as Richard Burton in BBC Four's Burton & Taylor (2013). West debuted in films with the portrayal of Henry, Earl of Richmond in Richard III (1995) and has since appeared in various films, including Chicago (2002), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), 300 (2007), and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022), among others.

West was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. He happens to be the sixth of seven siblings, with his maternal grandparents born in Ireland, and his paternal grandmother being Irish-American. His mother, Pauline Mary, was an actress, and his father, Thomas George Eagleton West, owned a plastics factory. West attended Eton College before earning an English literature degree from Trinity College Dublin (graduating in 1993), and later completed his Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1995. Embarking on his career, West's screen appearances include True Blue, Chicago, Richard III, Mona Lisa Smile, among other films and TV shows, including The Wire and The Affair. His theatre work includes Edward in Harley Granville Barker's The Voysey Inheritance at the Royal National Theatre in 2006, and starring alongside Janet McTeer in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Donmar Warehouse in London during 2015–16.