David Thewlis
Known for Acting · 120 credits
- Born
- 1963-03-20 (age 63)
- Place of birth
- Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK
- Also known as
- David Wheeler
Biography
David Wheeler (born March 20, 1963), better known as David Thewlis, is an English actor and filmmaker. He is known as a character actor and has appeared in a wide variety of genres in both film and television. He has received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and nominations for two BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Thewlis made his film debut in Little Dorrit (1987) and acted in the Mike Leigh films Life is Sweet (1990) and Naked (1993), winning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for the latter. He then appeared in films such as Black Beauty (1994), Restoration (1995), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Dragonheart (1996), and Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He became more widely known to film audiences for his roles as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise (2004–2011) and Ares / Sir Patrick Morgan in Wonder Woman (2017). Other film roles include Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008), War Horse (2011), The Theory of Everything (2014), Anomalisa (2015), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), and Enola Holmes 2 (2022).
Thewlis' most notable television roles include V. M. Varga in the third season of FX's Fargo (2017), the voice of the Shame Wizard in the Netflix animated sitcoms Big Mouth (2017–present) and Human Resources (2022–present), Christopher Edwards in the HBO miniseries Landscapers (2021), and John Dee in the Netflix drama series The Sandman (2022). His performance in Fargo earned him nominations for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Critics' Choice Award.
Known For
TV Shows (24)
Fargo
2014
as V.M. Vargas
Big Mouth
2017
as Shame Wizard (voice)
The Sandman
2022
as John Dee
Screen Two
1985
as Franz
Prime Suspect
1991
as James Jackson
Only Fools and Horses
1981
as Stew
The Artful Dodger
2023
as Norbert Fagin
ScreenPlay
1986
as Joey / Terry
Human Resources
2022
as Memory Bank Manager (voice) / Lionel St. Swithens (voice)
Sherlock & Daughter
2025
as Sherlock Holmes
KAOS
2024
as Hades
Screen One
1989
as Tim Shanks
The Street
2006
as Joe Jennerson / Harry Jennerson
The Feed
2019
as Lawrence Hatfield
Landscapers
2021
as Christopher Edwards
Dinotopia
2002
as Cyrus Crabb
Frank Stubbs Promotes
1993
as Mike Bence
Barkskins
2020
as Claude Trepagny
The Singing Detective
1986
as Soldier
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
1990
as Doctor
A Bit of a Do
1989
Dandelion Dead
1994
as Oswald Martin
Dirty Business
2026
as Ash Smith
Valentine Park
1987
as Max
Movies (96)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
2025
as Peylak
Damage
1992
as Detective
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004
as Remus Lupin
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010
as Remus Lupin
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2011
as Remus Lupin
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2007
as Remus Lupin
Kingdom of Heaven
2005
as Hospitaler
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2009
as Remus Lupin
Zack Snyder's Justice League
2021
as Ares
Wonder Woman
2017
as Sir Patrick / Ares
Justice League
2017
as Ares
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
2008
as Father
The Big Lebowski
1998
as Knox Harrington
Legend
2015
as Leslie Payne
RED 2
2013
as The Frog
War Horse
2011
as Lyons
Enola Holmes 2
2022
as Grail
The Theory of Everything
2014
as Dennis Sciama
DragonHeart
1996
as King Einon
Stonehearst Asylum
2014
as Mickey Finn
Basic Instinct 2
2006
as Roy Washburn
The Omen
2006
as Keith Jennings
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
2012
as (archive footage)
Timeline
2003
as Robert Doniger
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
2020
as Father
Seven Years in Tibet
1997
as Peter Aufschnaiter
The New World
2005
as Wingfield
James and the Giant Peach
1996
as Earthworm (voice)
Naked
1993
as Johnny
Restoration
1995
as John Pearce
Regression
2015
as Professor Kenneth Raines
The Fifth Estate
2013
as Nick Davies
Anomalisa
2015
as Michael Stone (voice)
Signal One
2026
Black Beauty
1994
as Jerry Barker
Total Eclipse
1995
as Paul Verlaine
The Lady
2011
as Michael Aris
The Amazing Maurice
2022
as Boss Man / Rat King (voice)
The Zero Theorem
2013
as Joby
Macbeth
2015
as Duncan
The Island of Dr. Moreau
1996
as Douglas
Anonymous
2011
as William Cecil
The Mercy
2018
as Rodney Hallworth
London Boulevard
2010
as Jordan
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Life Is Sweet
1991
as Nicola's Lover
Eternal Beauty
2020
as Mike
Resurrected
1989
as Kevin Deakin
Skulduggery
1991
as Tony
The Thing with Feathers
2025
as Crow (voice)
Queen & Country
2015
as Sargeant Major Bradley
The Miracle Maker
2000
as Judas Iscariot (voice)
Veronika Decides to Die
2009
as Dr. Blake
Little Dorrit
1987
as George Braddle
Dinotopia
2002
as Cyrus Crabb
An Inspector Calls
2015
as Inspector Goole - The Inspector
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
2004
as Self
Gangster No. 1
2000
as Freddie Mays
The Trial
1993
as Franz
Swords at Teatime
1992
as Mike
Discovering Dinotopia
2002
as Cyrus
Mr. Nice
2010
as Jim McCann
All the Invisible Children
2006
as Jonathan (segment "Jonathan")
Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film
2003
as Self - Clov (archive footage)
American Perfekt
1997
as Santini
Rare Beasts
2021
as Vic
Besieged
1998
as Jason Kinsky
Road
1987
as Joey
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic
2017
as Himself
Cheeky
2003
as Harry Sankey
Afraid of the Dark
1991
as Locksmith / Tom Miller
Vroom
1988
as Ringe
The Inner Life of Martin Frost
2007
as Martin Frost
Guest of Honour
2020
as Jim
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
2000
as Nesbit
Endgame
2000
as Clov
Black and Blue
1992
as Crematorium Attendant
Divorcing Jack
1998
as Dan Starkey
The Organ Grinder's Monkey
2011
as Pablo (voice)
Filipina Dreamgirls
1991
as Tim Shanks
Goodbye Charlie Bright
2001
as Charlie's Dad
The Making of 'DragonHeart'
1997
as Self
Athena
2010
as Chuck
None of Them Are You: Crafting Anomalisa
2016
as Self
The Short & Curlies
1987
as Clive
Journey to Knock
1991
as Terry
Hamilton Mattress
2002
as Hamilton Mattress (voice)
Little Wolf's Book of Badness
2003
as Mr. Twister (voice)
Love Story
1999
as Dealer
D.I.Y. Hard
2002
as Man
How to Get a Head in Sculpture
2011
as Self
Separate We Come, Separate We Go
2013
as Norman
Radio Pictures
1985
as JIM 'Grams'
Deep Red Instant Love
1988
Sunday Roast
2014
as Dick Puck
Dreamtown: A Brief Anatomy of Blackpool
1994
as Self
About David Thewlis
David Wheeler (born March 20, 1963), better known as David Thewlis, is an English actor and filmmaker. He is known as a character actor and has appeared in a wide variety of genres in both film and television. He has received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and nominations for two BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Thewlis made his film debut in Little Dorrit (1987) and acted in the Mike Leigh films Life is Sweet (1990) and Naked (1993), winning the Cannes Film Festival Award f… With 120 credits spanning from 1981 to 2026, David Thewlis has appeared in 96 films and 24 TV shows.
Fans searching for David Thewlis movies, David Thewlis filmography, or the latest projects starring David Thewlis can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular David Thewlis Movies
- Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) — as Peylak
- Damage (1992) — as Detective
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) — as Remus Lupin
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) — as Remus Lupin
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) — as Remus Lupin
Where to Watch David Thewlis Films
Most David Thewlis movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring David Thewlis, check our movies catalogue and browse page.