Allen Leech (born 18 May 1981) is an Irish actor. He is widely known for his roles as Tom Branson in the ITV period drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015) and Paul Prenter in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
Allen Leech | |
|---|---|
 Leech in 2011 | |
| Born | Alan Leech 18 May 1981 Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse |
Jessica Blair Herman
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 2 |
Leech made his professional acting debut in the 1998 production of A Streetcar Named Desire, had his first major film role as Vincent Cusack in Cowboys & Angels (2003), and earned an Irish Film & Television Award nomination for his performance as Mo Chara in Man About Dog (2004). Leech played Marcus Agrippa on the HBO historical drama series Rome (2007).
Early life
editLeech was born in Killiney, County Dublin, to David Leech, the CEO of a computer systems company, and Kay Leech.[1] He is the third of four children:[2] he has an older brother, Greg; an older sister, Alli; and a younger brother, Simon.[3] He attended St Michael's College.[1] Leech became interested in acting at 11 when he was given the part of the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz and found he loved being on stage.[2] He recalled how he immediately decided to become an actor when Peter McDonald told him how acting is a profession on the last night of the production's run.[2]
Afterwards, drama became the "focal point" of Leech's teenage years, apart from his family life, and drama and family support helped him through his school years.[4] He became set on acting after winning a small role in a 1998 production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Gate Theatre.[5] He earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master's Degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin,[6] later noting this was a "loophole" in his parents' stipulation that he earn a degree to fall back on if he failed to have success as an actor.[7] He landed his first major roles in Cowboys & Angels and Man About Dog while at Trinity, and he has admitted that he did little schoolwork because he spent his time on auditions and acting.[5]
Career
editThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (July 2016) |
Leech's first professional stage role was in 1998 at the Gate in their production of A Streetcar Named Desire.[8][9] "I was the gentleman caller to Frances McDormand's Blanche Dubois. The Coen brothers were walking backstage, and me a naive 16-year-old."
He appeared as Willi in the Queen and Peacock, at the Garter Lane Arts Centre. The following years, Leech was in Tom Murphy's The Morning After Optimism and then Hugh Leonard's Da at the Abbey.
Leech's breakthrough film performance was in Cowboys and Angels,[10] in which he played Vincent, a gay fashion student, followed by a role in the 2004 cross-country caper film Man About Dog.[11][12]
Leech played the role of Shane Kirwan in the Ireland's RTÉ series Love Is the Drug, in which he received a Best Actor nomination from the Irish Film and Television Awards. He followed that up with the role of Willy in the television series Legend, which is the story of three different Irish families.[13] He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination from Irish Film and Television Awards for his performance.
In 2007, Leech appeared in the HBO drama series Rome as Marcus Agrippa, Octavian's top soldier and friend.[14] The film, Rewind, opened in Ireland on 25 March 2011.[15]
In 2010, he appeared on the small screen in The Tudors as the doomed Francis Dereham, former lover of Catherine Howard. Leech also appeared in ITV 2010s television series Downton Abbey as chauffeur Tom Branson, whose twin beliefs in socialism and Irish Republicanism clash with those of the British upper class. He played the role of officer Sam Leonard in television series Primeval in 2011 in series five. Leech also starred in the 2012 film adaptation The Sweeney.[6] In 2014 he starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, as the spy John Cairncross, in The Imitation Game.
Leech was voted sexiest Irish male in 2005 in U Magazine. He was named one of GQ's 50 best dressed men in Britain in 2015.[16]
In 2017, Leech appeared alongside Ginnifer Goodwin in the Los Angeles stage production of Constellations.[17] The play ran from June 14 to July 23, 2017, at the Geffen Playhouse.[18]
Leech played Paul Prenter, who was briefly Freddie Mercury's manager and lover, in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018),[19] which earned him a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards.[20]
Leech reprised his role as Tom Branson in the feature films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). He has an upcoming role in the crime drama The Vanishing Triangle opposite India Mullen.[21]
Personal life
editIn February 2018, Leech announced his engagement to actress Jessica Blair Herman.[22][23] They were married in an outdoor ceremony on 5 January 2019 at the Alisal Ranch and Resort in Solvang, California. Guests at the ceremony included Leech's Downton Abbey co-stars Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens, as well as his Bohemian Rhapsody co-stars Rami Malek, Gwilym Lee, and Lucy Boynton.[24] In September 2019, the couple announced they were expecting their first daughter.[25] In May 2022, they announced that they were expecting their second daughter, due later that year.[26]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Iníon an Fhiaclóra (The Dentist's Daughter) | Rory | Short film |
| 2002 | The Escapist | Policeman 1 | |
| 2003 | Cowboys & Angels | Vincent Cusack | |
| 2004 | Man About Dog | Mo Chara | |
| 2007 | Deep Breaths | Danny | Short film |
| 2008 | Factory Farmed | ||
| 2009 | From Time to Time | Fred Boggis | |
| 2010 | Rewind | Karl | |
| 2012 | The Sweeney | Simon Ellis | |
| 2013 | Grand Piano | Wayne | |
| In Fear | Max | ||
| Hello Darkness | Mark Cooper | ||
| 2014 | The Imitation Game | John Cairncross | |
| 2017 | The Hunter's Prayer | Richard Addison | |
| 2018 | Bohemian Rhapsody | Paul Prenter | |
| 2019 | Downton Abbey | Tom Branson | |
| 2022 | Downton Abbey: A New Era | ||
| 2024 | You Can't Run Forever | Eddie | |
| Cold Meat | David Petersen | ||
| 2025 | Untitled Downton Abbey: A New Era sequel | Tom Branson | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Yesterday's Children | Brian | Television film |
| 2003 | Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor | British Officer | |
| 2004 | Battlefield Britain | Episode: "A Clash of Kings: The Battle of the Boyne" | |
| Love Is the Drug | Shane Kirwen | 4 episodes | |
| 2006 | Legend | Willy | 6 episodes |
| 2007 | Rome | Marcus Agrippa | 8 episodes |
| 2008 | Heroes and Villains | Edeco | Episode: "Attila the Hun" |
| 2009 | Running Low | Bala Whedon | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | The Tudors | Francis Dereham | |
| 2010–2015 | Downton Abbey | Tom Branson | 45 episodes |
| 2011 | Primeval | Officer Sam Leonard | One episode |
| Black Mirror | Pike | Episode: "The National Anthem" | |
| 2017 | Bellevue | Eddie Rowe | |
| 2019 | Surveillance | Scott Yardley | |
| 2020 | The Good Doctor | Ariel Reznik | Episode: "Sex and Death" |
| 2021 | As Luck Would Have It | Brennan | Hallmark movie |
| 2023 | The Vanishing Triangle | David Burkely | |
| 2024 | Too Good To Be True | Elliott Fielding | 4 episodes; also executive producer |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Assassin's Creed III | Thomas Hickey | Voice |
| 2015 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Hjalmar an Craite |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Theatre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Gentleman Caller | Gate Theatre | Performed as Alan Leech |
| 1999 | This Lime Tree Bower | Joe | New Theatre | |
| 2000 | The Queen and Peacock | Willie | Garter Lane Arts Centre | |
| 2001 | The Morning After Optimism | Edmund | Abbey Theatre | |
| 2002 | Da | Young Charlie | Abbey Theatre | |
| 2008 | Everybody Loves Sylvia | Harlequin | Project Arts Centre | |
| Zero Hour | Benny, Ensemble | Abbey Theatre | ||
| 2010 | Phaedra | Hippolytus | Project Arts Centre | |
| On Baile's Strand | Young Man | Abbey Theatre | ||
| 2011 | Ecstasy | Mick | Hampstead Theatre, Duchess Theatre | |
| 2017 | Constellations | Roland | Geffen Playhouse |
Appearances
edit| Year | Appearance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Panel | TV series (1 episode: "Episode #2.5") |
| 2005 | 3rd Irish Film and Television Awards | TV documentary |
| 2007 | 4th Irish Film and Television Awards | Presenter |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Irish Film & Television Awards | Best New Talent | Cowboys & Angels | Nominated |
| 2005 | Best Actor in Television | Love Is the Drug | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Television | Legend | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Downton Abbey | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | ||
| 2014 | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Won | |||
| Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Imitation Game | Nominated | ||
| Irish Film & Television Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Film | Nominated | ||
| 20th Critics' Choice Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Downton Abbey | Won |
| 2019 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Bohemian Rhapsody | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ a b MacDonald, Marianne (22 July 2007). "Rome Sweet Rome". The Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 12 November 2012 – via Infotrac.
- ^ a b c Randall, Lee (15 September 2012). "Interview: Allen Leech on the return of Downton Abbey". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ Butler, Laura (3 November 2012). "'Downton' star Allen loves his role as rebellious Irishman". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ "Downton Abbey star Allen Leech denies being bullied as a child". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- ^ a b Nolan, Emma (3 September 2006). "A cowboy and an angel wrapped up to make a legend". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Allen Leech". Troika Talent. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ "Allen Leech on the Thursday Interview". The Right Hook. Dublin. 1 November 2012. Newstalk. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013.
- ^ "Allen Leech". Biography in Context. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ Wolf, Matt (18 May 1998). "A Streetcar Named Desire". Variety. Los Angeles.
- ^ Koehler, Robert (13 July 2004). "Cowboys & Angels" Variety. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ Cline, Rich (19 October 2004) "Man About Dog". ShadowsOnTheWall.
- ^ Russell, Jamie (14 November 2004). "Man About Dog (2004)". BBC News. Hereford & Worcester
- ^ Wallace, Arminta (9 December 2018). "Living legends". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ "HBO". Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "rewindthefilm on Twitter". Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "50 Best Dressed Men in Britain 2015". GQ. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015.
- ^ Gardner, Chris (23 January 2017). "Ginnifer Goodwin Set for 'Constellations' at Geffen Playhouse". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ "Los Angeles Premiere Of "Constellations" At The Geffen Playhouse Extends Through July 23". Westside Today. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ Busch, Anita (30 August 2017). "Allen Leech Joins 'Bohemian Rhapsody' As Paul Prenter, Freddy Mercury's Judas". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (12 December 2018). "SAG Awards: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- ^ Whittock, Jesse (1 September 2022). "'The Vanishing Triangle': 'Downton Abbey's Allen Leech & 'Normal People's India Mullen To Lead Sundance Now, Virgin Media & Eccho's Irish Drama Series". Deadline. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^ "Allen Leech on Instagram". Instagram. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- ^ Martin, Annie (16 February 2018). "Downton Abbey alum Allen Leech engaged to actress". UPI. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ Shahid, Sharnaz (15 January 2019). "Exclusive: Downton Abbey's Allen Leech surrounded by co-stars on wedding day". Hello!. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- ^ Jen, Juneau (10 September 2019). "Downton Baby! Allen Leech and Wife Jessica Blair Herman Expecting First Child". People. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
- ^ Morris, Nicky (17 May 2022). "Downton Abbey's Allen Leech reveals gender of second child in most adorable way". Hello!. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
External links
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