Daniel Francis (born February) is a British actor. He began his career in theatre. On television, he is known for his roles in Small Axe: Education (2020) and the Netflix miniseries Stay Close (2021).[1]
Daniel Francis | |
|---|---|
| Born | February |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Years active | 2002–2003; 2007–present |
Early life and education
editFrancis was born to Jamaican parents[2] and raised by his mother on a council estate in Battersea, South London.[3] Having been shy growing up, he discovered acting through Pyramid Youth in Clapham. When he was seventeen, under the mentorship of theatre director Sacha Wares, Francis was cast in Bintou at the Arcola Theatre. He went on to train at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).[4]
Career
editUpon graduating from LAMDA, Francis landed small roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company productions of The Comedy of Errors in Salford and Twelfth Night in Stratford-upon-Avon. He went on to star in The Brothers Size at the Young Vic, the stage adaptation of The Hounding of David Oluwale as the titular David Oluwale,[5] and Off the Endz at the Royal Court Theatre.[6]
Francis landed his first major onscreen role as Sgt Carl Haleford in the 2012 ITV war drama Homefront. That same year, he made his feature film debut as Sean Warren in the sports drama Fast Girls and played Black in Blackta, returning to the Young Vic. The following year, he played the titular role in the Singapore Repertory Theatre production of Othello.[7]
In 2016, Francis played Martin Luther King Jr. in Katori Hall's The Mountaintop at the New Vic Theatre in Staffordshire. He joined the recurring cast of Once Upon a Time for its seventh and final season as Dr. Facilier or Baron Samdi.
In the meantime, Francis has worked as a personal development coach and consultant, and as a community manager for Hedera Hashgraph.[8]
Francis played Esmond Smith in the Education installment of Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology, which premiered in 2020. He also starred in Cops at Southwark Playhouse.[9] He was then cast in Harlen Coben's 2021 Netflix mystery miniseries Stay Close as Dave Shaw.
Francis starred in the Apple TV+ series Liaison, the second season of the Amazon Prime adaptation of The Wheel of Time,[10] and the third season of the Netflix period drama Bridgerton.[11]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Shot | Short film | |
| 2012 | Fast Girls | Sean Warren | |
| 2016 | In and Out | Josh | Short film |
| 2017 | Cla'am | Low Beak | Short film |
| 2024 | Don't Move | Dontrell | Film[12] |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | EastEnders | Pete | 1 episode |
| Trail of Guilt | Nathaniel | Docuseries; episode: "To Catch the Carjackers" | |
| 2010 | Law & Order: UK | Louis Francis | Episode: "Broken" |
| 2012 | Eternal Law | Captain Caple | 1 episode |
| Homefront | Sgt Carl Haleford | Miniseries | |
| 2013 | Holby City | Joey Ryan | Episode: "Arthur's Theme" |
| 2017–2018 | Once Upon a Time | Dr. Facilier / Baron Samdi | 8 episodes |
| 2020 | Small Axe | Esmond Smith | Anthology; episode: Education |
| 2021 | Stay Close | Dave Shaw | Miniseries |
| 2023 | Liaison | Albert Onwori | 6 episodes |
| The Wheel of Time | Turak | 2 episodes | |
| 2024 | Bridgerton | Marcus Anderson | 7 episodes |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Bintou | Arcola Theatre, London | |
| 2007 | The Comedy of Errors | Antiopholus (understudy) / Merchant | The Lowry, Salford |
| Twelfth Night | Lord / Sailor | Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon | |
| 2008 | The Brothers Size | Ogun | Young Vic, London |
| 2009 | The Hounding of David Oluwale | David Oluwale | England tour |
| 2010 | Off the Endz | Kojo | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 2012 | Blackta | Black | Young Vic, London |
| 2013 | Othello | Othello | Singapore Repertory Theatre, Singapore |
| 2016 | The Mountaintop | Martin Luther King Jr. | New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme |
| 2020 | Cops | Roosevelt "Rosey" Washington | Southwark Playhouse, London |
References
edit- ^ Ritman, Alex (8 January 2021). "'Small Axe' Star Daniel Francis Joins Netflix's Harlan Coben Thriller 'Stay Close' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ Mitchell, Tamika (1 July 2024). "Daniel Francis talks... Bridgerton". The British Blacklist. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "Tough choices". My London. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Daniel Francis". New Vic Theatre. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ Choonara, Esme (27 January 2009). "The Hounding of David Oluwale – interview with Daniel Francis". Socialist Worker. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "Daniel Francis". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ Yogalingam, Sharmila Melissa (19 April 2013). "Interview: Daniel Jenkins and Daniel Francis of Singapore Repertory Theatre's Othello". Blog Critics. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "Daniel Francis". Wiza. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "'My desire is to rise against the odds in a racist justice system': Daniel Francis on his role in the premiere of COPS". My Theatre Mates. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "Scoop: Two Seanchan are Cast + More Cast Speculation". WOT Series. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ White, James (20 July 2022). "Bridgerton Adds Daniel Francis And More As Season 3 Starts Shooting". Empire. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (2023-07-19). "Ishana Night Shyamalan's The Watchers & Sam Raimi's Don't Move Among Latest Projects Granted SAG-AFTRA Waivers To Shoot During Strike". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2023-08-17.