Daniel Lapaine (born 15 June 1971) is an Australian stage, film and television actor, living in London. He first came to prominence in 1994, playing South African swimmer David Van Arkle in Muriel's Wedding (1994). He also works as a writer and director.

Daniel Lapaine
Lapaine in 2003
Born (1971-06-15) 15 June 1971 (age 53)
Alma materNational Institute of Dramatic Art (1992)
OccupationActor
Years active1989–present
Spouse
(m. 2001)
Children2

Other acting credits include 54 (1998), The 10th Kingdom (2000), Helen of Troy (2003), Death on the Nile (2004), Jericho (2006), Moon Shot (2009), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Black Mirror (2011 & 2017), Versailles (2015), Catastrophe (2015), The Durrells (2017), Upright (2019–2022), and Queen of Oz (2023).

Early life

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Born in Sydney, New South Wales, to an Italian father and an Australian mother, Lapaine graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1992.[1]

Career

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Television and film

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His career started in 1994, when he played the South African swimmer David Van Arkle in P. J. Hogan's Muriel's Wedding.[2] Since then he has worked internationally in film, theatre, and television and is now based in London.[3]

Lapaine has made two appearances in the UK TV Show Black Mirror, six years apart.[4] First in 2011, as the morally dubious Max in "The Entire History of You",[4] and later as the masochistic Dr. Dawson in 2017's "Black Museum".[5]

Lapaine's film work includes Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning Zero Dark Thirty,[6] Last Chance Harvey,[6] opposite Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, and Shanghai, opposite John Cusack. He played the lead role in Pathe's The Abduction Club,[6] and Miramax's Elephant Juice, as well as memorable appearances in Brokedown Palace opposite Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale.[7] He has also appeared in many other films including 54,[6] Dangerous Beauty, Polish Wedding and Gozo.[6]

Lapaine has worked extensively in television, appearing in all four series of Catastrophe for Channel 4 and Amazon Prime, in which he plays the part of Dave.[8] He portrayed King Charles II in the Canal + series Versailles (2015).[6] He starred in the 2000 television miniseries The 10th Kingdom as Prince Wendell White, ruler of the 4th Kingdom, and played Tim Allerton in the 2004 Agatha Christie's Poirot[6] episode Death on the Nile opposite David Suchet. In 2009, he portrayed Neil Armstrong in the television film Moon Shot (2009).[6] He also played Hector in Helen of Troy opposite Rufus Sewell. Other television credits include Critical; Vexed; Lewis; Vera;[6] Identity; Hotel Babylon; Sex, the City and Me;[6] Jane Hall; The Good Housekeeping Guide; The Golden Hour;[6] Jericho;[6] and I Saw You. Lapaine also wrote and directed the Australian feature film 48 Shades.[9] Based on the 1999 novel 48 Shades of Brown by Nick Earls, the film was released in Australia by Buena Vista in 2006.[3]

From 2019, He starred as Toby Flynn, working alongside Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock in the Australian comedy series Upright.[6] In 2023, he starred as Prince Frederick, the fictional heir to the British throne, in the BBC One series Queen of Oz, also starring Catherine Tate as his sister Princess Georgiana.[10] In Australia, he appeared in A Country Practice and G.P., opposite Cate Blanchett.[7]

Theatre

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In theatre, he most recently he played Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare's Globe,[10] opposite Jonathan Pryce. Other theatre credits include the parts of Trip in Other Desert Cities and Eilert Lovborg in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler at the Old Vic, opposite Sheridan Smith.[11] He played Leontes in The Winter's Tale at the Sheffield Crucible;[10] Kurt in The Dance of Death at the Donmar Warehouse,[10] and at Trafalgar Studios, Chelsea.[10] He played George in All My Sons in the West End,[10] opposite David Suchet. At the Royal Court, he appeared in Scenes from the Back of Beyond and F***ing Games, directed by Dominic Cooke.[10] In Australia, Lapaine appeared at The Sydney Theatre Company in King Lear,[10] and Les Parents Terribles,[3] "Island" at Belvoir Street and for the Bell Shakespeare Company;[10] he played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet,[10] as well as appearing in Hamlet and Richard III.[10]

Personal life

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In 1998, Lapaine met English actress Fay Ripley at a party hosted by mutual friends. After meeting again on a trip in New York, they began dating.[12] They married in October 2001 in a ceremony in Tuscany, Italy. In October 2002, the couple had their first child, a daughter named Parker. Their second child, a son, named Sonny, was born in October 2006.[13] They reside in London.[3]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 Muriel's Wedding David Van Arkle
1998 Polish Wedding Ziggy
Dangerous Beauty Serafino Franco
54 Marc the Doorman
1999 Brokedown Palace Nick Parks
Double Jeopardy Handsome Internet Expert
Elephant Juice Will
2002 The Abduction Club Garrett Byrne
Ritual Wesley Claybourne
2008 Last Chance Harvey Scott Wright
2010 Shanghai Ted Uncredited
2012 Zero Dark Thirty Tim - Station Chief
2013 Jack the Giant Slayer Jack's Dad Uncredited
Dead in Tombstone Sheriff Bob Massey
2020 Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears Lord Lofthouse
2021 She Will Keith

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2000 The 10th Kingdom Prince Wendell White Miniseries
2003 Helen of Troy Prince Hector Miniseries
2004 Agatha Christie's Poirot Tim Allerton Episode: "Death on the Nile"
2006 The Good Housekeeping Guide Joe TV film
Jane Hall Richard 6 episodes
2007 Sex, the City and Me Patrick Turner TV film
2008 Hotel Babylon Ned Wright 4 episodes
2009 Moonshot Neil Armstrong TV film
Waking the Dead Samuel Knight Episode: "Magdalene 26"
2011 Black Mirror Max Episode: "The Entire History of You"
2012 Vera Michael Morgan Episode: "Silent Voices"
Lewis Kit Renton Episode: "Generation of Vipers"
Vexed[14] Bob Episode #2.3
2014 Death in Paradise Paul Bevans Episode: "Ye of Little Faith"
Inspector George Gently[15] Stefan Lesley Episode: "Gently with Honour"
2015 Catastrophe Dave 9 episodes
Versailles Charles II of England Episode #1.9
2017 Black Mirror Dr. Pete Dawson Episode: "Black Museum"
The Durrells Hugh Jarvis 6 episodes
2019–2022 Upright Toby Flynn 9 episodes
2020 Van der Valk Paul Oosterhuis Episode: "Love in Amsterdam"
2021 Five Bedrooms Joe Chigwell 3 episodes
2022 A Spy Among Friends Donald Maclean 3 episodes
2023 Queen of Oz Freddie 2 episodes
2024 McDonald & Dodds Brad Coleman Episode: "The Rule of Three"

Video games

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Year Title Role
2011 Dirt 3 Jack
2016 Forza Horizon 3 Warren
2024 Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Captain Boomerang

References

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  1. ^ Colbert, Mary (25 August 2006). "So long, Muriel". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Here comes the bride, again: Muriel's Wedding to be remade into a modern musical". the Guardian. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Fay Ripley: 'According to my bridesmaids, I've got ankles like French baguettes'". the Guardian. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Black Mirror, season four: step away from your smartphone! Discuss with spoilers". the Guardian. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  5. ^ "'Black Mirror' Easter Egg: Was This Character Involved in Collusion With Russia to Hack the U.S. Election?". 30 December 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Daniel Lapaine Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b Team, The IF (25 February 2020). "Daniel Lapaine and Essie Davis joust again in 'Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  8. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (14 March 2019). "Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan on the Final Season of 'Catastrophe'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  9. ^ Hall, Sandra (30 August 2006). "48 Shades". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Daniel Lapaine". Independent Talent. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Sheridan Smith on stage: from Hedda Gabler to Elle Woods – in pictures". The Guardian. 5 January 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  12. ^ Staff (12 July 2002). "Seconds out – on a date". The Evening Gazette (Gazette Media Company).
  13. ^ Grice, Elizabeth (6 October 2006). "'People cross the road to tell me how ridiculous I look'". The Daily Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group): p. 23.
  14. ^ Radio Times – Vexed – Series 2 – Episode 3
  15. ^ Radio Times – Inspector George Gently – Series 6 – Episode 3 – Gently with Honour
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