Dan Stevenss biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

May 2024 · 9 minute read
IntroEnglish actor
A.K.A.Daniel Jonathan Stevens, Daniel Jonathan “Dan” Stevens
IsActor 
FromUnited Kingdom 
TypeFilm, TV, Stage & Radio 
Gendermale
Birth10 October 1982, Croydon
Age:37 years
Star signLibra

Daniel Jonathan “Dan” Stevens (born 10 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV period drama series Downton Abbey. He is also known for his roles in films such as The Guest and A Walk Among the Tombstones, and will star in the live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast as the Beast, scheduled for release in 2017.

Early life

Stevens was born in Croydon, London. He was adopted at birth, by parents who were both teachers, and grew up in Wales and southeast England. He has a younger brother who was also adopted. After a rebellious youth, Stevens boarded on a scholarship at Tonbridge School, an independent school in Kent. There he became interested in drama after auditioning for the title role in Macbeth with his teacher, novelist Jonathan Smith. From the age of 15, he spent his summers training and performing with the National Youth Theatre in London.

Stevens studied English Literature at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he was a member of the Footlights with Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key and Mark Watson, and was also active in the Marlowe Society. He was first spotted by director Peter Hall at a Marlowe Society production of Macbeth, in which he played the title character alongside Hall’s daughter.

Career

In 2004, Stevens began his professional acting career when Peter Hall cast him as Orlando in his touring production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The tour took the production to the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames, the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City, the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, and the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. His debut performance earned him glowing reviews from prominent critics in Britain and the United States, as well as a commendation at the 2004 Ian Charleson Awards.

In 2006, Stevens starred as Nick Guest in the BBC adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker Prize-winning novel The Line of Beauty. Later that year he played Simon Bliss in Hay Fever by Noël Coward at London’s Haymarket Theatre, alongside Peter Bowles and Dame Judi Dench; the director was Peter Hall. He also performed as Lord Holmwood in an adaptation of Dracula for the BBC, and as Basil Brookes in the BBC Emmy-award-winning film, Maxwell. That same year, he was named one of Screen International’s 2006 Stars Of Tomorrow.

In 2008, Stevens appeared in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, Sense & Sensibility, playing Edward Ferrars, and the West End revival of Noël Coward’s The Vortex. In January 2009 he appeared on New Year’s Day in Agatha Christie’s Marple: Nemesis on ITV1 in Britain. In June 2009 he returned to the West End, playing Septimus Hodge in an acclaimed revival of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

In 2010, Stevens got his biggest break when he was cast as Matthew Crawley in the ITV series Downton Abbey, created and written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes. The series went on to be a global sensation, and has been nominated for several Emmy, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards since its debut. The central love story of Matthew Crawley and his distant cousin, Lady Mary Crawley, played by Michelle Dockery, was enormously popular. Stevens left the series after finishing the third season and the Christmas Special in 2012. His exit caused a huge uproar with fans, who notably took to Twitter and other social media sites to express their anger at the character’s death.

In November 2011, Stevens guest-hosted an episode of Have I Got News for You. In March 2012 he completed shooting Vamps, the latest film from Amy Heckerling, and Summer in February, an Edwardian romance film set in an artist colony.

In 2012, Stevens moved with his family to New York City. He made his Broadway debut that year opposite Jessica Chastain and David Strathairn in The Heiress.

In 2014, Stevens starred in the independent film The Guest, winning critical acclaim for his portrayal of a recently discharged army veteran who goes on a killing spree to protect his true identity. He earned a Saturn Award for Best Actor nomination for his performance. Also in 2014, he appeared in the magic realism comedy-drama film The Cobbler, and in the dark action film A Walk Among the Tombstones. He played a simulacrum of Sir Lancelot in the 2014 comedy film Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.

On 4 March 2015 it was announced that Stevens will play the Beast, opposite Emma Watson as Belle, in Disney’s live-action remake adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.

Other work

Stevens has narrated over 30 audiobooks, including Casino Royale, Wolf Hall and War Horse. In 2014, he was nominated for two Audie Awards, in the Classic category and Solo Narration (Male) category for Frankenstein.

Outside acting, Stevens maintains an interest in writing and literature and is editor-at-large for The Junket, an online quarterly which he co-founded in 2011 with some friends. He was a member of the judging panel for the 2012 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and was a regular columnist for the Sunday Telegraph.

A cricket enthusiast, he made his “debut” for the Authors XI team in 2012 and also contributed to the book The Authors XI: A Season of English Cricket from Hackney to Hambledon, which was shortlisted for the 2014 Cricket Society and M.C.C. Book of the Year Award.

Personal life

In 2009, Stevens married South African jazz singer and singing teacher Susie Hariet. They met in 2006, when appearing at different theatres in Sheffield. They have a daughter named Willow (born 2009) and a son named Aubrey (born 2012). Actress Rebecca Hall is godmother to his daughter Willow.

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2009HildeDavid Cameron
2011North London Book of the Dead, TheThe North London Book of the DeadSpeakerShort film
2011BabysittingSpencerShort film
2012VampsJoey
2012ShallowRichard DoveShort film
2013Summer in FebruaryGilbert EvansAlso an executive producer
2013Fifth Estate, TheThe Fifth EstateIan Katz
2014Guest, TheThe GuestDavid CollinsNominee – Saturn Award for Best Actor
2014Walk Among the Tombstones, AA Walk Among the TombstonesKenny Kristo
2014Cobbler, TheThe CobblerEmiliano
2014Night at the Museum: Secret of the TombSir Lancelot
2015Criminal ActivitiesNoah
2016The TicketJames
2016Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
2016Colossal
2017Beauty and the BeastThe BeastIn post-production
2017PermissionWillIn post-production
2017MarshallFilming
TBAThe Man Who Invented ChristmasCharles DickensFilming
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2004FrankensteinHenry ClervalMiniseries
2006Line of Beauty, TheThe Line of BeautyNick GuestMiniseries; 3 episodes
2006DraculaLord Arthur HolmwoodTelevision film
2007MaxwellBasil BrookesTelevision film
2007Agatha Christie’s MarpleMichael FaberEpisode: “Nemesis”
2008Sense and SensibilityEdward FerrarsMiniseries; 3 episodes
2009Turn of the Screw, TheThe Turn of the ScrewDr. FisherTelevision film
2010–12Downton AbbeyMatthew CrawleyMain cast (series 1–3); 25 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2013Tomorrow People, TheThe Tomorrow PeopleTIM (voice)Uncredited; 3 episodes
2014Once Upon a Time: Wicked Is ComingNarratorTV special
2014, 16High MaintenanceColin2 episodes
2015SuperMansionBunsen (voice)1 episode
2017LegionDavid Charles Haller / LegionMain cast

Other works

Stage
YearTitleRoleNotes
2004As You Like ItOrlandoRose Theatre, Kingston
Nominated – Ian Charleson Award
2005You Never Can TellTheatre Royal, Bath
2005Waiting for GodotTheatre Royal, Bath
2005Private LivesTheatre Royal, Bath
2005Much Ado About NothingClaudioTheatre Royal, Bath
2006Romans in Britain, TheThe Romans in BritainMarban / MaitlandCrucible Theatre, Sheffield
2006Hay FeverSimon BlissTheatre Royal, Haymarket
2008Vortex, TheThe VortexNicky LancasterApollo Theatre, London
2009Every Good Boy Deserves FavourThe DoctorNational Theatre, London
2009ArcadiaSeptimus HodgeDuke of York’s Theatre, London
2010Late at NightDavidThe Old Vic, London
2012Heiress, TheThe HeiressMorris TownsendWalter Kerr Theatre, Broadway
Audiobooks – Narrator
YearTitleNotes
2007Dragon’s Eye, TheThe Dragon’s Eye
2007Die with Me
2007Strike Back
2008Day
2008Outcast, TheThe Outcast
2009Dragon Diary: Dragonology Chronicles, Vol. 2, TheThe Dragon Diary: Dragonology Chronicles, Vol. 2
2009Angel’s Game, TheThe Angel’s Game
2009Week in December, AA Week in December
2009Wolf Hall
2010War Horse
2010Blueeyedboy
2010Prince of Mist, TheThe Prince of Mist
2010Young Sherlock Holmes: Death Cloud
2010Fall of Giants
2010Young Sherlock Holmes: Red Leech
2011My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You
2011Midnight Palace, TheThe Midnight Palace
2011History of a Pleasure Seeker, TheThe History of a Pleasure Seeker
2011Invisible Ones, TheThe Invisible Ones
2012Time Keeper, TheThe Time Keeper
2013Letters from Everest: A First-Hand Account of the Epic First Ascent
2013Going Solo
2013Boy
2013FrankensteinNominated for two 2014 Audie Awards, Classic & Solo Narration – Male
2014Letters to a Young Poet
2014Murder on the Orient Express
2014And Then There Were None
2014Heroes’ Welcome, TheThe Heroes’ Welcome
2014Scorpia Rising
2014Snakehead
2014Crocodile Tears
2014Casino Royale
2014The Iliad
2014The OdysseyNominated for a 2015 Audie Award, Classic
Radio
YearTitleRoleNotes
2006Question of Attribution, AA Question of AttributionPhillipsBBC Radio 4
2008Tennis Court, TheThe Tennis CourtSam GreenwoodBBC Radio 4
2008Dickens Confidential (series 2)Charles DickensBBC Radio 4
2008Anthem for Doomed YouthNarratorBBC Armistice exhibition
2008Josephine Hart Poetry Hour, TheThe Josephine Hart Poetry Hour (episode 1)NarratorBBC Radio 4
2008–09Orley FarmPeregrine OrmBBC Radio 4
2009Lady of the Camellias, TheThe Lady of the CamelliasDuvalBBC Radio 4
2009Guilty Until Proven InnocentJakeBBC Radio 4
2009Music Room, TheThe Music RoomNarratorBBC Radio 4
2010Custom of the Country, TheThe Custom of the CountryRalph MarvellBBC Radio 4
2010The Secret Pilgrim (episode 1)Ben CavendishBBC Radio 4
2010Coral Thief, TheThe Coral ThiefNarratorBBC Radio 4
2010Story of the Siren – E.M. Forster Short Stories, TheThe Story of the Siren – E.M. Forster Short StoriesNarratorBBC Radio 4
2011Thousand Kisses, AA Thousand KissesCatullusBBC Radio 3
2011Widowers’ HousesHarry TrenchBBC Radio 3
2011Portrait of WinstonGraham SutherlandBBC Radio 4
2011King James BibleNarratorBBC Radio 4
2011Short History of Vampires – Dracula’s Guest, AA Short History of Vampires – Dracula’s GuestBram StokerBBC Radio 7
2011Words & Music – MoneyNarratorBBC Radio 3
2011Together – Face ItNarratorBBC Radio 4
2011Spying Game Series – The Living Daylights, TheThe Spying Game Series – The Living DaylightsNarratorBBC Radio 4
2011Something UnderstoodReaderBBC Radio 4
2012Old Ways, TheThe Old WaysReaderBBC Radio 4

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