Richard Coyle (born 6 February 1972) is an English film, television, and stage actor. He has also narrated numerous audiobooks. Coyle got his big break on the television comedy Coupling, playing the role of Jeff Murdock. He played the lead role in the TV film Going Postal and in Renny Harlin's film 5 Days of War. In 2012, Coyle joined the cast of the show Covert Affairs as Simon Fischer, an FSB agent and love interest for Piper Perabo's Annie Walker. In 2018, Coyle was cast as Father Faustus Blackwood, a high priest of the Church of Night and Dean of the Academy of the Unseen Arts in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He played the role of Aberforth Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
On the stage, Coyle played the lead in Peter Gill's 2002 stage premiere of The York Realist, and later in the Donmar Warehouse production of the play Proof, in London, alongside Gwyneth Paltrow. He played the title role in Michael Grandage's production of Friedrich Schiller's Don Carlos In 2008 he starred in Harold Pinter's The Lover and The Collection at the Comedy Theatre in London. In 2010, he played John in Mark Haddon's play Polar Bears at the Donmar Warehouse, London. In 2014 he played MacDuff in the Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford directed Macbeth at the Park Avenue Armory, New York City. In 2022 Coyle starred in the role of Atticus Finch in the West End debut of Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of Harper Lee's American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Early and personal life Coyle was born in Sheffield, England. His father was a builder and he is the fourth of five sons. Coyle began his acting career after a stint working on a ferry entertaining passengers, where he was told by a theatre director that he had talent and should pursue it further. He graduated in Languages and Philosophy from the University of York in 1995 or Politics in 1994 and was then accepted into the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 1998, the same year as his close friends Dean Lennox Kelly and Oded Fehr.
Coyle was married to actress Georgia Mackenzie; they divorced in 2010. From early 2011, he was in a relationship with actress Ruth Bradley. By 2017 this had ended and he was seeing someone else.
Film and television work He began by appearing in such television programmes as Lorna Doone, John Ridd and Evelyn Waugh's wartime saga Sword of Honour, and in Mike Leigh's film Topsy-Turvy. He played Mr Coxe in 1999's BBC version of Wives and Daughters. In 2000, Coyle's big break arrived, the character Jeff Murdock in the sitcom Coupling. In 2003 he chose not to return to Coupling for its fourth series, and refused requests to return for a "goodbye episode". In a 2005 interview, Coyle stated this was to avoid typecasting:
He also starred in the short-lived 2002–2003 BBC show Strange, and had roles in the films Human Traffic, Franklyn, and A Good Year. He appeared in the new special episode of Cracker: Nine Eleven in October 2006 (TV) and starred in The Whistleblowers on ITV. He also starred in the 2001 version of Othello as Michael Cassio.
In 2004, Coyle played the role of Alcock, body servant to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, in The Libertine alongside Johnny Depp. He appeared in Mike Newell's 2010 film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, playing Jake Gyllenhaal's older brother, the ambiguous Crown Prince Tus.
He was cast as the lead role, Moist von Lipwig, in the film Going Postal, based on the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett. This was broadcast on television in May 2010.
Coyle had a leading role in Renny Harlin's film 5 Days of War, about the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia over the territory of South Ossetia. In September 2011, Coyle appeared as William Winthrop, in Madonna's feature-directorial debut W.E. about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. He appeared as Garda Ciarán O'Shea in Grabbers, the Irish comedy monster film. Coyle also plays Wallace in Outpost: Black Sun, the sequel to the 2008 British horror film Outpost, and the lead of drug pusher Frank in the 2012 English-language remake of Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 cult classic Pusher.
In 2012, Coyle joined the cast of the USA Network show Covert Affairs as Simon Fischer, an FSB agent and love interest for Piper Perabo's Annie Walker. His character recurred until halfway through season three.
In 2014, NBC began airing the series Crossbones, with Coyle as Tom Lowe, who is assigned to kill the pirate Blackbeard (played by John Malkovich).
In 2018, Coyle was cast as Father Faustus Blackwood, a high priest of the Church of Night and Dean of the Academy of the Unseen Arts in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
In January 2021, Coyle announced via Instagram that he had been cast in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, scheduled to be released in 2022 but said he could not disclose whom he was playing. When the trailer came out that December, it was confirmed that he would be playing Aberforth Dumbledore.
In 2026, in the BBC and BritBox adaptation of Janice Hadlow's Pride and Prejudice spinoff The Other Bennet Sister, Richard Coyle stars as Mr. Gardiner, alongside Indira Varma as Mrs Gardiner. He plays Mary Bennet's worldly and kind uncle who takes her under his wing, helping her gain confidence outside of her family's shadow.
Stage roles He was cast as the lead in Peter Gill's 2002 stage premiere of The York Realist, and later in the Donmar Warehouse production of the play Proof, in London, alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, and on the success of this he was cast in Patrick Marber's reworking of August Strindberg's play After Miss Julie with Kelly Reilly and Helen Baxendale. From September to November 2004, Coyle played the title role in Michael Grandage's production of Friedrich Schiller's Don Carlos which then transferred to the West End from January to April 2005. The cast also included Derek Jacobi, Peter Eyre and Una Stubbs. The V&A theatre archive has a copy of a film of the production which can be privately viewed. He was in Peter Gill's production of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger at the Theatre Royal, Bath from August to September 2006. In 2008 Richard starred in Harold Pinter's The Lover and The Collection at the Comedy Theatre in London, alongside Charlie Cox and Gina McKee.
In 2010 he played John in Mark Haddon's play Polar Bears at the Donmar Warehouse, London.Shenton, Mark. "London's Donmar Warehouse Presents World Premiere of Haddon's 'Polar Bears'" Playbill, 6 April 2010
In 2014 he played MacDuff in the Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford directed Macbeth at the Park Avenue Armory, New York City.Fullerton, Jessie. "PHOTO CALL: Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston Star in Immersive 'Macbeth' at Park Avenue Armory" Playbill, 10 June 2014
Coyle originated the role of Larry Lamb in James Graham's new play Ink which opened at the Almeida Theatre directed by Rupert Goold before transferring to the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End. Coyle stars alongside Bertie Carvel who plays Rupert Murdoch.Ink almeida.co.uk
From 10 March until 19 November 2022 Coyle starred in the role of Atticus Finch in the West End debut of Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of Harper Lee's American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.
He played Henry in Player Kings on West End from 1 April to 22 June 2024.
Other media
Coyle played Keats in the game Folklore and has also narrated the following audio books: At The Mountains of Madness and The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H. P. Lovecraft, Resistance by Owen Sheers, and the H.I.V.E. series of novels by Mark Walden. He has also narrated the Discworld audiobooks Going Postal, Making Money, and Raising Steam, which feature the character Moist von Lipwig, for the Penguin series of re-recorded Discworld audiobooks released in February 2023.Discworld in Audio penguin.co.ukBill Nighy stars as voice of Pratchett in brand-new recordings of the entire Discworld series narrativia.com
Filmography Source:
Film Year Title Role Notes 1998 Macbeth Loon Television film 1998 John Parsons Cook Television film 1998 What Rats Won't Do Journalist 1999 Human Traffic Andy 1999 Topsy-Turvy Mr Hammond 2000 Hearts and Bones Will Stenner Television film 2000 Lorna Doone John Ridd Television film 2001 Sword of Honour Trimmer McTavish Television film 2001 Young Blades Count Morlas 2001 Happy Now? Joe Jones 2001 Othello Michael Cass Television film 2003 Blight John Blight Short film 2003 Friday Night In Ben Short film 2004 Gunpowder, Treason & Plot Catesby Television film 2004 Alcock 2006 Ultra Cryptic Man Television film 2006 Michael Sheldrake Television film 2006 Cracker D.I. Walters Television film 2006 Amis 2007 Jim Television film 2008 Franklyn Dan 2008 Blight John Blight 2008 Tony Kirby Short film 2009 Octavia Gareth Llewellyn Television film 2010 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Tus 2010 Terry Pratchett's Going Postal Moist Von Lipwig Television film 2011 5 Days of War Sebastian Ganz 2011 W.E. William 2012 Grabbers Garda Ciarán O'Shea 2012 Outpost: Black Sun Wallace 2012 Pusher Frank 2013 Oliver Byrne 2022 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Aberforth Dumbledore 2025 Heads of State Quincy Harrington
Television Year Title Role Notes 1998 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Miles Miller Episode: "A Minor Operation" 1999 Greenstone Sir Geoffrey Halford Unsold TV pilot 1999 Up Rising Martin Marr Unsold TV pilot 1999 Wives and Daughters Mr Coxe 2 episodes 2000–02 Coupling Jeffrey "Jeff" Murdock 22 episodes 2000 Dalziel and Pascoe Martin Hallingsworth Episode: "A Sweeter Lazarus" 2002–03 Strange John Strange 7 episodes 2007 Ben Graham 6 episodes 2010 Miami Medical Doctor Pilot episode 2012 Life of Crime Detective Inspector 3 episodes 2012 Covert Affairs Simon Fischer 7 episodes 2014 Crossbones Tom Lowe 9 episodes 2015 A.D. The Bible Continues Caiaphas 12 episodes 2016 Joe O'Donnell 3 episodes 2016 Paul Sabine 8 episodes 2017 Born to Kill Peter 2 episodes2018 Hard Sun Thomas Blackwood 2 episodes2018–2020 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Father Blackwood Main cast2023 Six Four Robert Wallace Main cast2023 Then You Run Reagan Main cast 2024 The Gathering Jules Main cast six-part drama2026The Other Bennet SisterMr Gardiner4 episodes
References
Sources
External links
"Richard Coyle Talks Tom Lowe" – video of short interview with Coyle about Crossbones role