Adam Godley (born ) is an English and American actor. He has been nominated for two Tony Awards and four Laurence Olivier Awards for his performances on the New York and London stages, including Private Lives in 2001, The Pillowman in 2002, Anything Goes in 2011, and The Lehman Trilogy in 2019. Godley made his Broadway debut in 2002 in a revival of Noël Coward's Private Lives, for which he earned a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway debut. In 2011, Godley returned to Broadway in the musical Anything Goes for which he earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical nomination. In 2021, The Lehman Trilogy made its Broadway transfer to great critical acclaim, and securing Godley another Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play.
Godley's film roles include Love Actually (2003), Nanny McPhee (2005), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), and The Theory of Everything (2014). He has also had television roles as Elliott Schwartz in Breaking Bad (2008–2013), Nigel Nesbitt in Suits (2013), Phinneus Pogo in The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024), and Archie the Archbishop in The Great (2020–2023).
Early life Godley was born to Jewish parents in Amersham, the son of a magistrate mother and solicitor father. He grew up near Watford and went to Rickmansworth School in Croxley Green.
Career
Godley began his acting career at the age of nine in a BBC radio production of Hemingway's My Old Man. Godley's first stage role came at age 11, as Prince Giovanni in The White Devil at The Old Vic. His childhood career also included work at the National Theatre, in Lillian Helman's Watch on the Rhine, and Close of Play, directed by Harold Pinter. Godley achieved national prominence after playing the lead in the 1984 BBC TV adaptation of J. Meade Falkner's Moonfleet.
In 1986, Godley joined Alan Ayckbourn's theatre company in Scarborough, where he stayed for three seasons. Productions included June Moon and The Revengers' Comedies, both of which transferred to the West End, and Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays, which transferred to the National Theatre.
Godley spent one season as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before creating the role of Cliff in Sam Mendes's production of Cabaret at the Donmar Warehouse in 1993. Several major productions followed, including Mouth to Mouth at the Royal Court, The Front Page at the Donmar, and The Rivals in the West End, after which Godley went on to create a series of roles at the National, including Kenneth Williams in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick; and the title role in Howard Davies' production of Paul. In 1999, Godley played John Worthing in the West End production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
In 2002, Godley made his film debut in Claude Lelouch's And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen starring Jeremy Irons and Patricia Kaas which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He continued acting in films such as the Christmas classic Love Actually (2003), Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Nanny McPhee (2005), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
In 2002, Godley made his Broadway debut when he starred as Victor Prynne alongside Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan in a revival of Noël Coward's Private Lives at the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York City. For his performance, Godley earned a Theatre World Award. The following year, he starred as Michal in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman opposite Jim Broadbent and David Tennant at the Royal National Theatre.
In 2008, Godley played Raymond Babbitt in the West End production of Rain Man opposite Josh Hartnett. Two years later, Godley played Jonathan Powell in the HBO television film The Special Relationship about Tony Blair's relationship with Bill Clinton. He had recurring roles as Elliott Schwartz in AMC's Breaking Bad and Jocelyn Pugh in Lodge 49. Godley also appeared in BBC's A Young Doctor's Notebook (2011), CBS's The Good Wife (2012), USA Networks's Suits (2012), Showtime's Homeland (2015), and NBC's The Blacklist (2017). In 2011, he played Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Roundabout Theatre's multi-award-winning Broadway revival of Anything Goes. The production starred Sutton Foster, John McMartin, Jessica Walter and Joel Grey. For his performance, Godley earned a Tony Award nomination, a Drama Desk Award nomination, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. In 2013, he led a new adaptation by Dennis Kelly of Georg Kaiser's 1912 German expressionist masterpiece, From Morning to Midnight, at the National Theatre.
Godley's most recent stage role was as one of the three Lehman brothers in the 2019 National Theatre's The Lehman Trilogy, for which he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play alongside Simon Russell Beale and Ben Miles. The play transferred to Broadway in 2021, where Godley received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play along with Adrian Lester and Simon Russell Beale.
In 2023, Godley portrayed pollster Darwin Perry in the HBO drama series Succession episode "America Decides".
Personal life Godley is gay. He is a naturalised American citizen and lives in the Los Angeles area.
Acting credits Film + Year Title Role Notes 2002War GameLacey / Dad Voice; short film And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen Son of London Jeweller ThunderpantsPlacido P. Placeedo 2003 Love Actually Mr. Trench 2004 Around the World in 80 Days Mr. Sutton 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mr. Teavee Nanny McPhee Vicar 2007 Elizabeth: The Golden Age William Walsingham Son of Rambow Brethren Leader 2008 The X-Files: I Want to Believe Father Ybarra 2011 The Forger Pinkus 2012 Battleship Dr. Nogrady 2014 The Theory of Everything Senior Doctor - Cambridge Hospital 2016 The BFG The Manhugger / Lout No. 1 2018 Nightmare Cinema Dr. Salvadore 2019 Missing Link Lord Bilge Voice 2022 The People We Hate at the Wedding Narrator Voice
Television + Year Title Role Notes 1978 A Horseman Riding By Simon Craddock 3 episodes 1979 Thomas & Sarah Tomlinson 1 episode1984 Moonfleet John Trenchard 6 episodes 1991, 1998 The Bill Duxford/Nigel Penway 2 episodes 1992 An Ungentlemanly Act P.C. Anton Livermore Television film 1995 Class Act Graham 1 episode 1996 The Detectives D.C. Dominic Boyle 1 episode, "The Wembley Stadium Mystery" 1998 Casualty Alan Decker 1 episode 2000 Cor, Blimey! Kenneth Williams Television film 2001 Sword of Honour Apthorpe Television film 2002 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Tony Phillips 1 episode 2003 Margery & Gladys Graham Heywood Television film 2004 Hawking Frank Hawking Television film 2006 Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial Gustave Gilbert Miniseries 2007 Coming Up Paul 1 episode 2007 The Old Curiosity Shop Sampson Brass Television film 2008, 2013 Breaking Bad Elliott Schwartz 3 episodes 2008 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles The Scientist 1 episode 2008 Mad Men Wayne Kirkeby 1 episode 2009 Numbers Dr. Joseph Baskin 1 episode 2009 Merlin Jonas 2 episodes 2009 Dollhouse Clyde Randolph 1 episode 2010 Private Practice Henry 1 episode 2010 Agatha Christie's Marple Lomax 1 episode 2010 The Special Relationship Jonathan Powell Television film 2011 Lie to Me Sandy Baxter 1 episode 2011 CHAOS Jonathan Aldridge 1 episode 2011 Case Histories Martin Canning 2 episodes 2012 A Young Doctor's Notebook Demyan Lukich Main role, 8 episodes 2012 Harry's Law Hospital Administrator 1 episode 2012 The Good Wife Leland Carlisle 1 episode 2012 Suburgatory Mr. Jacobs 1 episode 2013 Spies of Warsaw Julius Halbech Miniseries 2013 Elementary British Man Uncredited voice role, 1 episode 2013 Suits Nigel Alexander Nesbitt Recurring role, 5 episodes 2014 Perception Teddy Brennan 1 episode 2014 Manhattan Dr. Adelman 3 episodes 2014 Homeland Jordan Harris 1 episode 2015–2016 Powers Captain Emile Cross Main role, 20 episodes 2015 The Blacklist Silas Gouldsberry 1 episode 2017 Fallet DCI Tom Brown Main role, 8 episodes 2018–2019 Lodge 49 Jocelyn Pugh Recurring role, 10 episodes 2019–2024 The Umbrella Academy Phinneus Pogo Main role, 16 episodesVoice and motion capture role‘The Umbrella Academy’: Cameron Britton, Colm Feore, Adam Godley & Ashley Madekwe Join Netflix Series 2020–2023 The Great Archbishop "Archie" Main role, 30 episodes 2021–2025 The Great North Dick Chateau / Archie Voice role, 5 episodes 2022 Bob's Burgers Ghost Voice role, 1 episode 2023 Succession Darwin Perry 1 episode 2025 Down Cemetery Road Joe Silverman 2 episodes 2025 The Copenhagen Test Frederick Schiff 7 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Theatre1976The White DevilPrince GiovanniThe Old Vic1979Close Of PlayMatthewNational Theatre1980Watch on the RhineJoshua MullerNational Theatre1987An Inspector CallsEric BirlingWestminster Theatre1991The Revengers' ComediesOliver KnightlyThe Strand Theatre1992June MoonFred StevensVaudeville Theatre1993Mr A's Amazing Maze PlaysNevilleNational Theatre1993A Going ConcernDavidHampstead Theatre 1993 Cabaret Cliff Bradshaw Donmar Warehouse1994The RivalsFaulklandAlbery Theatre1996The White DevilThree Hours After MarriageThe General From AmericaCamiloUnderplotMajot AndréRoyal Shakespeare Company1997The Wood DemonFyodorPlayhouse Theatre1997The Front PageBensingerDonmar Warehouse 1998 Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick Kenneth Williams National Theatre1999The Importance of Being EarnestJohn WorthingHaymarket Theatre2000Mr KolpertRalfRoyal Court Theatre2001Mouth to MouthDr GompertzRoyal Court Theatre 2002 Private Lives Victor Prynne Richard Rodgers Theater, Broadway 2003The PillowmanMichalNational Theatre2005Two Thousand YearsJonathanNational Theatre2005PaulPaulNational Theatre2008Rain ManRaymond BabbittApollo Theatre 2011 Anything Goes Lord Evelyn Oakleigh Stephen Sondheim Theater, Broadway 2013From Morning to MidnightThe Bank ClerkNational Theatre 2018 The Lehman Trilogy Mayer Lehman National Theatre 2019 Park Avenue Armory Piccadilly Theatre 2021 Nederlander Theater, Broadway 2023 Once Upon a One More Time Narrator Marquis Theater, Broadway
Audio plays Year Title Role Notes1975My Old ManJoeBBC Radio1977Sister Ninian's NightingaleJohnny DeanBBC Radio1977These Modern WaysGrishaBBC Radio1979The Rocking Horse WinnerPaulBBC Radio1979The Happiest Days of Your LifeHopcroftBBC Radio1994Wide Sargasso SeaRochesterBBC Radio1998The Ghost TrainTeddy DeakinBBC Radio 2001 Tess of the d'Urbervilles Alec d'Urberville BBC Radio 2003 Strangers and Brothers Lewis Eliot BBC Radio2004Black BeautyBlack BeautyBBC Radio2004MortCutwellBBC Radio2004Christopher HimselfChristopher IsherwoodBBC Radio 2004–2007 The Brothers Nigel BBC Radio2005The Madness of George IIIThe Prince of WalesBBC Radio2006Another CountryVaughanBBC Radio2009Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeDr JekyllBBC Radio 2010 She Stoops to Conquer Tony Lumpkin LA Theatre Works2011Strangers and BrothersLewis ElliotBBC Radio 2011 The Bungler Lélie LA Theatre Works2018An Enemy of the PeoplePeter StockmanBBC Radio 2022 Moriarty: The Devil's Game Dr. Watson Audible Original
Awards and nominations