Nathaniel Parker (born 18 May 1962) is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the lead in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and Agravaine de Bois in the fourth series of Merlin.
Early life Nathaniel Parker was born in London, the youngest son of the businessman and one-time British Rail chairman Sir Peter Parker and Jillian, a GP and gardener, who wrote The Purest of Pleasures: Creation of a Romantic Garden. He has two older brothers: Alan, chairman of Brunswick Group, and Oliver Parker, a film director, and a sister, Lucy. Parker joined the National Youth Theatre, and after training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1986.
Career Stage Parker portrayed Bassanio in Peter Hall's 1989 production of The Merchant of Venice in London and on Broadway, co-starring with Dustin Hoffman.
In 2000, he played Bob in Rupert Goold's West End revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow.
Parker returned to the stage in 2013 for the production of The Audience, starring Helen Mirren, written by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Daldry. Mirren appeared as Queen Elizabeth II, with Parker as Gordon Brown. The play ran for four months at the Gielgud Theatre in London. It was also transmitted worldwide via National Theatre Live and seen by more than 110,000 viewers in the UK and USA.
Parker played King Henry VIII in Wolf Hall (and Bring up the Bodies) for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2014, earning a 2015 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the London production and appearing in New York City when the show moved on to Broadway, where his performance received a Tony Award nomination. He reprised the role at the Gielgud Theatre in 2021 for The Mirror and the Light, the third and final part of the trilogy.
Parker played Jack Weatherill in James Graham's This House at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester in September 2016 and took the same role to the Garrick Theatre in the West End of London on 19 November 2016.
Film and television In a 2007 Radio Times interview, Parker said that his first big television break came in 1988 when he played a Battle of France pilot in ITV's six-part drama Piece of Cake. Another early role was Wilfred Owen in Derek Jarman's War Requiem, a 1989 film adaptation of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem with Laurence Olivier in his last screen role, as an old soldier. In 1989, Parker portrayed Jamie Jasper in the tenth episode of Inspector Morse "Deceived by Flight". Four years later, Parker played Edward Rochester in John Duigan's 1993 film adaptation of Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea. Reviewing this 'prequel' to Jane Eyre, Vincent Canby said in his review that Parker: "is exceptionally good in a difficult, shadowy role".
Parker played a variety of television costume drama roles, such as: Martin Jordan in the 1995 TV production of Joanna Trollope's A Village Affair, Gabriel Oak in the Granada/WGBH-TV co- production of Far From the Madding Crowd (1997), and Martin Tanley in the comedy film Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) with Chris Farley and Chris Rock. That year he portrayed King David in a made-for-TV film. He also played Rawdon Crawley in a BBC version of Vanity Fair (1998). The New York Times reviewer Caryn James said of his performance: "More than anyone else in the series, Nathaniel Parker brings some complexity to his character." He also played the irresponsible and selfish Harold Skimpole in the BAFTA-winning BBC1 dramatisation of Bleak House (2005).
From 2001 to 2007, Parker played the titular character in the long-running BBC1 crime series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, perhaps his best-known role. His co-star was Sharon Small as his assistant, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. When the series premiered on PBS in 2002, The Wall Street Journal wrote that it was "fully worthy of the Mystery! label." At the same time, he played Master Gracey in The Haunted Mansion (2003), Albert Speer in the 2006 BBC production Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial, and Dunstan Thorn in the fantasy film Stardust (2007). Parker also appeared briefly in St Trinian's (directed by his brother, Oliver).
In 2011, Parker joined the cast of Merlin, to play the character of Agravaine de Bois for all 13 episodes of the fourth series. He also appeared in the independent comedy-drama The Perfect Host, alongside David Hyde Pierce.
In 2012, Parker was cast alongside YouTube reviewer Stuart Ashen in the Alienware-sponsored sci-fi thriller series The Proxy. He also appeared as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec in the film adaptation of Louise Penny's murder mystery novel Still Life, set in rural Quebec. He also starred in the TV series, Me and Mrs Jones broadcast in 2012.
In July 2015, Parker played the domestic bully Dicky Carmichael in the BBC's two-part television adaptation of Sadie Jones' debut novel The Outcast. In June 2015, it was announced that Parker would play the role of King Achish in ABC TV's series Of Kings and Prophets.
In 2018, Parker appeared in two films, firstly as King Hamlet (better known as the Ghost), in Ophelia opposite Daisy Ridley, then as Lewis in the sports comedy-drama Swimming with Men. He also played Lord Chiltern in Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre; the production received positive reviews from critics and was later broadcast in cinemas.
In 2019, he played civil servant Sir Robert Hamilton in The Warrior Queen of Jhansi, a period drama about the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai, one of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. That same year, he appeared in the ITV drama A Confession as Richard Latham QC.
In 2021, Parker appeared on television in the Spanish-language romantic drama series The Vineyard as Edward Clayton, as well as ITV thriller The Beast Must Die. He also had a supporting role as Sir Robert de Thibouville, father of the heroine in the historical drama The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott. In 2022, he played Whale in romantic comedy Up on the Roof.
In 2023, Parker played Miles Dewson in British sci-fi thriller T.I.M.. The film was released on Netflix on 16 August. On television, he featured in Paramount+ period thriller The Doll Factory as Liston, and guest starred in one episode of Midsomer Murders, playing Brian Havergal. In 2024, Parker played Chef Bossard in the period wartime drama Desperate Journey, directed by Annabel Jankel.
Audio and voiceover work Parker is a voiceover artist and has done work on audiobooks, including Eoin Colfer's children's Artemis Fowl series, the five books in Charlie Higson's Young James Bond series, and The Gardens of The Dead by William Brodrick. He read Mark Haddon's novel A Spot of Bother for BBC Radio Four's Book at Bedtime and played Axel in Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth, first broadcast on BBC Radio Four Extra on 20 November 2011 and again on 12 November 2012. He has also voiced numerous video games and made many radio appearances as an interviewee and in radio dramas. A complete listing of Parker's extensive audio work can be found online.
Personal life Parker is married to actress Anna Patrick. The couple live in Gloucestershire with their two daughters.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1989 War Requiem Wilfred Owen 1990 Hamlet Laertes 1992 The Bodyguard Clive Healy 1993 Wide Sargasso Sea Edward Rochester 1994 Squanto: A Warrior's Tale Thomas Dermer 1995 Othello Cassio 1997 Beverly Hills Ninja Martin Tanley1997David King David 2001 Lover's Prayer Father 2003 The Haunted Mansion Master Edward Gracey 2006 Fade to Black Viola 2007 Flawless Oliver Ashtoncroft Stardust Dunstan Thorn I Really Hate My Job Guy II St Trinian's Chairman of the National Gallery 2009 Malice in Wonderland Harry Hunt 2010 The Perfect Host Detective Morton The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Caspian IX 2018 Swimming with Men Lewis 2018 Ophelia King Hamlet 2019 The Warrior Queen of Jhansi Sir Robert Hamilton 2021 The Last Duel Sir Robert D'Thibouville2021Hunting BearsKenny2023T.I.M.Dewson
Television Year Title Role Notes 1988 Piece of Cake Flying Officer 'Flash' Gordon Miniseries, 6 episodes 1990 Inspector Morse Jamie Jasper 1 episode (as Nat Parker) 1990 Never Come Back Desmond Thane Miniseries, 3 episodes, directed by Ben Bolt. 1990 Harry Enfield & Chums Fire Man 4 episodes 1991 Heroes II: The Return Ivan Lyon Miniseries, 2 episodes1991Catherine Cookson's: The Black CandleLionel FilmoreTV film 1991 Agatha Christie's Poirot Chris Davidson Episode - The Affair at the Victory Ball 1993 Dancing Queen Nigel Television film 1994 Dangerous Games Thomas Cranmer Television film 1995 A Village Affair Martin Jordan Television film 1995 A Touch of Frost Stephen Fillmore 1 episode 1997 Into Thin Air: Death on Everest Rob Hall Television film (as Nat Parker) 1998 Far from the Madding Crowd Gabriel Oak Television film 1998 Vanity Fair Rawdon Crawley Miniseries, 5 episodes 1998 McCallum Dr. Dan Gallagher 1 episode 2001-2007 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries DI Thomas Lynley Main cast, 24 episodes 2003 The Private Life of Samuel Pepys Charles II Television film 2004 Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde Himself Television film 2005 Bleak House Harold Skimpole Miniseries, 10 episodes 2005 Dickens in America Charles Dickens (voice) Documentary series, 10 episodes 2006 Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial Albert Speer 1 episode 2008 Hotel Babylon Alexander Crawfield 1 episode 2009 The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler Dr. Majkowski Television film 2009 Land Girls Lord Lawrence Hoxley Main cast, 5 episodes 2009 Lewis Lieutenant Philip Coleman 1 episode 2009 My Family Richard Harper 1 episode 2011 Injustice Martin Newall Miniseries, 4 episodes 2011 Merlin Agravaine de Bois Main cast, 13 episodes 2012 Me and Mrs Jones Tom Marshall Main cast, 6 episodes 2013 Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Television film 2015 The Outcast Dicky Carmichael Miniseries, 2 episodes 2016 Of Kings and Prophets King Achish Main cast, 9 episodes 2019 Grantchester Mr. Davenport 1 episode2021The VineyardEdward ClaydonMain cast2023Midsomer MurdersBrian Havergal1 episode
Theatre work Unless noted otherwise, details of Parker's theatre work can be found here.