Quick Facts
Born:
1963-03-20
Birthplace:
Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK
Credits:
119 Total Roles
David Thewlis
Acting
The MovieWise Take
"David Thewlis mastered the art of the weary mentor, bringing a soulful, lived-in gravity to Lupin that remains the beating heart of the *Harry Potter* series. Whether as a tragic werewolf or a thunderous god of war, he consistently proves that his understated menace is far more potent than any CGI spectacle."
Biography
Thewlis made his film debut in Little Dorrit (1987) and acted in the Mike Leigh films Life is Sweet (1990) and Naked (1993), winning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for the latter. He then appeared in films such as Black Beauty (1994), Restoration (1995), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Dragonheart (1996), and Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He became more widely known to film audiences for his roles as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise (2004–2011) and Ares / Sir Patrick Morgan in Wonder Woman (2017). Other film roles include Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008), War Horse (2011), The Theory of Everything (2014), Anomalisa (2015), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), and Enola Holmes 2 (2022).
Thewlis' most notable television roles include V. M. Varga in the third season of FX's Fargo (2017), the voice of the Shame Wizard in the Netflix animated sitcoms Big Mouth (2017–present) and Human Resources (2022–present), Christopher Edwards in the HBO miniseries Landscapers (2021), and John Dee in the Netflix drama series The Sandman (2022). His performance in Fargo earned him nominations for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Critics' Choice Award.
Known For
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Remus Lupin
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Remus Lupin
Wonder Woman
Sir Patrick / Ares
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Remus Lupin
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Remus Lupin
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Remus Lupin
Justice League
Ares
The Big Lebowski
Knox Harrington
Full Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Signal One MOVIE | Self |
| 2026 | Dirty Business TV | Ash Smith |
| 2025 | Avatar: Fire and Ash MOVIE | Peylak |
| 2025 | The Thing with Feathers MOVIE | Crow (voice) |
| 2025 | Sherlock & Daughter TV | Sherlock Holmes |
| 2024 | KAOS TV | Hades |
| 2023 | The Artful Dodger TV | Norbert Fagin |
| 2022 | The Amazing Maurice MOVIE | Boss Man / Rat King (voice) |
| 2022 | Enola Holmes 2 MOVIE | Grail |
| 2022 | The Sandman TV | John Dee |