Bradley James (born 1983 or 1984)[1] is an English actor. He is best known for starring as Arthur Pendragon in the BBC series Merlin (2008–12), Damien Thorn in Damien (2016), Varga in Underworld: Blood Wars, Giuliano de' Medici in Medici: The Magnificent (2018–2020), and Lieutenant Colonel Felix Sparks in The Liberator (2020).

Bradley James
James at the 2015 Comic-Con International
Born1983 or 1984 (age 40–41)
EducationDrama Centre London (BA)
OccupationActor
Years active2008–present

Early life and education

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James was born in Exeter, Devon, England.[2] He became interested in acting at the early age of six, whilst in primary school.[3] His family moved to Jacksonville, Florida, when he was nine.[2] During his time there, he attended Crown Point Elementary School[4] and then Fletcher Middle School,[4] before returning to England to attend Madeley High School in Madeley, Staffordshire, England.[4] From 2004 to 2007 James attended Drama Centre London, graduating after three years.[4]

Career

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James on the set of Merlin April 2010

In 2008, James appeared in an episode of Lewis, then played the part of Ben Davis in the BBC Three comedy-drama film Dis/Connected.[5] The same year, he was cast as Arthur Pendragon, in the BBC One fantasy TV series Merlin.[6] The show was a consistent hit series in the US; its first season was shown on the broadcast network NBC and its second, third, fourth, and fifth seasons on NBC's affiliate cable network Syfy. Merlin ended its 5-year run in 2012.[7] James went on an exploration of Arthurian legends for BBC Wales, The Real Merlin & Arthur, in 2009.[8]

In 2014, James guest-starred as Edgar in the fourth season of the Emmy Award-winning political thriller television series Homeland.[9]

In 2015, James was cast as a villain in Underworld: Blood Wars.[10] The same year, he appeared in the television series iZombie as recurring character Lowell Tracey, a love interest for main character Liv.[11] He starred as title character Damien Thorn on the television series Damien, created by Glen Mazzara a sequel to the Omen film series.[2]

In 2018, James was cast as Giuliano de' Medici in Medici: The Magnificent,[2] alongside Daniel Sharman as Lorenzo de' Medici, a series which follows the Medici family, bankers of the Pope, during Renaissance Florence.[12]

In 2020, James played the lead role of American war hero Felix Sparks in The Liberator, Netflix's four-part World War II drama series based on the book by Alex Kershaw.[13] This is the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance.[13]

In 2023, he starred as a local Norwegian farmer and chieftain Harekr, in the second season of the Netflix historical drama Vikings: Valhalla,[14] created by Jeb Stuart as a sequel to History's Vikings, and was filmed in County Wicklow, Ireland.[14]

Personal life

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James has two sisters, Natalie and Stephanie.[15] He is a supporter of Arsenal F.C..[3] He is also a keen football player, and likes to play for charity whenever possible.[2] He is also a fan of the Miami Dolphins of the American Football Conference.[4]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Note
2012 Fast Girls Carl
2016 Underworld: Blood Wars Varga
2019 Kurier Tom Dunbar

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 Lewis Jack Roth "Music to Die For"
2008 Dis/Connected Ben TV film [5]
2008–2012 Merlin Arthur Pendragon Main role - 65 episodes [6][16]
2009 Children in Need Arthur Pendragon "1.30"
2014 Homeland J.G. Edgars Episode: "The Drone Queen"[17]
2015 iZombie Lowell Tracey Recurring role - 5 episodes [18]
2016 Damien Damien Thorn Lead role- 10 episodes [19]
2017–2019 Bounty Hunters Webb Sherman, Keegan Sherman Main role - 5 episodes
2018–2019 Medici: Masters of Florence Giuliano de' Medici Main role - 11 episodes [12]
2020 The Liberator Felix Sparks Lead role - all 4 episodes [20]
2023 Vikings: Valhalla Harekr Season 2 - 5 Episodes [14]

References

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  1. ^ "Exclusive: Bradley James embraces his inner Antichrist as Damien". Empire. 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Exeter actor Bradley James tipped for James Bond". devonlive.com. 21 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b Kassius Denizen (22 May 2020). "Bradley James: King Charming". swaggermagazine.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e Soergel, Matt (23 June 2010). "Syfy's 'Merlin' star has Jacksonville connections". The Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b "BBC THREE:Dis/Connected". BBC Three. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  6. ^ a b Webb, Claire (5 October 2012). "Bradley James: "Merlin has grown up. We've grown up"". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Merlin to cast final spell as creators reveal that current series will be the last". 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  8. ^ "The Real Merlin and Arthur". BBC. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Bradley James Credited w/Role in 'Homeland' Season 4". 18 June 2014. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  10. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (9 September 2015). "Bradley James Lands 'Underworld 5' Villain Role". Deadline. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015.
  11. ^ Saclao, Christian (23 July 2015). "'iZombie' Creators Regret Killing Off Bradley James' Lowell?". Design & Trend. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  12. ^ a b Clarke, Stewart (10 August 2017). "Daniel Sharman and Bradley James Join Netflix's 'Medici'". Variety. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020.
  13. ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (22 January 2020). "Entertainment Veterans Launch Next-Gen Animation House Trioscope Studios". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020.
  14. ^ a b c "Vikings: Valhalla season 2 – release date, cast and latest news". radiotimes.com. 4 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Bradley James". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  16. ^ Dussander, Joe (4 January 2013). "Merlin'S Bradley James Says No to Movie and Spin-Off". ScifiNow. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  17. ^ "Wait... wut? Merlin's Bradley James is in Homeland and we missed it". Digital Spy. 21 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  18. ^ "Bradley James from 'Merlin' guest stars on 'iZombie' season 1, episode 5". Hypable. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  19. ^ Harris, Jamie (4 December 2014). "Merlin's Bradley James to star in The Omen TV sequel Damien". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  20. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (22 January 2019). "'The Liberator': Bradley James To Star in Netflix's Animated World War II Drama Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
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