Tim Downie

Timothy Richard Downie (born 14 July 1977) is an English actor and writer.[1] He is best known for the television series Toast of London, Outlander and Upstart Crow, and the films Paddington and The King's Speech.

Tim Downie
Born
Timothy Richard Downie

(1977-07-14) 14 July 1977
Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
Alma materMountview Academy of Theatre Arts
OccupationActor, writer

Downie was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Before starting his professional career, he trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.[2]

Career

Television

Downie's first television appearance was in 1994 in an episode of ITV's long-running police procedural The Bill, followed by a guest spot on the series two premiere of ITV's comedy Conjugal Rites.[3] In 1996 he joined the cast of CBBC's Out of Tune, a children's sitcom which focused on the lives of the member of a church choir, alongside James Corden and Jane Danson.[4] He would go on to appear on BBC One's teenage game show To Me... To You... in 1998 before landing the role of Sam Smallwood in a seven episode stint on Channel 4's soap opera Hollyoaks.[5][6] Next he would guest star in an episode of BBC One's courtroom drama Judge John Deed (2001) as Constable Hoskins.[7]

In 2002, Downie joined the cast of BBC's long-running series Doctors, portraying Alex North in 112 episodes of the drama.[8] 2004 saw him guest star on Fox Network's action/comedy Keen Eddie, which centered on an NYPD officer stationed in London, and the BBC's crime procedural New Tricks, which followed an Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS) of London's Metropolitan Police Service.[9][10] From there he would guest star on CBBC's teenage drama M.I.High in the series two finale titled "Asteroid Attack" (2008) and BBC's sitcom The Legend of Dick and Dom in a series one episode titled "The Tears of Fury".[11][12] In 2009, Downie co-starred in BBC Four's Micro Men, a comedic account of the rivalry between 1980's British computer giants Sir Clive Sinclair and Chris Curry, opposite Martin Freeman and Alexander Amrstrong.[13] For the next two years, between 2010 and 2011, Downie would star with fellow actor Sam Heughan in a series of television commercials as part of an ad campaign for Tennents Lager in the UK.[14]

Beginning in 2011, Tim appeared as Yates, opposite David Jason, in the BBC comedy series The Royal Bodyguard, which followed the misadventures of a clumsy officer who was appointed as the Queen's new bodyguard.[15] That same year he was cast in Sky Atlantic's comedy This is Jinsy, the first series of which was nominated for the British Comedy Awards for Best Sketch Show.[16] Downie would also in the second series three years later.[17] 2012 would see Downie appear in several television productions. First was the television film The Cricklewood Greats, a spoof documentary of the early British film industry for BBC Four, which saw him star opposite Peter Capaldi.[18] He would next feature in episode one of ITV's mini-series Titanic, which was released to coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of the tragedy.[19] Downie would finish out the year with appearances in Channel 4's mismatched roommate sitcom Peep Show, ITV's anthology series Little Crackers, which featured one-off comedies or dramas revolving around the theme of famous people's Christmas memories, and the first of a three-year stint as Danny Bear on Channel 4's comedy Toast of London.[20][21][22]

BBC's comedy Miranda, starring comedian and writer Miranda Hart, saw Downie guest star in 2013.[23] From there he went on to appearances in BBC Two's veterinarian sitcom Heading Out, the two-part series seven premiere of E4's hit Skins, a regular role in BBC One's sitcom Father Figure, and an appearance in BBC Two's BAFTA nominated short children's program Found.[24][25][26][27][28] In 2015 Tim made a cameo appearance in Dave TV's mockumentary series Hoff the Record, which was loosely based upon the life of actor David Hasslehoff.[29][30] That same year he would appear in an episode of ITV's mini-series Jekyll and Hyde and episode three of E4's science fiction comedy series Tripped.[31][32]

Downie would begin 2016 with a role in series three of ITV Two's sitcom Plebs, which followed the adventures of three men living in Rome.[33] He would go on to appeare in the made-for-television film Young Hyacinth, a prequel to BBC One's sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, an episode of Channel 4's online short video vehicle Comedy Blaps entitled Filcher & Crook, several episodes of Comedy Central's Drunk History: UK, and a regular role as Christoper (Kit) Marlowe in Ben Elton's ongoing sitcom Upstart Crow.[34][35][36][37][38][39] The next year, Downie featured in an episode of BBC's comedy Count Arthur Strong, opposite comedian and writer Steve Delaney, an episode of E4's comedy of innocence Chewing Gum, and an episode of Comedy Central's sitcom I Live with Models.[40][41][42]

2018 saw Downie cast as recurring character, and real-life historical figure, Governor William Tryon in STARZ's television adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's best selling Scottish time travel novel Outlander.[43] Downie went on to executive produce and star in the six part-comedy The Jewish Enquirer, alongside Lucy Montgomery, in early 2020.[44][45] Later that year he appeared in creators Justin Sbresni and Mark Bussell's YouTube series Housebound, which focused on ordinary life in the era of COVID-19 lockdown.[46][47]

Film

Downie's first professional film role was in 2002's mystery thriller Dead Man's Dream, from directors Abner Pastoll and Kamma Pastoll.[48] Two years later he would star in director Emory Ruegg's short film Swiss Passport, which was created for the Straight 8 Competition at 2004's Soho Rushes Film Festival.[49][50] That same year he would appear in the drama Shooting Shona opposite Samantha Béart.[51] In 2008, Downie would once again work with director Abner Pastoll on his short film Homicide: Division B, a dramatic comedy about the British police, before starring in the direct-to-video horror film The Gatekeeper.[52][53][54]

In 2010, Downie appeared as H.G. Wells in the short film A Great Mistake, which screened at Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Corner and the Shanghai International Film Festival.[55][56] That same year he would feature as the Duke of Gloucester in the Academy Award winning film The King's Speech.[57][58][59] The next year he portrayed Danny in Michael Tchoubouroff's dramatic comedy Diagnosis Superstar.[60] He would go on, in 2012, to feature in the musical Les Misérables, opposite Eddie Redmayne and Aaron Tveit.[61] Two years later Downie would appear as explorer Montgomery Clyde in the family film Paddington, which was based upon author Michael Bond's series of children's books.[62]

2017 would see Downie appear in three feature films. First was the Netflix original War Machine, a film which was inspired by US Army General Stanley McChrystal, opposite Brad Pitt.[63] Second was a cameo in director Michael Bay's Transformers: The Last Knight, the fifth installment in the Transformers franchise.[64] He would finish the year with Vertical Entertainment's hostage thriller 6 Days, which chronicled the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London by militants.[65] The next year he would feature in independent film The Mercy, the true story of Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth), an amateur sailor who participated in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968.[66] He would go on to a supporting role in the comedy I Love My Mum, from Spanish writer and director Albert Sciamma.[67]

It was announced in 2018 that Downiehad been cast in Citrus Film's Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans, an adaptation of the best-selling children's historical comedy books from Scholastic.[68] The film is scheduled to be released to UK and Irish theatres in July 2019 and US theatres in November.[69][68]

Theatre

Downie has appeared in numerous stage productions including writer Peter Maddock's 2007 play Charlie and Henry at the New End Theatre and writer Gavin Davis' 2008 comedy Fat Christ at the King's Head Theatre in London, England.[70][71] In 2010 he appeared in to different plays at the Birmingham Repretory Theatre, first was Lutz Hübner's German play Respect, followed by Samantha Ellis’s Jewish drama Cling To Me Like Ivy.[72][73][74] He also appeared in1966 World Cup Final (2002) on tour around the UK, Pawnography, and Le Jet De Sang at The Rose (theatre) in London 2007, part of their first residency in 500 years.[75] In 2015 he appeared in Hampstead Theatre’s production of writer Michael Frayn's play Matchbox Theatre.[73]

Writing

As a writer, Downie had his first theatre piece, The Dead Moon, commissioned in 2008. The play toured the UK and was also performed at the Aldeburgh Festival, the first non-operatic piece to ever be performed there.[76] In 2009 he was one of two finalists selected in the Heat 2, first round assignments (of 540 entries in 30 heats) in the New York Screenwriters' Challenge for his script The Robin Wins The Spring.[77] Since then his theatre work has included The Curse of Elizabeth Faulkner for 2010's Off Cut Festival in London, which was also performed at the King's Head Theatre, and The Revenge of Anubis.[78][79] In 2010 Dowie penned The Story Project 2 – Love, Lies and London for The Southwark Playhouse and A Portrait of Maureen Flange for the Etcetera Theatre.[80][81]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Character Notes
2002 Dead Man's Dream Video store customer
2004 Swiss Passport Neil Short
Shooting Shona Art
Kay Ollie Short film
2008 Homicide: Division B Detective Lonetree Short film
The Gatekeeper Dweeb Direct to video
2010 A Great Mistake H. G. Wells Short film
The King's Speech Duke of Gloucester
The Present and the Past Chris Short film
2011 Diagnosis Superstar Danny
2012 Les Misérables Brevet
2014 Paddington Montgomery Clyde
2017 War Machine Paul Smear
Transformers: The Last Knight Polo Player
6 Days Jimmy Independent film
2018 The Mercy Style Editor
I Love My Mum Henry Brentwood
Last Christmas Dad Short
2019 Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans British Legate

Television
Year Title Character Production Notes
1994 The Bill Joe Paley ITV Episode: "Keeping Mum"
Conjugal Rites Rick Pike ITV Episode: "Happy Returns?"
1999 Out of Tune Street CBBC Series Regular, 17 episodes
1998 To Me... To You Himself BBC One 1 episode
1998-2001 Hollyoaks Sam Smallwood Channel 4 Recurring role, 7 episodes
2001 Judge John Deed Constable Hoskins BBC One Episode: "Appropriate Response"
2002 Doctors Alex North BBC Recurring role, 112 episodes
2004 Keen Eddie McGinnis Fox Episode: "Citizen Cecil"
New Tricks Dave Pimley BBC One Episode: "Good Work rewarded"
2008 M.I. High Leo Taybridge CBBC Episode: "Asteroid Attack"
2009 The Legend of Dick and Dom Jasper BBC One Episode: "The Tears of Fury"
Micro Men Tony Wood Rogers BBC Four Television film
2011-2012 The Royal Bodyguard Yates BBC 6 episodes
2011-2014 This is Jinsy Jinsy Player Sky Atlantic Recurring role, 16 episodes
2012 The Cricklewood Greats Lionel Crisp BBC Television film
Titanic Police Officer ITV/ABC Miniseries, 1 episode
Peep Show Greg Channel 4 Episode: "Business Secrets of the Pharaohs"
Little Crackers P.C. Goodhand ITV Episode: "Omid Djalili's Little Cracker: The Ten Year Plan: Fringe to Hollywood"
2012-2015 Toast of London Danny Bear Channel 4 Recurring role, 17 episodes
2013 Miranda Julian BBC Episode: "A Brief Encounter"
Heading Out Colin Stafforth BBC Two 1 episode
Skins Mr. Jessup E4 Episode: "Fire: part 1 & 2"
Father Figure Tim Curtain BBC One Recurring role, 5 episodes
Found BBC Two Television short
2015 Hoff the Record Dylan Turnbull Dave Episode: "Renew or Die"
Jekyll & Hyde Willard Neysmith ITV Episode: "Black Dog"
Tripped Promo Presenter E4 Miniseries, 1 episode
2016 Plebs Esquilinus ITV2 Episode: "Jugball"
Young Hyacinth Freddy BBC One Television film
Comedy Blaps Filcher Channel 4 Episode: "Filcher & Crook", Online
2016-2017 Drunk History: UK Royal Society Lecturer / Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve / Edward Wilson Comedy Central 3 episodes
2016-2018 Upstart Crow Christopher Marlowe BBC Two Recurring role, 19 episodes
2017 Chewing Gum Lance E4 Episode: "Orlando"
Count Arthur Strong Rufus BBC Episode: "The Lucky Streak"
I Live with Models Dub Comedy Central Episode: "Jess Steals a Job"
2018-2020 Outlander Governor Tryon Starz Recurring role, 3 episodes
2020 The Jewish Enquirer Paul Green Amazon Prime Series lead
Housebound Major Jeremy YouTube Recurring role, 5 episodes

Theatre
Year Title Role Director Theatre
2007 Charlie and Henry Mervyn[70] Peter Maddock New End Theatre
2008 Fat Christ Dick Frobisher[71] Heather Simpkin King's Head Theatre
2010 Respect Kobert[72] John Rettallack Birmingham Reperatory Theatre
Cling To Me Like Ivy David[82] Sarah Esdaile Birmingham Reperatory Theatre
2015 Matchbox Theatre Various[72] Hamish McColl Hampstead Theatre

As writer
Year Title Notes
2008 The Dead Moon Play
2009 The Robin Wins The Spring New York Screenwriters' Challenge
The Curse of Elizabeth Faulkner Play
The Revenge of Anubis Play
2010 A Portrait of Maureen Flange Play
The Story Project 2 – Love, Lies and London Play

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