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Rafe Spall

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Rafe Spall
Spall in 2013
Born
Rafe Joseph Spall

(1983-03-10) 10 March 1983 (age 41)
Dulwich, London, England
OccupationActor
Years active2001–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2010; div. 2021)​
PartnerEsther Smith (2022–present)
Children3
ParentTimothy Spall (father)

Rafe Joseph Spall (/ˈreɪf ˈspɔːl/ RAYF SPAWL; born 10 March 1983) is an English actor.

Spall has appeared in films including Kidulthood (2006), A Good Year (2006), Hot Fuzz (2007), One Day (2011), Anonymous (2011), Prometheus (2012), Life of Pi (2012), The World's End (2013), The Big Short (2015), The BFG (2016), The Ritual (2017), and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018). Spall played the title role of Pete Griffiths in Pete versus Life from 2010–2011, and has portrayed characters on the TV series The Shadow Line and Black Mirror. Spall also appeared in the Men in Black spin-off film Men in Black: International (2019).

Since May 2020, Spall has starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series Trying.

Early life

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Rafe Joseph Spall[1][better source needed] was born on 10 March 1983[2] at 12 Dunstan's Road in East Dulwich, London,[3] the second of three children of Shane (née Baker) and actor Timothy Spall. Named after the protagonist in The Knight of the Burning Pestle, a role his father played in the Royal Shakespeare Company and one he would later play himself, he always had ambitions to act. His father was diagnosed with myeloid leukaemia when Rafe was 14, and spent the next 18 months in treatment.[4]

Rafe was overweight as a teen, which he calls a "painful" experience.[5] Having achieved poor grades at his school, Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College,[6] he left to become an actor and joined the National Youth Theatre at 15. He failed to get into his chosen drama schools, such as RADA, at 17, but worked anyway. After being perennially cast in "fat" roles, he lost 77 lbs (35 kg) at age 19, which brought more acting opportunities.[5]

Career

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Spall has frequently collaborated with Edgar Wright, appearing in his films Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Spall was also featured in Wright's segment in the 2007 Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez film Grindhouse.

In 2007, Spall performed for the first time with his father in the ITV adaptation of A Room with a View playing father and son.[7]

In 2011, Spall starred in the romantic tragedy film One Day opposite Anne Hathaway.

In 2012, Spall portrayed Canadian author Yann Martel in the Academy Award-winning drama film Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee. The film was a critical and financial success, winning four Academy Awards and making over $600 million at the box office. In 2013, he played the newlywed husband in I Give It a Year, a comedy about the trials and tribulations of a couple during their first year of marriage.[8]

In 2014, Spall appeared in the coming-of-age drama X+Y, alongside Asa Butterfield and Sally Hawkins, and the seasonal family comedy Get Santa. In 2015, he played John Hancock in the History Channel three-part series, Sons of Liberty, alongside Jim Broadbent, and appeared in the Academy Award-winning biographical comedy-drama The Big Short, alongside Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell. Also that year, Spall played Harry Price in Harry Price: Ghost Hunter, ITV's adaptation of Neil Spring's debut novel, The Ghost Hunters. The film aired on ITV1 on 27 December.[9]

Spall portrayed Eli Mills in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), the fifth instalment of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park series, and directed by The Impossible helmer J. A. Bayona.[10]

Since 2020, Spall has a leading role in the Apple TV+ comedy series Trying, opposite Esther Smith and Imelda Staunton. The first season premiered on 1 May 2020. The second season premiered on 12 May 2021.

He also played DS Bailey in the 2020 BBC drama The Salisbury Poisonings.[11]

Personal life

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Spall says he has always struggled with his weight, going up to 18 stone (114 kg (251 lb)), but said that he was given so many character parts that he attempted to slim down, losing over 5st (32 kg (71 lb)).[12] Like his father, he is a keen supporter of Crystal Palace. He is a patron of the Actors' Centre.[13]

In February 2008, Spall met actress Elize du Toit; they were married on 14 August 2010[14] and lived in West Kensington, London.[15] They have three children: a daughter born in 2011, a son born in 2012 and another son born in 2015.[14] The marriage ended in 2021 and Spall is now in a relationship with Trying co-star Esther Smith, who as of May 2024 is pregnant with their first child.[16]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Beginner's Luck Danny
2004 Shaun of the Dead Noel
The Calcium Kid Stan Parlour
2005 Green Street Hooligans Swill
The Last Drop Pvt. David Wellings
2006 Kidulthood Lenny
A Good Year Kenny
2007 Hot Fuzz D.C. Andy Cartwright
Grindhouse Featured Ghost Segment: "Don't"
2008 Close Eric [17]
2009 The Scouting Book for Boys Steve
Modern Life Is Rubbish Liam [18]
2010 Behind the Door Bobby
Sus D.C. Wilby
2011 Anonymous William Shakespeare
One Day Ian Whitehead
2012 Prometheus Millburn
Life of Pi Writer
Earthbound Joe Norman
2013 I Give It a Year Josh Moss
The World's End Young Man
The F Word Ben Also released as What If
2014 X+Y Martin Humphreys Nominated — BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor[19]
Get Santa Steve
2015 The Big Short Danny Moses Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2016 The BFG Mr. Tibbs
Swallows and Amazons Jim Turner / Captain Flint
Mum's List Singe
2017 The Ritual Luke
2018 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Eli Mills
2019 Men in Black: International Agent C [20][21]
Just Mercy Tommy Chapman
Denmark Herb Also released as One Way to Denmark[22][23]
2021 Long Story Short Teddy
2024 William Tell TBA Post-production
TBA Rich Flu

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Out of Control Ray Television film
2003 The Lion in Winter Prince John
2004 The Legend of the Tamworth Two Crustie
2005 The Rotters' Club Sean Harding 3 episodes
Twisted Tales Dominic Episode: "Death Metal Chronicles"
2006 The Romantics John Clare Miniseries
The Chatterley Affair Keith Television film
Cracker DS McAllister Episode: "Nine Eleven"
Wide Sargasso Sea Edward Rochester Television film
Dracula Jonathan Harker
2007 A Room with a View George Emerson
2008 He Kills Coppers Frank Taylor
Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me Dennis Heymer
2009 Agatha Christie's Marple Roger Bassington Episode: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"
Desperate Romantics William Holman Hunt 6 episodes
2010–2011 Pete Versus Life Pete Griffiths 11 episodes
2011 The Shadow Line Jay Wratten 6 episodes
2014 Black Mirror Joe Potter Episode: "White Christmas"[24]
2015 Harry Price: Ghost Hunter Harry Price Television film
Sons of Liberty John Hancock Miniseries
2016 Roadies Reg Whitehead 10 episodes
2018 Grandpa's Great Escape Adult Jack (voice) Television special
2019 The War of the Worlds George 3 episodes
2020 The Salisbury Poisonings DS Bailey TV series
2020–present Trying Jason Ross Main role
2022 The English David Melmont
TBA Firebug TBA Upcoming miniseries
TBA Under Salt Marsh Detective Eric Bull Upcoming TV series

Stage

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Radio

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References

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  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007
  2. ^ Yahoo! Movies profile Archived 22 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Spall, Shane (Mother of Rafe) [@pastafa] (19 February 2020). "Ambiguity? We lived in Dunstans Grove, East Dulwich, London SE22. That's where our son was born, number 12 to be exact. #fact" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Radio interview "Comfort Eating with Grace Dent", Retrieved 2nd November 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Rafe Spall: From fat boy to slim son of Tim". Evening Standard. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  6. ^ Raphael, Amy (25 May 2012). "Rising son: Rafe Spall's time has come". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  7. ^ Raphael, Amy (27 October 2007). "Rafe and Timothy Spall joint interview". Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  8. ^ "I give it a year next year". www.stephenmerchant.com. 22 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  9. ^ Blanket, Jo (27 August 2015). "Rafe Spall to star in new ITV drama Harry Price: Ghost Hunter". ITV. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (7 November 2016). "Toby Jones and Rafe Spall in Talks to Join Sequel to 'Jurassic World' (Exclusive)". Variety.
  11. ^ McIntosh, Steven (14 June 2020). "TV drama revisits Salisbury poison attack 'horror'". BBC News. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  12. ^ Babb, Fran (19 August 2011). "Rafe Spall One Day Interview". Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  13. ^ "Rafe Spall, Patron". actorscentre.co.uk/. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  14. ^ a b Gilbert, Gerard (20 August 2011), "Rafe Spall Profile", Independent, London
  15. ^ "Rafe Spall My London", Evening Standard, 2009, archived from the original on 25 November 2009
  16. ^ Williams, Zoe (14 May 2024), "'It's great!' Rafe Spall on having a baby with his co-star in Trying, the infertility sitcom", Guardian
  17. ^ "Close", Pollibee Pictures, 2008[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "Modern Life Is Rubbish", BBC, 2009, archived from the original on 8 March 2012
  19. ^ "X Plus Y announces cast". 18 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  20. ^ Kit, Borys (29 June 2018). "'Men in Black' Movie Spin-Off Adds 'Jurassic' Actor to Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  21. ^ Chitwood, Adam (5 December 2018). "The 'Men in Black' Reboot Is Titled 'Men in Black International'". Collider. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  22. ^ Dunschen, Tobias (27 September 2019). "Dinard 2019 : Denmark". Critique Film (in French). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  23. ^ Crow, Roget. "One Way to Denmark (2019) - film review". On Yorkshire. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  24. ^ "'Mad Men' Star Jon Hamm Joins 'Black Mirror'", Variety, 2004
  25. ^ "A Prayer for Owen Meany - Productions". National Theatre. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  26. ^ "Just a Bloke at The Royal Court Theatre". royalcourttheatre.com. 17 November 2002. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  27. ^ "The Knight of the Burning Pestle". British Theatre Guide. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  28. ^ "John Gabriel Borkman". Donmar Warehouse. 14 April 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2006. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  29. ^ "Alaska at The Royal Court Theatre". royalcourttheatre.com. 23 June 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  30. ^ "Hello and Goodbye - Athol Fugard - 2008 - Productions - English Touring Theatre". Ett.org.uk. 17 May 2008. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  31. ^ "Bush Theatre". Bush Theatre. 21 November 2009. Archived from the original on 17 August 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  32. ^ "Constellations at The Royal Court Theatre". royalcourttheatre.com. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  33. ^ "Rafe Spall to star in West End premiere of To Kill a Mockingbird". The Guardian. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
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