Mark Addy

Mark Ian Addy is an English actor born on 14 January 1964 in York, where his family has resided since at least 1910, when his paternal great-grandfather was recorded there. His father, Ian, worked as a glazier at York Minster throughout his career. Addy attended Joseph Rowntree School in York, and while still a student, completed three weeks of work experience at the York Theatre Royal, an experience that led him to continue working there and ultimately pursue acting professionally. He went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating with an Acting Diploma in 1984.

Addy made his first television appearance in 1987 in The Ritz, followed by A Very Peculiar Practice in 1988, and subsequent television work in productions including Heartbeat, Band of Gold, Peak Practice, and Sunnyside Farm. He played Detective Boyle in the second series of the British sitcom The Thin Blue Line, and from 2002 to 2006 portrayed Bill Miller across 88 episodes of the CBS sitcom Still Standing, performing the role with an improvised American accent. In 2008, he appeared in the ITV comedy drama Bike Squad as Sergeant John Rook. In 2011, he was cast as King Robert Baratheon in the HBO series Game of Thrones, a role that showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss described as the easiest to cast after Addy delivered what they considered the best audition for the show. His character was killed off in the first season following a hunting incident involving a wild boar. That same year, he began appearing in the BBC comedy series Trollied, a role he continued through 2013, and he portrayed Hercules in the BBC One fantasy drama Atlantis, which began airing on 28 September 2013. In 2016, he played D.S. Derek Sands in the BBC drama New Blood, and in 2020 he portrayed DS Stan Jones in the detective drama White House Farm. In 2023, he starred as David Coake in The Rig alongside Iain Glen, Emily Hampshire, and Martin Compston, and also appeared in the television sequel series to The Full Monty.

On film, Addy's debut came with a leading role in The Full Monty in 1997, for which he received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He portrayed Mac McArthur in Jack Frost in 1998, and in 2000 took on the role of Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. The following year he played Roland in A Knight's Tale and appeared in Down to Earth. He portrayed David Philby in The Time Machine and appeared as a ship captain in Around the World in 80 Days alongside Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan. In 2010, he played Friar Tuck in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood. In 2018, he appeared in the Doctor Who episode "The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos" as Paltraki. His 2019 film credits include the Downton Abbey feature film, in which he played Mr. Bakewell, a shopkeeper from whom Mrs. Patmore purchases supplies, a character previously referenced in the television series but not yet seen onscreen. In 2022, he appeared in The Lost King as Richard Buckley.

Addy's stage career has included significant work at major British institutions. In 2006, he portrayed Kevin Snell in the revival of Donkeys' Years at the Comedy Theatre in London. Between 2007 and 2008, he appeared at the National Theatre as Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing alongside Zoe Wanamaker, and as Hjalmar Johansen in Tony Harrison's play Fram. In 2011, he played Vladimir, an NKVD officer, in Collaborators at the National Theatre, a production that was also broadcast to cinemas internationally through the National Theatre Live programme. In 2016, he appeared in Richard Bean's The Nap at Sheffield Crucible, directed by Richard Wilson, alongside Jack O'Connell and Ralf Little. Addy made his Broadway debut in 2022 in Hangmen. On 20 July 2019, the University of York awarded Addy an honorary doctorate.