British Actors You Should Know: Daniel Mays

Talented, enthusiastic, diligent, and grounded are all words that can be used to describe seasoned actor Daniel Mays. The 44-year-old Mays could also be called a passionate advocate for bringing more working-class kids like him into the industry. The son of an electrician and a bank cashier, a career in the theatre wasn’t an obvious option for this Essex-born lad. However, with the support of his parents, Mays attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts before winning a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

After graduating from drama school in 2000, Daniel did a lot of stage work, a few soaps, and TV guest roles before he got cast in two films by the man Mays credits with turning him into the actor he is, Mike Leigh, the director, and writer, best known for his Academy Award nominations for Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake, both of which he was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay. Since then, he has been continually in demand, earning a reputation as an excellent character actor who seems to specialize in cops or bad guys (and sometimes a combination of both).

Here are our picks for some of Daniel’s most memorable performances over the years.