Allen Leech

**Allen Leech**, born as Alan Leech on 18 May 1981, is a renowned Irish actor predominantly recognized for his roles as Tom Branson in the ITV period drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015) and Paul Prenter in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). Leech stepped into the world of acting with his debut in the 1998 production of A Streetcar Named Desire, following which he bagged his first major film role as Vincent Cusack in Cowboys & Angels (2003), that won him a nomination for an Irish Film & Television Award for his performance as Mo Chara in Man About Dog (2004). His acting journey continued with notable roles like Marcus Agrippa on the HBO historical drama series Rome (2007). Leech was born in Killiney, County Dublin, and developed an interest in acting at a very young age. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts and a Master's Degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin to hone his acting skills. Apart from his career, Leech's personal life includes his marriage to Jessica Blair Herman and his two children. In his early stage career, he played alongside Frances McDormand in A Streetcar Named Desire and took on various roles in several theatrical productions. His breakthrough film performance came from Cowboys and Angels. He also gained prominence on TV with his performance as Shane Kirwan in Ireland's RTÉ series Love Is the Drug, which earned him a Best Actor nomination from the Irish Film and Television Awards. Some of his significant appearances include the HBO drama series Rome, The Tudors, and The Imitation Game where he co-starred with Benedict Cumberbatch. Winning accolades like being voted the sexiest Irish male in 2005 in U Magazine and one of GQ's 50 best dressed men in Britain in 2015, Leech has made notable contributions to theatre and film. Notably, he reprised his role as Tom Branson in the feature films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).