Daniel Mays

Daniel Mays (born 31 March 1978) is an English actor known for his consistent performance on both film and television. His career is dotted with important roles in popular productions like EastEnders (2000), Rehab (2005), Red Riding (2008), Ashes to Ashes (2010), Outcasts (2011), Mrs Biggs, Line of Duty, Des and White Lines (2020), and film roles in Pearl Harbor (2001), All or Nothing (2002), Vera Drake (2004), Shifty, Made in Dagenham, Byzantium (2012), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). His performances have led to nominations for best supporting actor at both the BIFAs (2008), and the BAFTAs (2017), demonstrating his immense talent and respect within the industry. Mays' career is not confined to the screen, as he also has considerable theater experience, including a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in 'Guys and Dolls' at the Bridge Theatre. Born in Epping, Essex, the third of four boys, Mays was raised by his electrician father and bank cashier mother. He attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, before studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) where he graduated in 2000 with an Acting Diploma. Make his debut on EastEnders in 2000, he started his big screen career a year later, in 2001 as a pilot in Pearl Harbor. He has worked with a range of admired film and TV personalities, like Mike Leigh, Steven Spielberg, and Gemma Arterton, to name a few. Mays is known for his dedicated approach to creating believable characters, often credited to his theatre training. His performances span across a variety of genres, from crime and drama to sci-fi series and independent films.