James Purefoy

James Purefoy is an English actor whose career spans over three decades, beginning in the late 1980s with classical theatre and evolving into a versatile screen presence across film, television, and stage. Born on 3 June 1964 in Taunton, Somerset, he was the eldest son of Anthony Chetwynd Purefoy and Shirley Taylor, and after a modest academic path that saw him leave Sherborne School with a single O‑level, he later earned eleven more O‑levels through night school before completing his A‑levels at Brooklands College. He worked as a hospital porter before studying drama at the Central School of Speech and Drama, a decision that launched his entrance into the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1988, where he tackled roles such as Edgar in King Lear and Laertes in Hamlet at the Bristol Old Vic. Throughout his screen career, Purefoy has become known for embodying complex, often morally ambiguous characters: he portrayed Mark Antony in HBO’s epic Rome, the chilling serial‑killer professor Joe Carroll in The Following, and the sword‑wielding anti‑hero Hap Collins in the Sundance series Hap and Leonard. His film work includes the titular role in Solomon Kane, a memorable turn as Laurens Bancroft in Netflix’s cyber‑punk drama Altered Carbon, and a cameo as Captain Gulliver “Gully” Troy (later Captain Blighty) in Pennyworth. Despite an early uncredited stint as V in V for Vendetta, which was later dubbed over, his reputation for strong, charismatic performances has endured. Off‑screen, Purefoy married actress Holly Aird (1996‑2002) and later art historian Jessica Adams (2014‑present), fathering four children, and remains a vocal supporter of Yeovil Town and Manchester United.