James Wilby

James Wilby is an English actor whose career spans over four decades, beginning with his screen debut in the Oxford Film Company production Privileged (1982) alongside Hugh Grant. Born on 20 February 1958 in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father, he was educated at Terrington Hall and Sedbergh School before pursuing a mathematics degree at Grey College, Durham University, and later honing his craft at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Wilby's early breakthrough came with the Merchant Ivory period film Maurice (1987), which earned him and Grant the Venice Film Festival's Best Actor award and introduced him to an international audience. He continued to garner critical acclaim with performances in A Handful of Dust (1988), winning the Bari Film Festival Best Actor award, and later appeared in notable productions such as Howards End (1992), Regeneration (1997), and Gosford Park (2001). His versatility extended to the stage, where he starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1995 revival of John Osborne's A Patriot for Me and took leading roles in productions like Don Juan at the Lyric Theatre (2004) and Gaslight (2019). Beyond his professional achievements, Wilby is married to Shana Louise and together they have four children. From 1994 to 2015 he owned The Laines, an 18th‑century country house in Plumpton, East Sussex, famously known as the childhood home of Queen Camilla. His enduring presence in film, television, and theatre reflects a dedication to nuanced storytelling and a remarkable ability to embody complex characters across a wide range of genres.