James Purefoy
James Purefoy (born 3 June 1964) is an English actor. He played Marc Antony in the HBO series Rome, college professor turned serial killer Joe Carroll in the series The Following, and Solomon Kane in the film of the same name. In February 2018 he starred as Laurens Bancroft in Altered Carbon, a Netflix original series. He played James McCarthy, a young man accused of murdering his father, in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," in Granada's The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. One of his notable roles was as Nicholas Jenkins in the eight-part miniseries A Dance to the Music of Time for Channel 4 in 1997. He played Edward, the Black Prince in the film A Knight's Tale, Rawdon Crawley in Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon and Tom Bertram in the 1999 production of Mansfield Park. He has played major roles in several television costume dramas, including Sharpe's Sword, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, The Prince and the Pauper, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Blackbeard: Terror at Sea, Beau Brummell: This Charming Man, The Tide of Life, Camelot and Rome. He played Mark Antony in the HBO/BBC original television series, Rome. He starred as Teddy Rist in the summer television series, The Philanthropist, which aired on NBC beginning on June 2009. His character is a billionaire playboy who decides to use his wealth and power to help others in need. In 2013, The Following debuted, starring Purefoy as the lead antagonist of the series. He portrays Joe Carroll, a former professor who becomes a serial killer and leads a cult of followers, all whom help create Carroll's "story". It was announced in June 2014 that Purefoy would join the cast of the film High-Rise with Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons. Later in 2014, Purefoy co-starred in the Formula 1-themed music video for David Guetta's song "Dangerous". In February 2019, Hybrid (who provided the score to Interlude in Prague) released a short film to accompany their single "Hold Your Breath" from the album Light of the Fearless. The film starred Purefoy as the brooding 'Mr Black'.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Saint-Pierre as Sean Gallagher
- 2024 · Land of Women as Fred
- 2024 · The Veil as Sir Michael Althorp
- 2023 · Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie as Rick Eden
- 2023 · Malpractice as Dr. Leo Harris
- 2022 · Marie Antoinette as Louis XV
- 2022 · Fisherman's Friends: One and All as Jim
- 2021 · Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans as Additional Voices (voice)
- 2020 · No Man's Land as Stanley
- 2020 · El Candidato as Wayne Addison
- 2019 · Limbo as Lucifer
- 2019 · All Hail the Popcorn King! as Self
- 2019 · Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler as Captain Gulliver 'Gully' Troy
- 2019 · Fisherman's Friends as Jim
- 2019 · Sex Education as Remi Milburn
- 2018 · A Discovery of Witches as Philippe De Clermont
- 2018 · A Discovery of Witches as Philippe de Clermont
- 2018 · It's Me, Sugar as Billy Wilder
- 2018 · Altered Carbon as Laurens Bancroft
- 2017 · Churchill as King George VI
- 2017 · Interlude In Prague as Baron Saloka
- 2017 · Urban Myths as Billy Wilder
- 2016 · Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia as Amulet (voice)
- 2016 · Equity as Michael Connor
- 2016 · Roots as John Waller
- 2016 · Hap and Leonard as Hap Collins
- 2015 · High-Rise as Pangbourne
- 2015 · Momentum as Mr. Washington
- 2014 · Wicked Blood as 'Wild' Bill Owens
- 2013 · The Following as Joe Carroll
- 2012 · The Hollow Crown as Thomas of Mowbray
- 2012 · John Carter as Kantos Kan
- 2011 · Revenge as Dominik Wright
- 2011 · Injustice as William Travers
- 2011 · Ironclad as Thomas Marshall
- 2011 · Camelot as King Lot
- 2011 · Camelot as
- 2011 · Episodes as Rob
- 2009 · Solomon Kane as Solomon Kane
- 2009 · The Philanthropist as
- 2009 · Diamonds as
- 2009 · Diamonds as Lucas Denmont
- 2009 · Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as Self
- 2008 · Lena: The Bride of Ice as Dr. Harper
- 2008 · The Summit as Thom Lightstone
- 2007 · Frankenstein as Clerval
- 2006 · Blackbeard as Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach
- 2006 · Beau Brummell: This Charming Man as Beau Brummell
- 2006 · Goose on the Loose as Kenneth Donnelly
- 2005 · Rome as Mark Antony
- 2004 · Photo Finish as James Wise
- 2004 · Vanity Fair as Rawdon Crawley
- 2004 · Blessed as Craig Howard
- 2004 · George and the Dragon as George
- 2003 · The Mayor of Casterbridge as Donald Farfrae
- 2003 · The Mayor of Casterbridge as Donald Farfrae
- 2002 · Resident Evil as Spence Parks
- 2001 · Women Talking Dirty as Daniel
- 2001 · A Knight's Tale as Colville
- 2001 · Tomorrow as Andrew Spender
- 2000 · Humphrey Jennings: The Man Who Listened to Britain as Narrator
- 2000 · The Wedding Tackle as Hal
- 2000 · Maybe Baby as Carl Phipps
- 2000 · Don Quixote as Carrasco
- 2000 · Lighthouse as Richard Spader
- 1999 · Mansfield Park as Tom Bertram
- 1998 · Jilting Joe as Joe
- 1998 · Bedrooms and Hallways as Brendan
- 1997 · A Dance to the Music of Time as Nicholas Jenkins
- 1997 · Bright Hair as David Miles
- 1996 · The Tenant of Wildfell Hall as Mr. Lawrence
- 1996 · The Prince and the Pauper as Miles Hendon
- 1996 · The Tide of Life as Nick Stuart
- 1995 · Feast of July as Jedd Wainwright
- 1995 · Sharpe's Sword as Cpt. Jack Spears
- 1995 · Tears Before Bedtime as Jimmy Turner
- 1994 · Calling the Shots as Brian Summers
- Future · Outrageous as David Freeman-Mitford
- 1994 · One Night Stand as John
- 1993 · Sharpe as Jack Spears
- 1992 · Angels as Victor
- 1992 · The Cloning of Joanna May as Oliver
- 1984 · Sherlock Holmes as James McCarthy