Jeremy Paul Swift (born 27 June 1960) is an English actor.[1] He studied drama at Guildford School of Acting from 1978 to 1981 and worked almost exclusively in theatre throughout the 1980s, working with companies such as Deborah Warner's Kick Theatre company and comedy performance-art group The People Show. During this period he also appeared in numerous television commercials. In the 1990s, he acted at the National Theatre alongside David Tennant and Richard Wilson in Phyllida Lloyd's production of What the Butler Saw.

Jeremy Swift
Swift in 2023
Born
Jeremy Paul Swift

(1960-06-27) 27 June 1960 (age 63)
Alma materGuildford School of Acting
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
SpouseMary Roscoe
Children2

Swift acted in films such as Robert Altman's murder mystery Gosford Park (2001), Michael Apted's historical drama Amazing Grace (2006), and the family adventure film Mary Poppins Returns (2018). He also appeared in Vanity Fair (1998), Foyle's War (2013-2015), Downton Abbey (2013-2015), The Durrells (2016), and National Treasure (2016). In 2021, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in Ted Lasso for his portrayal of Leslie Higgins.

Life and career edit

Swift was born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. Both his parents were music teachers.[2] In the 2000s, Swift appeared in Gosford Park playing the footman Arthur, and Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist as Mr. Bumble. For BBC3, he played Barry in the cult hit The Smoking Room and had a theatrical hit with Abigail's Party, the last production at the old Hampstead Theatre and their longest running West End transfer.

In 2009, he played the lead in the true story of art forger Shaun Greenhalgh in The Antiques' Rogue Show[3] for BBC2 with Liz Smith and Peter Vaughn, The Deacon in a film adaptation of Anton Chekhov's short story The Duel and featured in Canoe Man, a 2010 TV drama based on the John Darwin disappearance case.

He starred in the independent British feature film Downhill, which is a comedy about four men attempting Alfred Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk which was released in 2014 and co-stars Ned Dennehy, Karl Theobald and Richard Lumsden. The film was directed by James Rouse and the screenplay was written by Torben Betts.

Swift is also a composer and his work includes the score for Werewolves: The Dark Survivors (Wide-eyed Entertainment) for the Discovery channel and ITV global.

On ITV, Swift played Septimus Spratt, the butler of the Dowager Countess, in Downton Abbey for three seasons and has been seen as Dennis, manservant to Countess Mavrodaki (Leslie Caron) in Episodes 3-6 of The Durrells. He also played election agent Glenvil Harris in the last two series of Foyle's War. He played Gooding in Mary Poppins Returns, which was released in 2018.

In 2020, he played the role of Leslie Higgins in Apple TV+'s show, Ted Lasso, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2021.[4][5]

Personal life edit

Swift is married to actress Mary Roscoe (who plays his wife, Julie Higgins, on Ted Lasso), whom he met while working on a play. They have two adopted children. He is a skilled jazz musician and as Higgins, plays the double bass in an episode of Ted Lasso.[6]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Mr. Love Boy in Projection Room
2001 Dark Blue World Cpl. Pierce
Gosford Park Arthur
2003 To Kill a King Earl of Whitby
2005 Oliver Twist Mr. Bumble
2006 Amazing Grace Richard the Butler
Are You Ready for Love? James
2007 Boy A Dave
Fred Claus Bob Elf
2010 The Duel Deacon
2014 Downhill Steve
2015 Jupiter Ascending Vassily Bolotnikov
2017 Gun Shy Charlie
2018 Mary Poppins Returns Gooding / Badger (voice)

Television edit

Title Year Role Notes
1991 Paul Merton: The Series Shoplifting Customer Episode: "#1.3"
1991 An Actor's Life For Me Waldemar Krystoff Episode: "Night of the Living Dead"
1995–1996 Next of Kin Ant 4 episodes
1996 Dalziel and Pascoe Dave Fernie Episode: "A Clubbable Woman"
1997–1998 Blind Men Graham Holdcroft Main role
1997, 1998 The Grand David Jeffries 2 episodes
1998 Roger Roger Vicar Episode: "There Are No Minicabs in Heaven"
1998 The Bill Graham Thornley Episode: "Solicitous"
1998 Vanity Fair Jon Sedley Miniseries
4 episodes
1999 Miami 7 Stewart Episode: "Take Off"
1999 Bostock's Cup Sam Tilton Television film
1999 A Christmas Carol Mr. Williams Television film
2000 The 10th Kingdom Ball Guest Miniseries
Episode: "#1.9"
2001 Barbara Eric Episode: "Wedding"
2002 Bertie and Elizabeth Royal Page Television film
2004 The Alan Clark Diaries Nigel Lawson Episode: "Defence of the Realm"
2004–2005 The Smoking Room Barry Main role
2004; 2017 Casualty Noah Fitch
Lionel Withers
2 episodes
2005 55 Degrees North Jeremy Fenwick Episode: "#2.3"
2006–2019 Doctors Various Recurring role
2007–2009 M.I. High Silas Fenton 2 episodes
2009 Red Dwarf Noddy Episode: "Back to Earth (Part Two)"
2009 EastEnders Adrian 2 episodes
2009 Garrow's Law William Grove Episode: "#1.1"
2010 On Expenses Ben Leapman Television film
2011 Holby City Jim Fortune Episode: "Wise Men"
2012 The Royal Bodyguard Hotel Manager Episode: "A Watery Grave"
2012 One Night Dominic Miniseries
Episode: "Carol"
2013 Being Human Emil Episode: "The Trinity"
2013 Count Arthur Strong Colin Episode: "The Radio Play"
2013–2015 Foyle's War Glenvil Harris Recurring role
2013–2015 Downton Abbey Septimus Spratt Recurring role
2014 The Crimson Field Quartermaster Sergeant Reggie Soper Miniseries
2015 Inspector George Gently Stuart MacMillan Episode: "Gently with the Women"
2016 Houdini & Doyle Dr. Henry Whitaker Episode: "The Curse of Korzha"
2016 The Durrells Dennis 4 episodes
2016 National Treasure Simon 2 episodes
2016 The Moonstone Dr. Candy Miniseries
4 episodes
2017 Strike Owen Quine 2 episodes
2018 Plebs Antonius Episode: "The Marathon"
2018 Wanderlust Neil Bellows Miniseries
4 episodes
2019 Doc Martin Miles Green Episode: "The Shock of the New"
2020–2023 Ted Lasso Leslie Higgins Main role

Awards and nominations edit

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Downton Abbey Nominated [7]
2019 CinEuphoria Awards Best Ensemble - International Competition Mary Poppins Returns Nominated [8]
2021 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy Ted Lasso Nominated [9]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated [10]
2022 Won [11]
2023 Pending [12]

References edit

  1. ^ Sandford, Christopher (24 November 2009). Polanski: A Biography. Macmillan. pp. 344–. ISBN 978-0-230-61176-4. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  2. ^ Jeremy Swift brings his music — and his wife — to ‘Ted Lasso’, by Lesley O'Toole, LA Times, August 10, 2021, Retrieved Feb.22, 2024
  3. ^ "The Antiques Rogue Show". IMDb.
  4. ^ Robertson, Chris (13 July 2021). "Emmys 2021: The Crown and The Mandalorian lead nominations with 24 nods - as British talent shines". Sky News. Sky.
  5. ^ Robertson, Chris (13 July 2021). "Emmy Awards 2021: The full list of nominations - with The Crown, Pose, Lovecraft County and Black-ish dominating". Sky News. Sky.
  6. ^ Jeremy Swift brings his music — and his wife — to ‘Ted Lasso’, by Lesley O'Toole, LA Times, August 10, 2021, Retrieved Feb.22, 2024
  7. ^ "Olivier Winners 2013". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  8. ^ "SAG Awards: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' 'Minari' Top Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  9. ^ Davis, Clayton (7 March 2021). "Critics Choice Awards 2021 Full Winners: Chloe Zhao's 'Nomadland' Continues Its Reign on Awards Season". Variety. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  10. ^ "HCA TV Awards Nominations: 'Ted Lasso' Leads Programs For Inaugural Honors; NBC, HBO & Netflix Lead Nets". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  11. ^ Lewis, Hilary; Coates, Tyler (12 January 2022). "SAG Awards: 'House of Gucci,' 'The Power of the Dog' Lead Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.

External links edit