Julian Ovenden
Julian Mark Ovenden (born 29 November 1976) is an English actor and singer. He has starred on Broadway and West End stages, in television series in both the United Kingdom and United States, in films, and performed internationally as a concert and recording artist.
Also recorded as Julian Mark Ovenden
Julian Ovenden
- Name
- Julian Ovenden
- Birth Name
- Julian Mark Ovenden
- Born
- 29 November 1976
- Birthplace
- Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
- Education
- New College, Oxford Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
- Occupation
- * Actor
- Full name
- Julian Mark Ovenden.
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Languages
- English
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Julian Ovenden • Birth Name — Julian Mark Ovenden • Born — 29 November 1976 • Birthplace — Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England • Education — New College, Oxford Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art • Occupation — * Actor • singer • Years Active — 1999–present • Children — 2
Early life and education
Early life and education
Ovenden was born on 29 November 1976 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He is one of three children of the Reverend Canon John Ovenden, a former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II. He sang in the St Paul's Cathedral Choir, London as a child. He later won a music scholarship to Eton College. He subsequently read music at New College, Oxford on a choral scholarship. Whilst he has received training as an opera singer, he has professionally used his music training in musical theatre. He continued academic studies in drama at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
Career
Career
His theatre work includes the multi award-winning Merrily We Roll Along and Grand Hotel for Michael Grandage at the Donmar Warehouse; Annie Get Your Gun for Richard Jones at The Young Vic; Michel Legrand's Marguerite at the Haymarket for Jonathan Kent; King Lear for Yukio Ninagawa at the RSC; Butley at the Booth Theatre on Broadway opposite Nathan Lane; Death Takes a Holiday for The Roundabout Theatre Company in New York; A Woman of No Importance for Adrian Noble at the Haymarket; Finding Neverland for The Weinstein Company; the Parisian premiere of Sunday in the Park with George; Show Boat at the Lincoln Center in New York; My Night with Reg at the Donmar Warehouse; Ivo van Hove's All About Eve at the Noël Coward Theatre opposite Gillian Anderson; and South Pacific at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Ovenden has also sung musical theatre songs in several concerts at the Proms, in particular concerts of Stephen Sondheim and of Rodgers and Hammerstein. In 2015, he played Captain Georg von Trapp in the ITV live musical adaptation, The Sound of Music Live. Ovenden first appeared on British TV in a recurring role over five seasons of Foyle's War opposite Michael Kitchen. He also appeared in two series of Downton Abbey. Other British TV work includes The Forsyte Saga, Any Human Heart, and The Royal. On US TV, Ovenden was a recurring cast member in Person of Interest (Jeremy Lambert) for three years. He has also appeared in seasons of Cashmere Mafia, Related and SMASH. Recently he has portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in The Crown and is starring as William de Nogaret in Knightfall. Ovenden's film work includes Colonia opposite Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl, The Confessions with Daniel Auteuil, Toni Servillo and Connie Nielsen and British indie war film, Allies (Captain Gabriel Jackson). As a solo singer Ovenden has appeared with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the New York Pops, The Northern Sinfonia, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the John Wilson Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra. He has also appeared at The Proms at London's Royal Albert Hall, where he is a regular performer. Ovenden made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2014 and followed it up with another concert in 2015. Ovenden recorded a debut album for Decca Records in 2013 titled If You Stay and has since made a Rodgers and Hammerstein record with John Wilson for Warner Classics and a Downton Abbey Christmas record for Warner Music that went double platinum. In late 2015, he signed a multiple record deal with East West Records and his new album was released in February 2016.
Personal life
Personal life
Ovenden lives with his wife, opera singer Kate Royal, and their son and daughter.
Albums
Albums
• Rodgers & Hammerstein at the Movies (2012) (with the John Wilson Orchestra and various artists) • If You Stay (2013) • Christmas at Downton Abbey (2014) (with various artists) • Be My Love (2016) • Together at a Distance (2021) (with Sierra Boggess) • Carousel, Rodgers and Hammerstein, 2021 Sinifola of London complete recording • “My Favorite Things” (2023) Rodger’s and Hammerstein concert
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2002 — Come Together — Matt — Television film • 2002–2003 — data-sort-value="Forsyte Saga, The"| The Forsyte Saga — Val Dartie — 6 episodes • 2002–2008 — Foyle's War — Andrew Foyle — 6 episodes • 2003–2004 — data-sort-value="Royal, The"| The Royal — Dr David Cheriton — Main role (series 1–3) • 2004 — data-sort-value="Christmas Carol, A"| A Christmas Carol — Fred Anderson — Television film • 2005 — Agatha Christie's Poirot — Michael Shane — Episode: "After the Funeral" • 2005–2006 — Related — Jason Greenstein — 13 episodes • 2006 — Charmed — Novak — Episode: "12 Angry Zen" • 2008 — Cashmere Mafia — Eric Burden — Main role • 2010 — Any Human Heart — Ernest Hemingway — Miniseries; 3 episodes • 2011 — Midsomer Murders — Ben Viviani — Episode: "Dark Secrets" • 2013 — Smash — Simon — 4 episodes • 2013–2014 — Downton Abbey — Charles Blake — 9 episodes • 2014 — data-sort-value="Assets, The"| The Assets — Gary Grimes — Miniseries; 5 episodes • Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey — Michael Faraday (voice) — Episode: "The Electric Boy" • 2014–2016 — Person of Interest — Jeremy Lambert — 7 episodes • 2015 — Tim Rice: A Life In Song — Featured Solo Singer • 2016 — Death in Paradise — Dan Hagen — Episode: "The Complex Murder" • Major Crimes — Peter Ogden — Episode: "Tourist Trap" • 2017 — data-sort-value="Crown, The" | The Crown — Bobby Kennedy — Episode: "Dear Mrs. Kennedy" • 2017–2019 — Knightfall — William de Nogaret — Main role • 2020 — Bridgerton — Henry Granville — 5 episodes • Adult Material — Tom Pain • Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance — Himself • 2024 — Trigger Point — Commander John Francis — 6 episodes • 2025 — NCIS: Tony & Ziva — Jonah Markham — Regular
Theatre
Theatre
• Year — Title — Role — Theatre — Location • 2000-2001 — Merrily We Roll Along — Franklin Shepard — Donmar Warehouse — Off-West End • 2001 — King Lear — Fool — Royal Shakespeare Company — London • 2003 — A Woman of No Importance — Francis — Theatre Royal Haymarket — West End • 2004 — Grand Hotel — Baron Felix von Gaigern — Donmar Warehouse — Off-West End • 2005 — Company — Robert — Hackney Empire — Concert • 2006 — Butley — Joseph Keyston — Booth Theatre — Broadway • 2008 — Marguerite — Armand — Theatre Royal Haymarket — West End • 2009 — Annie Get Your Gun — Frank Butler — Young Vic • 2010 — Oklahoma! — Curly Mclain — UK National Tour • My Fair Lady — Freddy Eynsford-Hill — Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool — Concert • Merrily We Roll Along — Franklin Shepard — Donmar Warehouse — Off-West End • 2011 — Death Takes a Holiday — Death — Roundabout Theatre Company — New York City • 2012 — Finding Neverland — J. M. Barrie — Leicester Curve Theatre — Leicester • 2013 — Sunday in the Park with George — Georges Seurat — Theatre de Chatelet — Paris • 2014 — Show Boat — Gaylord Ravenal — Lincoln Center — New York City • 2015 — My Night With Reg — John — Donmar Warehouse — Off-West End • 2018 — All About Eve — Bill Sampson — Noël Coward Theatre — West End • 2021 — South Pacific — Emile de Becque — Chichester Festival Theatre — Chichester • 2022-2023 — Sadler's Wells Theatre / Various — London / UK National Tour • 2023 — Annie Get Your Gun — Frank Butler — London Palladium — West End • 2025 — Little Dancer — Edgar Degas • 2026 — High Society — Dexter Haven — Barbican Theatre — London
Film
• Year — Title — Role • 2010 — 1st Night — Tom Chambers • 2014 — Allies — Captain Gabriel Jackson • 2015 — Colonia — Roman Breuer • The Sound of Music Live — Captain von Trapp • 2016 — data-sort-value="Confessions, The"| The Confessions — Matthew Price • 2018 — Made in Italy — Gordon • Head Full of Honey — Serge • Surviving Christmas with the Relatives — Dan • 2022 — The People We Hate at the Wedding — Alcott • The Lost Girls — Clayton
Awards and nominations
• Year — Award — Category — Work — Result — Ref. • 2016 — Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series — Downton Abbey • 2021 — Bridgerton
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Julian Ovenden, revision 1376356870 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916–2005.
- 2.Liz Hoggard. Marguerite's man. London Evening Standard. 20 May 2008.
- 3.Chrissy Iley. Julian Ovenden: the sweet-singing son of a Queen's chaplain. The Telegraph. 15 April 2012.
- 4.Dalya Alberge. Opera: it sounds like being the next big thing in movies. The Observer. 30 October 2010.
- 5.Michael Billington. The heart-piercing, time-travelling Sondheim: Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar Warehouse, London). The Guardian. 13 December 2000.
- 6.Michael Billington. Grand Hotel (Donmar Warehouse, London). The Guardian. 30 October 2010.
- 7.Michael Billington. Annie Get Your Gun (Young Vic, London). The Guardian. 18 October 2009.
- 8.Michael Billington. Marguerite (Haymarket, London). The Guardian. 21 May 2008.
- 9.King Lear, Ninagawa/Horio, Royal Shakespeare Company, October 1999. ahds.rhul.ac.uk.
- 10.Ben Brantley. Zingers Shoot Forth From Inside a Toxic Fog. The New York Times. 30 October 2010.
- 11.Set Aside That Scythe, and Let’s Put on a Show, Charles Isherwood, New York Times, 21 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- 12.A Woman of No Importance, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London. The Independent. 21 September 2003.
- 13.Healy, Patrick. Weinstein Company Moving Ahead With 'Finding Neverland' Musical, Its First. ArtsBeat. 20 December 2011.
- 14.Benzel, Jan. Supersizing a 'Sunday in the Park'. The New York Times. 18 April 2013. 0362-4331.
- 15.]https://web.archive.org/web/20150919022123/http://www.pbs.org/arts/pbs-arts-festival/2015/kern-hammerstein-show-boat/. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- 16.My Night With Reg review – fine revival for caustic study of gay manners, Michael Billington, The Guardian, 6 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- 17.Sonia Friedman Productions. www.soniafriedman.com.
- 18.Supercool. South Pacific. Chichester Festival Theatre. 10 July 2021.
- 19.Andrew Clements. Prom 19: Sondheim at 80 (Royal Albert Hall, London). The Guardian. 1 August 2010.
- 20.Andrew Clements. A Celebration of Rodgers & Hammerstein (Royal Albert Hall, London). The Guardian. 23 August 2010.
- 21.How will The Sound of Music Live work?. Radio Times. 12 December 2015.
- 22.Vanessa Williams, Julian Ovenden and Lauren Worsham Will Star in New York Philharmonic Show Boat. Playbill.
- 23.Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden Kick Off New York Pops Season at Carnegie Hall Tonight. Playbill.
- 24.Ltd, Made Media. John Wilson & The John Wilson Orchestra. Sage Gateshead.
- 25.Jones, Catherine. Julian Ovenden on Peter Pan and singing with the John Wilson Orchestra. liverpoolecho. 19 October 2012.
- 26.Tim Rice: A Life in Song Southbank Centre. www.southbankcentre.co.uk.
- 27.A Conversation With Julian Ovenden. Edward Seckerson. 8 October 2012.
- 28.BBC – Proms – Julian Ovenden. BBC Music Events.
- 29.RTÉ. RTÉ Orchestras: RTÉ Concert Orchestra New Year's Eve Gala with Julian Ovenden. Raidió Teilifís Éireann.
- 30.Prom 19 – Prom 19. BBC Music Events.
- 31.BBC Proms. BBC Music Events.
- 32.carnegiehall.org. Michael Feinstein.
- 33.Broadway.com. Downton Abbey's Julian Ovenden Will Replace Steven Pasquale Opposite Sierra Boggess at Carnegie Hall.
- 34.Julian Ovenden: the sweet-singing son of a Queen's chaplain. The Daily Telegraph. 15 April 2012.
- 35.'Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies' CD to Feature Sierra Boggess, Julian Ovenden and More. Playbill.
- 36.Downton Abbey now has a Christmas album. The Independent. 14 October 2014.
- 37.Julian Ovenden signs record deal with East West Records - Entertainment Focus. www.entertainment-focus.com. 16 December 2015.
- 38.Apple. If I Loved You from Carousel by John Wilson, The John Wilson Orchestra, Sierra Boggess & Julian Ovenden on Apple Music. 2012-09-28.
- 39.Apple. The First Noel by Elizabeth McGoven, Julian Ovenden, John Lunn, Kipper, Richard Cottle, Robin Smith, The Budapest City Orchestra & The Budapest Coral Voices on Apple Music. 2014-11-07.
- 40.Ellwood-Hughes, Pip. Julian Ovenden to release Be My Love in April - Entertainment Focus. Entertainment Focus. 2016-02-29.
- 41.Mcentee, Billy. Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden's Broadway Album Drops Today. Playbil. 19 Nov 2021.
- 42.Full cast for High Society at the Barbican Theatre: Freddie Fox & Julian Ovenden to join Helen George & Felicity Kendal. WestEndTheatre.com.
- 43.Boardman, Madeline. SAG Awards 2016: 'Downton Abbey' wins best ensemble cast. EW.com. 20 Jan 2016.
- 44.Andreeva, Nellie. 'Bridgerton', 'I May Destroy You' & 'Dead To Me' Land SAG Award Nominations After Golden Globes Snub. Deadline. 2021-02-04.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 03 October 2026.
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