Laurie Davidson (actor)
{{Short description|English actor (born 1992)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Laurie Davidson
| alma_mater = London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|7|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Dulwich, London, England
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2013–present
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| relatives =
}}
Laurie Davidson (born 1 July 1992) is an English actor. He played a fictionalised version of a young William Shakespeare in the 2017 TNT television series Will, and played Mr. Mistoffelees in the 2019 film Cats, based on the musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Early life
Davidson was born in the Dulwich neighbourhood of South London.{{Cite web|url=https://ontvtoday.com/laurie-davidson-displays-a-strong-will|title=Laurie Davidson displays a strong 'Will.'|date=25 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://wwd.com/eye/people/laurie-davidson-william-shakespeare-will-tnt-10941602/|title=Laurie Davidson Is Not Your High School Shakespeare|accessdate=11 July 2017|date=10 July 2017|work=Women's Wear Daily|author=Nordstrom, Leigh}} He is a 2016 graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Career
After arriving at the LAMDA, he earned a part in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, which is where his agent first noticed him.{{cite web|url=http://wwd.com/eye/people/laurie-davidson-william-shakespeare-will-tnt-10941602/|title=Laurie Davidson Is Not Your High School Shakespeare|author=Nordstrom, Leigh|date=10 July 2017|work=Women's Wear Daily|accessdate=11 July 2017}} Davidson was a newcomer to television prior to his Will casting; his prior work included stage work and a minor role in the film Vampire Academy.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/01/will-young-william-shakespeare-pilot-tnt-lead-cast-shekhar-kapur-1201677973/|title=Young William Shakespeare TNT Pilot 'Will' Casts Lead, Shekhar Kapur To Direct|author=Andreeva, Nellie|date=7 January 2016|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=11 July 2017}} He has also been cast in the BBC film Diana & I as a journalist who is present at the time of the death of Princess Diana.
= ''Will'' =
A casting director for Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite suggested that he audition for Will. He had several rounds of auditions. Just as school was set to resume following Christmas of his final year at LAMDA and as he was set to play Tevye in a school production of Fiddler on the Roof, he was informed in January 2016 that he was cast in Will, and he dropped out of Fiddler to shoot the show's pilot.
To prepare for his modern take on Shakespeare, Davidson did not focus on modern depictions of Shakespeare, such as Joseph Fiennes performance in Shakespeare in Love,{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/07/10/will-shakespeare-laurie-davidson-interview-tnt/|title=Will star Laurie Davidson on giving Shakespeare a rock 'n' roll makeover|accessdate=11 July 2017|date=10 July 2017|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|author=Lenker, Maureen Lee}} but he did use Straight Outta Compton and 8{{nbsp}}Mile for inspiration, on the advice of director Shekhar Kapur.{{cite web|url=http://www.metro.us/entertainment/tv/tnts-will-laurie-davidson-used-rap-to-get-shakespeare|title=TNT's 'Will' Laurie Davidson used rap to get into Shakespeare|accessdate=11 July 2017|date=23 June 2017|work=Zimbabwe Metro|author=Kis, Eva}} He also relied on the works attributed to Shakespeare to learn about him.{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2017/07/10/Laurie-Davidson-went-to-the-text-to-play-Shakespeare-in-TNTs-Will/3291499699862/|title=Laurie Davidson went to the text to play Shakespeare in TNT's 'Will'|accessdate=11 July 2017|date=10 July 2017|work=United Press International|author=Butler, Karen}} TNT picked up the show in May 2016,{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/will-drama-william-shakespeare-series-tnt-1201758486/|title='Will' Drama About Young William Shakespeare Picked Up To Series By TNT—Watch Trailer|accessdate=11 July 2017|date=18 May 2016|website=Deadline Hollywood|author=Andreeva, Nellie}} but Davidson graduated from LAMDA in July 2016—on schedule.{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/will-laurie-davidson-interview|title='Will' Star Laurie Davidson on Upending Preconceived Notions of Shakespeare|accessdate=11 July 2017|date=10 July 2017|author=Radish, Christina|publisher=Collider}} Will premiered on 10 July 2017.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/04/20/will-shakespeare-tnt-trailer-premiere/|title=Sharpen thy wit, TNT's Shakespeare series will premiere in July|accessdate=11 July 2017|date=20 April 2017|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|author=Kinane, Ruth}}
=''Cats''=
In September 2018, he joined the cast of Cats.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/cats-movie-cast-laurie-davidson-joins-1202470868/|title='Cats' Cast Grows: Tom Hooper-Directed Musical Adds Laurie Davidson|accessdate=29 December 2019|website=Deadline Hollywood|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=25 September 2018}}
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable"|Notes |
| 2014
| Party Host | Uncredited |
| rowspan="2" |2019
| Hans Taub | |
| Cats
| Motion capture performance |
| 2023
| The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die | |
= Television =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable"|Notes |
| rowspan="2" |2017
| Will | Main role, 10 episodes |
| Diana and I
| Michael Lewis | Television film |
| 2021
|George | Main role, 10 episodes |
| 2022
| Mark Brewer | 1 episode |
| rowspan="3" |2024
| Lt. Herbert Nash | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| Mary & George
| Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| The Road Trip
| Dylan |
| rowspan= "4" | 2025
| A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story | David Blakely | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
= Theatre =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !Theatre !class="unsortable"|Notes |
| 2017
|Shane Corcoran{{Cite news |last=Clement |first=Olivia |date=2017-09-01 |title=Jez Butterworth's London Ferryman to Welcome New Cast |work=Playbill |url=https://playbill.com/article/jez-butterworths-london-ferryman-to-welcome-new-cast |access-date=2023-12-26}} |Replacement cast |
| 2018
|The Meeting |Nathaniel Burns | |
| 2019
|The End of History | |
| 2022
|Jack Absolute |Main role |
Notes
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|5685224|Laurie Davidson}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes person|id=laurie_davidson}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Laurie}}
Category:21st-century English male actors
Category:Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Category:English male television actors
Category:Male actors from London
Category:Actors from the London Borough of Southwark
Category:English male Shakespearean actors