David Thewlis was born in Blackpool in 1963. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and graduated in 1985. His first feature film performance was in director Mike Leigh's Life is Sweet. Since then he has appeared in films as diverse as Total Eclipse, Seven Years in Tibet and Besieged. In 1995 he wrote and directed a short film called Hello, Hello, Hello and, in 2003, Cheeky. In addition to his film and television work, Thewlis has also starred on the stage, including Sam Mendes' The Sea at the Royal National Theatre.
