David Morrissey

David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Noted for the meticulous preparation and research he undertakes for each role, he has been described by the British Film Institute as one of the most versatile English actors of his generation.

Morrissey made his screen acting debut in the drama series ''One Summer'' (1983) at the age of 18, and subsequently receiving training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre for four years. Standing 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall with an easily identifiable voice, he was often typecast as authority figures such as policemen and soldiers throughout the 1990s, breaking this trend with his roles as Bradley Headstone in ''Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and Christopher Finzi in ''Hilary and Jackie'' (1998). He then appeared in ''Some Voices'' (2000) and ''Captain Corelli's Mandolin'' (2001) before playing the critically acclaimed roles of Stephen Collins in ''State of Play'' (2003) and Gordon Brown in ''The Deal'' (2003). The former earned him a Best Actor nomination at the British Academy Television Awards, while the latter won him a Best Actor award from the Royal Television Society. He also played Jackson Lake, a man suffering from amnesia who believed he was The Doctor, in the ''Doctor Who'' Christmas special "The Next Doctor" (2008).

In the years following those films, Morrissey had roles in Danny Brocklehurst drama The Driver, ''The Reaping'' (2007), ''Sense and Sensibility'' (2008), ''Red Riding'' (2009), ''Nowhere Boy'' (2009), ''Centurion'' (2010) and ''Dampyr'' (2022). He also produced and starred in the crime drama ''Thorne'' (2010). Morrissey returned to the stage in 2008 for a run of Neil LaBute's ''In a Dark Dark House'' and played the title role in the Liverpool Everyman's production of ''Macbeth'' in 2011. He also starred in the British crime film ''Blitz'' (2011), playing a morally dubious reporter in contact with the eponymous cop killer. He later portrayed The Governor in the third, fourth, and fifth seasons of the AMC horror-drama series ''The Walking Dead'' (2012–2015).

Morrissey has directed short films and the television dramas ''Sweet Revenge'' (2001) and ''Passer By'' (2004). His feature-length directorial debut, ''Don't Worry About Me,'' premiered at the 2009 London Film Festival and was broadcast on BBC television in 2010. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Edge Hill University in 2016. Provided by Wikipedia