David Oakes Actor

Actor

David Oakes

David trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and began his career at Shakespeare's Globe. On screen he is best known for period drama, from The Pillars of the Earth and The Borgias to Victoria and Vikings: Valhalla. On stage, he most recently played Levin in Anna Karenina at Chichester Festival Theatre, with earlier highlights including Hamlet at Shakespeare's Rose Theatre, York, and lead roles in the West End in Venus in Fur and Shakespeare in Love, for which he was nominated for a WhatsOnStage award.

Download CV Spotlight profile

Represented by Nicholas Gall at Conway van Gelder Grant.

Headshot of David Oakes
Current showreel (2023)

Next on screen

Bad Blood

David plays Robert Gemmell in Peter Moffat's four-part drama for ITV about the infected blood scandal.

ITV / World Productions · Director: Julia Ford

Selected credits

For full credits, see Spotlight, David's CV or IMDb.

Television

David as Prince Ernest in Victoria, in evening dress and a black silk cravat, with a footman in red livery behind him
As Prince Ernest in Victoria
  1. NextBad BloodRobert GemmellITV / World Productions · Dir. Julia Ford
  2. 2022–24Vikings: ValhallaGodwinMGM / Netflix · Seasons 1–3 · Dir. Niels Arden Oplev, Steve Saint Leger, Hannah Quinn et al.
  3. 2016–17VictoriaPrince Ernest, Duke of CoburgMammoth Screen / ITV / PBS · Series 1–2 and Christmas special · Dir. Tom Vaughan, Sandra Goldbacher, Jim Loach et al.
  4. 2013The White QueenGeorge, Duke of ClarenceBBC / Starz / Company Pictures · Dir. James Kent, Jamie Payne et al.
  5. 2011–12The BorgiasJuan BorgiaShowtime · Seasons 1–2 · Dir. Neil Jordan, John Maybury, David Leland et al.
  6. 2010The Pillars of the EarthWilliam HamleighScott Free / Tandem / Muse · Dir. Sergio Mimica-Gezzan

Film

David as Friend in Cold Skin, kneeling among whale bones on a beach, showing a small carved figure to a grey-skinned creature
As Friend in Cold Skin, directed by Xavier Gens
  1. 2018The Garden of Evening MistsFrederickHBO · Dir. Tom Lin
  2. 2017Cold SkinFriendBabieka Films · Dir. Xavier Gens
  3. 2014Sins of a FatherMartin PrentisGranite Films · Dir. Andrew Piddington
  4. 2012Truth or DareJustinCorona Pictures · Dir. Robert Heath

Stage

David as Levin, laughing as he carries two suitcases through falling snow, in Anna Karenina
As Levin in Anna Karenina, Chichester Festival Theatre, 2025
  1. 2025Anna KareninaLevinChichester Festival Theatre · Dir. Phillip Breen
  2. 2019HamletHamletShakespeare's Rose Theatre, York · Dir. Damian Cruden
  3. 2017Venus in FurThomas NovachekTheatre Royal Haymarket · Dir. Patrick Marber
  4. 2014–15Shakespeare in LoveChristopher MarloweNoël Coward Theatre · Sonia Friedman / Disney / Cheek by Jowl · Dir. Declan Donnellan · WhatsOnStage Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor
  5. 2013Pride and PrejudiceDarcyRegent's Park Open Air Theatre · Dir. Deborah Bruce
  6. 2009All the Little Things We CrushedHughAlmeida Theatre · World premiere · Dir. Simon Godwin

Radio and audio

  1. 2023Manta StoryNarratorApp for the Manta Trust · App Store
  2. 2023The House of DoorsNarratorAudiobook of Tan Twan Eng's Booker-longlisted novel · Read with Louise-Mai Newberry · W. F. Howes
  3. 2019–Trees A CrowdPresenter and producerNatural history podcast · treesacrowd.fm
  4. 2017–21FoiledRichieBBC Radio Wales · Series 1–4

Directing

  1. 2009–14Read Not DeadDirector, various productionsStaged readings for Shakespeare's Globe, including A Christian Turn'd Turk, The Fatal Secret and Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay
  2. 2009Box and CoxDirectorDog Ate Cake, the company he co-founded with Henry Bell
  3. 2005The BoogeymanDirectorStephen King's story, adapted by Graham Rees · Very Important Theatre Company · Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Details

Training
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, postgraduate diploma, 2007
Education
BA (Hons) English Literature (First class), University of Manchester · MSc Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology, University of Exeter
Based in
London / Somerset
Languages
Performed in Polish for the feature 100Dniowk@, also has basic French and German

Contact

For acting enquiries, contact Nicholas Gall at Conway van Gelder Grant.

Agency page

Profiles