Brendan Coyle
Acting Born Dec 2, 1963 Corby, Northamptonshire, England, UK 58 credits
Biography
Brendan Coyle is a British-Irish actor born David Coyle on December 2, 1962, in Corby, Northamptonshire. He is the son of Patrick B. Coyle and Bedelia M. B. Anderson and has an older brother named Shaun. Coyle received the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in 1999 for his work in The Weir. His television career includes portraying Nicholas Higgins in the miniseries North and South and Robert Timmins in the first three series of Lark Rise to Candleford. He is also known for playing the valet Mr. Bates in Downton Abbey, a role that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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Frequent co-stars
Michelle Dockery
4 shared titles
Laura Carmichael
4 shared titles
Joanne Froggatt
4 shared titles
Hugh Bonneville
4 shared titles
Phyllis Logan
4 shared titles
Elizabeth McGovern
4 shared titles
Jim Carter
4 shared titles
Penelope Wilton
4 shared titles
Lesley Nicol
4 shared titles
Robert James-Collier
4 shared titles
Career timeline
The One-Minute Problem
Downton Abbey: The Grand FinaleToxic Town
Finders Keepers
Downton Abbey: A New EraRiches
Downton Abbey
Mary Queen of ScotsRequiem
Me Before YouSaving Lives at SeaUnless
12 MonkeysSpotlessA Merry Murdoch Christmas
Noble
The RavenStarlings
Downton AbbeyPerrier's Bounty
Lark Rise to Candleford
True Dare KissWedding BellesThe Mark of CainDamage
Perfect ParentsOffsideSoundproof
The JacketJerichoThe Ghost SquadOmagh
ShamelessNorth & South
Blue MurderThe Commander
Rockface
Waking the DeadConspiracyThe BombmakerRebel HeartMapmaker
Paths to FreedomMcCready and Daughter
I Could Read the Sky
The GeneralSoft Sand, Blue Sea
Tomorrow Never DiesThe Last Bus Home
Silent WitnessSilent Witness
DangerfieldThe Glass Virgin
Fool's Gold: The Story Of The Brink's Mat Robbery
Prime Suspect
The Bill
Full filmography
- The One-Minute Problem (2026) as Wopsie
- Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) as John Bates
- Toxic Town (2025) as Roy Thomas
- Finders Keepers (2024) as Denys Elland
- Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) as John Bates
- Riches (2022) as Gideon
- Downton Abbey (2019) as John Bates
- Mary Queen of Scots (2018) as Earl of Lennox
- Requiem (2018) as Stephen Kendrick
- Me Before You (2016) as Bernard Clark
- Saving Lives at Sea (2016) as Self - Narrator
- Unless (2016)
- 12 Monkeys (2015) as Benjamin Kalman
- Spotless (2015) as Nelson Clay
- A Merry Murdoch Christmas (2015) as Rankin
- Noble (2014) as Gerry Shaw
- The Raven (2012) as Reagan
- Starlings (2012)
- Downton Abbey (2010) as John Bates
- Perrier's Bounty (2010) as Jerome
- Lark Rise to Candleford (2008) as Robert Timmins
- True Dare Kiss (2007) as Kaz Sweeney
- Wedding Belles (2007) as Father Henry
- The Mark of Cain (2007) as Davey Gulliver
- Damage (2007) as Aidan Cahill
- Perfect Parents (2006) as Ed
- Offside (2006) as Duncan Miller
- Soundproof (2006) as DI Dave Cox
- The Jacket (2005) as Damon
- Jericho (2005) as Christie
- The Ghost Squad (2005)
- Omagh (2005) as Detective Sergeant John White
- Shameless (2004) as Father Polish
- North & South (2004) as Nicholas Higgins
- Blue Murder (2003) as Derek Jowell
- The Commander (2003)
- Rockface (2002) as Douglas McLanaghan
- Waking the Dead (2001) as Martin Corgan
- Conspiracy (2001) as Heinrich Müller
- The Bombmaker (2001) as George McEvoy
- Rebel Heart (2001) as Michael Collins
- Mapmaker (2001) as Robert Bates
- Paths to Freedom (2000)
- McCready and Daughter (2000)
- I Could Read the Sky (1999) as Francie
- The General (1998) as UVF Leader
- Soft Sand, Blue Sea (1998) as Gerry
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) as HMS Bedford Leading Seaman
- The Last Bus Home (1997) as Steve Burkett
- Silent Witness (1996)
- Silent Witness (1996) as Liam Slattery
- Dangerfield (1995)
- The Glass Virgin (1995) as Manuel Mendoza
- Fool's Gold: The Story Of The Brink's Mat Robbery (1992) as Det. Sgt. Benwell
- Prime Suspect (1991) as DCS Mitchell
- The Bill (1984)
- Butterfly in the Typewriter as Milton Rickels
- The Rising: 1916 as Augustine Birrell