Hugh Dancy
Biography
Hugh Michael Horace Dancy, born 19 June 1975 in Staffordshire, England, is an English actor. He gained early prominence as the title character in the 2000 television film adaptation of David Copperfield. His film work includes portraying Kurt Schmid in Black Hawk Down (2001), Prince Charmont in Ella Enchanted (2004), Joe Conner in Shooting Dogs (2005), Grigg Harris in The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), Luke Brandon in Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), Adam Raki in Adam (2009) and Ted in Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011). On television he is known for the role of criminal profiler Will Graham in NBC’s Hannibal (2013–2015) and as Cal Roberts in the Hulu series The Pat. He is married to actress Claire Danes.
Career overview
Hugh Michael Horace Dancy, an English actor born on 19 June 1975 in Staffordshire, first achieved prominence with the title role in the 2000 television film adaptation of David Copperfield. He followed that breakthrough with a supporting turn as Kurt Schmid in the 2001 war drama Black Hawk Down, and then appeared as Prince Charmont in the 2004 fantasy‑romance Ella Enchanted. Over the next several years Dancy built a varied film résumé, portraying Joe Conner in Shooting Dogs (2005), Grigg Harris in The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), and Luke Brandon in Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009). The same year he played Adam Raki in Adam, and in 2011 he took the role of Ted in the psychological thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene.
On television, Dancy is perhaps best known for his portrayal of criminal profiler Will Graham in the NBC series Hannibal, a role he inhabited from 2013 through 2015. He also appeared as Cal Roberts in the Hulu original series The Pat, extending his presence in contemporary streaming drama. Throughout his career Dancy has moved between literary adaptations, historical dramas, and genre‑focused projects, demonstrating a range that spans period pieces, action, and psychological narratives. In addition to his professional work, he is married to actress Claire Danes, a personal detail noted in contemporary reporting.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025) as Dr. Otto Octavius (voice)
- The American Revolution (2025) as Hugh Percy / John Burgoyne / Banastre Tarleton / Comte de Vergennes (voice)
- Georgia O'Keeffe: The Brightness of Light (2024) as Narrator (voice)
- Roar (2022) as Detective Bobby Bronson
- Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) as Jack Barber
- The Abominable Snow Baby (2021) as Albert
- Late Night (2019) as Charlie Fain
- Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People (2019) as Alleyne Ireland (voice)
- The Good Fight (2017) as Caleb Garlin
- The Path (2016) as Calvin 'Cal' Roberts
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- Deadline Gallipoli (2015) as Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett
- Getting the Old Scent Again: Reimagining Red Dragon (2015) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self - Guest
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self - Guest
- Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014) as Marshall Mallow (voice)
- Hannibal: This Is My Design (2014) as Self
- Hannibal (2013) as Will Graham
- Hannibal (2013) Other
- Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) as Ted
- Our Idiot Brother (2011) as Christian
- Hysteria (2011) as Dr. Mortimer Granville
- The Wildest Dream (2010) as Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine (voice)
- Coach (2010) as Nick
- The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009) as Self
- Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) as Luke Brandon
- It's On with Alexa Chung (2009)
- Adam (2009) as Adam Raki
- An American Crime (2007) Thanks
- The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) as Grigg
- Savage Grace (2007) as Sam Green
- Blood and Chocolate (2007) as Aiden
- Evening (2007) as Buddy Wittenborn
- Basic Instinct 2 (2006) as Adam Towers
- Shooting Dogs (2006) as Joe Connor
- Elizabeth I (2005) as Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
- King Arthur: A Roundtable Discussion (2005) as Self
- King Arthur (2004) as Galahad
- Ella Enchanted (2004) as Char
- The Making of King Arthur (2004) as Self
- The Magical World of Ella Enchanted (2004) as Self / Prince Char
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003) as Self
- The Sleeping Dictionary (2003) as John Truscott
- Tempo (2003) as Jack
- Daniel Deronda (2002) as Daniel Deronda
- Black Hawk Down (2001) as SFC Kurt 'Doc' Schmid
- David Copperfield (2001) as David Copperfield
- Young Blades (2001) as D'Artagnan
- David Copperfield (2000) as David Copperfield
- Madame Bovary (2000) as Leon
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Nolan Price
- Relic Hunter (1999) as Michel Previn
- Cold Feet (1998) as Danny
- Trial & Retribution (1997) as Roberto Bellini
- Kavanagh Q.C. (1995) as Michael Woodley
- Law & Order (1990) as Nolan Price
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark (1988) as Self - Guest
- The Custom of the Country
- Poe as Edgar Allan Poe (voice)