| Birth Date: | 22 July 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Amersham, England |
| Yearsactive: | 1974–present |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Partner: | Jon Hartmere |
Adam N. Godley (born 22 July 1964) is an English actor.
Godley has been nominated for two Tony Awards and four Laurence Olivier Awards for his performances on the New York and London stages, including Private Lives in 2001, The Pillowman in 2002, Anything Goes in 2011, and The Lehman Trilogy in 2019. He made his Broadway debut in 2002 in a revival of Noël Coward's Private Lives, for which he earned a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway debut. In 2011, he returned to Broadway in the musical Anything Goes for which he earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical nomination. In 2021, The Lehman Trilogy made its Broadway transfer to great critical acclaim, and securing Godley another Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play.
Godley's film roles include Love Actually (2003), Nanny McPhee (2005), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), (2007), and The Theory of Everything (2014). He has also had television roles as Elliott Schwartz in Breaking Bad (2008–2013), Nigel Nesbitt in Suits (2013), Phinneus Pogo in The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024), and Archie the Archbishop in The Great (2020–2023).
Adam N. Godley was born to Jewish parents in Amersham on 22 July 1964, the son of a magistrate mother and solicitor father. He grew up near Watford and went to Rickmansworth School in Croxley Green.[1]
Godley began his acting career at the age of nine in a BBC radio production of Hemingway's My Old Man. His first stage role came at age 11, as Prince Giovanni in The White Devil at The Old Vic.[2] His childhood career also included work at the National Theatre, in Lillian Helman's Watch on the Rhine, and Close of Play, directed by Harold Pinter.[3] Godley achieved national prominence after playing the lead in the 1984 BBC TV adaptation of J. Meade Falkner's Moonfleet.[4]
In 1986, Godley joined Alan Ayckbourn's theatre company in Scarborough, where he stayed for three seasons. Productions included June Moon and The Revengers' Comedies, both of which transferred to the West End, and Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays, which transferred to the National Theatre.[5]
He spent one season as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before creating the role of Cliff in Sam Mendes's production of Cabaret at the Donmar Warehouse in 1993. Several major productions followed, including Mouth to Mouth at the Royal Court, The Front Page at the Donmar, and The Rivals in the West End, after which Godley went on to create a series of roles at the National, including Kenneth Williams in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick; and the title role in Howard Davies' production of Paul. In 1999 he played Jack Worthing in the West End production of The Importance of Being Earnest.In 2002 he made his film debut in Claude Lelouch's And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen starring Jeremy Irons and Patricia Kaas which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He continued acting in films such as the Christmas classic Love Actually (2003), Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Nanny McPhee (2005), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
In 2002 he starred as Victor Prynne alongside Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan in a revival of Noël Coward's Private Lives at the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York City, where Godley made his Broadway debut. For his performance he earned a Theatre World Award. The following year Godley starred as Michal in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman opposite Jim Broadbent and David Tennant at the Royal National Theatre.
In 2008 he played Raymond Babbitt in the West End production of Rain Man opposite Josh Hartnett. In 2010 he played Jonathan Powell in the HBO television film The Special Relationship about Tony Blair's relationship with Bill Clinton. He had recurring roles as Elliott Schwartz in AMC's Breaking Bad and Jocelyn Pugh in Lodge 49. He also appeared in BBC's A Young Doctor's Notebook (2011), CBS's The Good Wife (2012), USA Networks's Suits (2012), Showtime's Homeland (2015), and NBC's The Blacklist (2017). In 2011 he played Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Roundabout Theatre's multi-award-winning Broadway revival of Anything Goes. The production starred Sutton Foster, John McMartin, Jessica Walter and Joel Grey. For his performance he earned a Tony Award nomination, a Drama Desk Award nomination, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. In 2013 he led a new adaptation by Dennis Kelly of Georg Kaiser's 1912 German expressionist masterpiece, From Morning to Midnight, at the National Theatre.
His most recent stage role was as one of the three Lehman brothers in the 2019 National Theatre's The Lehman Trilogy for which he was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play alongside Simon Russell Beale and Ben Miles.[6] The play transferred to Broadway in 2021 where he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play along with Adrian Lester and Simon Russell Beale.
In 2023, he portrayed pollster Darwin Perry in the HBO drama series Succession episode "America Decides".
Godley is gay.[7] He married Alex Belcourt in 1999, and they divorced in 2004. He is currently in a relationship with writer Jon Hartmere, with whom he lives in California.[8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | War Game | Lacey / Dad | Voice; short film | |
| And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen | Son of London Jeweller | |||
| Thunderpants | Placido P. Placeedo | |||
| 2003 | Love Actually | Mr. Trench | ||
| 2004 | Around the World in 80 Days | Mr. Sutton | ||
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Mr. Teavee | ||
| Nanny McPhee | Vicar | |||
| 2007 | William Walsingham | |||
| Son of Rambow | Brethren Leader | |||
| 2008 | Father Ybarra | |||
| 2011 | The Forger | Pinkus | ||
| 2012 | Battleship | Dr. Nogrady | ||
| 2014 | The Theory of Everything | Senior Doctor - Cambridge Hospital | ||
| 2016 | The BFG | The Manhugger / Lout No. 1 | ||
| 2018 | Nightmare Cinema | Dr. Salvadore | ||
| 2019 | Missing Link | Lord Bilge | Voice | |
| 2022 | The People We Hate at the Wedding | Narrator | Voice |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | A Horseman Riding By | Simon Craddock | 3 episodes | |
| 1979 | Thomas & Sarah | Tomlinson | 1 episode | |
| 1984 | Moonfleet | John Trenchard | 6 episodes | |
| 1991; 1998 | The Bill | Duxford/Nigel Penway | 2 episodes | |
| 1992 | An Ungentlemanly Act | P.C. Anton Livermore | Television film | |
| 1995 | Class Act | Graham | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | Casualty | Alan Decker | 1 episode | |
| 2000 | Cor, Blimey! | Kenneth Williams | Television film | |
| 2001 | Sword of Honour | Apthorpe | Television film | |
| 2002 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Tony Phillips | 1 episode | |
| 2003 | Margery and Gladys | Graham Heywood | Television film | |
| 2004 | Hawking | Frank Hawking | Television film | |
| 2006 | Gustave Gilbert | Miniseries | ||
| 2007 | Coming Up | Paul | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | The Old Curiosity Shop | Sampson Brass | Television film | |
| 2008; 2013 | Breaking Bad | Elliott Schwartz | 3 episodes | |
| 2008 | The Scientist | 1 episode | ||
| 2008 | Mad Men | Wayne Kirkeby | 1 episode | |
| 2009 | Numbers | Dr. Joseph Baskin | 1 episode | |
| 2009 | Merlin | Jonas | 2 episodes | |
| 2009 | Dollhouse | Clyde Randolph | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | Private Practice | Henry | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Lomax | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | The Special Relationship | Jonathan Powell | Television film | |
| 2011 | Lie to Me | Sandy Baxter | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | CHAOS | Jonathan Aldridge | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | Case Histories | Martin Canning | 2 episodes | |
| 2012 | A Young Doctor's Notebook | Demyan Lukich | Main role, 8 episodes | |
| 2012 | Harry's Law | Hospital Administrator | 1 episode | |
| 2012 | The Good Wife | Leland Carlisle | 1 episode | |
| 2012 | Suburgatory | Mr. Jacobs | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | Spies of Warsaw | Julius Halbech | Miniseries | |
| 2013 | Elementary | British Man (voice) | 1 episode, uncredited | |
| 2013 | Suits | Nigel Alexander Nesbitt | Recurring role, 5 episodes | |
| 2014 | Perception | Teddy Brennan | 1 episode | |
| 2014 | Manhattan | Dr. Adelman | 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | Homeland | Jordan Harris | 1 episode | |
| 2015–2016 | Powers | Captain Emile Cross | Main role, 20 episodes | |
| 2015 | The Blacklist | Silas Gouldsberry | 1 episode | |
| 2017 | Fallet | DCI Tom Brown | Main role, 8 episodes | |
| 2018–2019 | Lodge 49 | Jocelyn Pugh | Recurring role, 10 episodes | |
| 2019–2024 | The Umbrella Academy | Phinneus Pogo | Main role, 16 episodes Voice and motion capture role[9] | |
| 2020–2023 | The Great | Archbishop "Archie" | Main role, 30 episodes[10] | |
| 2021–2022 | The Great North | Dick Chateau / Archie | Voice role, 4 episode | |
| 2022 | Bob's Burgers | Ghost | Voice role, 1 episode | |
| 2023 | Succession | Darwin Perry | Episode: "America Decides" |
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The White Devil | Prince Giovanni | The Old Vic | |
| 1979 | Close Of Play | Matthew | National Theatre | |
| 1980 | Watch On The Rhine | Joshua Muller | National Theatre | |
| 1987 | An Inspector Calls | Eric Birling | Westminster Theatre | |
| 1991 | The Revengers' Comedies | Oliver Knightly | The Strand Theatre | |
| 1992 | June Moon | Fred Stevens | Vaudeville Theatre | |
| 1993 | Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays | Neville | National Theatre | |
| 1993 | A Going Concern | David | Hampstead Theatre | |
| 1993 | Cabaret | Cliff Bradshaw | Donmar Warehouse | |
| 1994 | The Rivals | Faulkland | Albery Theatre | |
| 1996 | The White Devil Three Hours After Marriage The General From America | Camilo Underplot Majot André | Royal Shakespeare Company | |
| 1997 | The Wood Demon | Fyodor | Playhouse Theatre | |
| 1997 | The Front Page | Bensinger | Donmar Warehouse | |
| 1998 | Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick | National Theatre | ||
| 1999 | The Importance of Being Earnest | John Worthing | Haymarket Theatre | |
| 2000 | Mr Kolpert | Ralf | Royal Court Theatre | |
| 2001 | Mouth To Mouth | Dr Gompertz | Royal Court Theatre | |
| 2002 | Private Lives | Victor Prynne | Richard Rodgers Theater, Broadway | |
| 2003 | The Pillowman | Michal | National Theatre | |
| 2005 | Two Thousand Years | Jonathan | National Theatre | |
| 2005 | Paul | Paul | National Theatre | |
| 2008 | Rain Man | Raymond Babbitt | Apollo Theatre | |
| 2011 | Anything Goes | Lord Evelyn Oakleigh | Stephen Sondheim Theater, Broadway | |
| 2013 | From Morning to Midnight | The Bank Clerk | National Theatre | |
| 2018 | The Lehman Trilogy | National Theatre | ||
| 2019 | Park Avenue Armory[11] | |||
| Piccadilly Theatre | ||||
| 2021 | Nederlander Theater, Broadway | |||
| 2023 | Once Upon a One More Time | Narrator | Marquis Theater, Broadway |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | My Old Man | Joe | BBC Radio | |
| 1977 | Sister Ninian's Nightingale | Johnny Dean | BBC Radio | |
| 1977 | These Modern Ways | Grisha | BBC Radio | |
| 1979 | The Rocking Horse Winner | Paul | BBC Radio | |
| 1979 | The Happiest Days of your Life | Hopcroft | BBC Radio | |
| 1994 | The Wide Sargasso Sea | Rochester | BBC Radio | |
| 1998 | The Ghost Train | Teddy Deakin | BBC Radio | |
| 2001 | Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Alec d'Urberville | BBC Radio | |
| 2003 | Strangers and Brothers | Lewis Eliot | BBC Radio | |
| 2004 | Black Beauty | Black Beauty | BBC Radio | |
| 2004 | Mort | Cutwell | BBC Radio | |
| 2004 | Christopher Himself | Christopher Isherwood | BBC Radio | |
| 2004–2007 | The Brothers | Nigel | BBC Radio | |
| 2005 | The Madness of George Iii | The Prince of Wales | BBC Radio | |
| 2006 | Another Country | Vaughan | BBC Radio | |
| 2009 | Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde | Dr Jekyll | BBC Radio | |
| 2010 | She Stoops to Conquer | LA Theatre Works | ||
| 2011 | Strangers and Brothers | Lewis Elliot | BBC Radio | |
| 2011 | The Bungler | Lélie | LA Theatre Works | |
| 2018 | An Enemy of the People | Peter Stockman | BBC Radio | |
| 2022 | Audible Original[12] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Anything Goes | |||
| 2008 | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Rain Man | ||
| Cleo, Camping, Emanuelle and Dick | ||||
| 2002 | Mouth to Mouth | |||
| Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Rain Man | |||
| Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play shared with Simon Russell Beale and Ben Miles | The Lehman Trilogy | |||
| 2011 | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Anything Goes | ||
| 2022 | Outstanding Actor in a Play | The Lehman Trilogy | ||
| The Great | ||||
| 2002 | Outstanding Broadway Debut | Private Lives | ||
| Anything Goes | ||||
| The Lehman Trilogy |