"...one of the things about acting is that you are always putting yourself through yet another test."
Samuel Alexander Joseph West (b. 19 June 1966) is an English actor and director of both stage and screen, as well as a voice actor and narrator. He is the son of actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales. Born in London, he was the president of the Experimental Theatre Club at Oxford University, where he read English Literature at Lady Margaret Hall.
West spent two seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where, among others, he played the title roles in Richard II and Hamlet.
West is also known for his voiceover work, including the narration for five documentaries for The BBC about World War II.
He currently lives in London with his partner, playwright Laura Wade; the couple have two daughters.
Partial Filmography
- The Ripper (1997) as Prince Albert Victor Edward
- Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader as King Caspian
- Howards End as Leonard Bast
- Van Helsing as Dr Frankenstein
- Hyde Park on Hudson as King George VI
- Mr Selfridge as Frank Edwards
- The Crown (2016) as Anthony Blunt
- Darkest Hour (2017) as Sir Anthony Eden
- All Creatures Great & Small (2020) as Siegfried Farnon
