John Sackville (actor)

John Sackville is an English actor, best known for his role as the villainous Robert Frobisher Smythe in the British-American TV series ''House of Anubis'', in which he co-starred with Alexandra Shipp He has worked in theatre, film and television.

Career

Sackville was born in Norfolk. He was educated at Wells Cathedral School in Somerset and St Andrews University. He then trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

On stage he has performed with the National Theatre, the RSC and in the West End. While at the RSC, performing in Michael Attenborough's critically acclaimed '' Othello'' with Ray Fearon and Richard McCabe and ''Volpone'', with Guy Henry, he produced, directed and featured in a short film, ''The Mosquito, The Flea, The Fly'', funded by The Other Place.

In 1998 he played the lead role of Kevin in the British premiere of ''Party'' at the Arts Theatre. In 2005 he performed as a double-act with Russ Abbot, playing the title role in '' Lord Arthur Savile's Crime''. In 2006 he played William Roper alongside Martin Shaw in '' A Man for All Seasons'' at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. Both shows were produced by Bill Kenwright. In 2008 he starred as Pope John Paul II in BBC1's ''Young John Paul II: Witness to Evil''.

In 2011, Sackville starred alongside Carla Juri in the feature film ''Fossil'', shot on location in the Dordogne. In 2012 he appeared as Dr David Wilcox in the BBC's ''The Secret of Crickley Hall'', opposite Olivia Cooke. In 2012-13 he played lead regular Robert Frobisher Smythe in the series ''House of Anubis''. In 2014 he played the Reverend John Clarke opposite Anne Archer in ''The Trial of Jane Fonda'' in London and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In the same year Sackville co-starred with Mischa Barton in the film ''The Hoarder'', set in New York. In 2015 he was cast in the new Netflix series ''The Crown'', playing alongside John Lithgow and Jeremy Northam, and as George VI in the BBC's ''Royal Wives at War'' opposite Gina McKee.

In 2016 he played the role of Simon Beauclerk in James Gray's '' The Lost City of Z'', working with Charlie Hunnam and Robert Pattinson. He also began filming Season Two of ''The Crown'', working opposite Anton Lesser. In 2017 he was cast as R Davis Halliwell in the new 20th Century Fox series ''Genius'' and as the title role in ''William Wordsworth'' for English Touring Theatre. He also took the lead role of Julian Anson - "elegantly played by John Sackville" as reviewed by The Guardian's Michael Billington - in a rare revival of N.C. Hunter's ''A Day by the Sea'' at Southwark Playhouse.

In 2018 he was cast in the role of Douglas Eden in Joe Hill-Gibbins' production of ''Absolute Hell'' at the National Theatre. He was then cast as Robin Day in '' Misbehaviour'', directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, playing opposite Keira Knightley. In 2019 he played Henry VI in the Headlong adaptation of Shakespeare's play '' Richard III'', directed by John Haidar, followed by the role of Thomas Armstrong in ''Go Bang Your Tambourine'' at the Finborough Theatre, for which he won Best Male Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play at the
Off West End Theatre Awards 2020. He was also nominated for Best European Actor at Amsterdam's New Vision International Film Festival for his role as Harry in ''Into the Mirror'' In 2020 he worked with Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor on Steven Knight's film '' Locked Down'', directed by Doug Liman. In 2021 he played Charlie Dyer in the first London revival of '' Staircase'', a part originally performed by Paul Schofield in 1966, in one of the first dramas to explore same-sex relationships at a time when they remained illegal. In 2022 he directed his adaptation of T.S.Eliot's ''The Waste Land'' at the Jermyn Street Theatre.

He lives in Hackney, East London.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sackville, John
Living people
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
English male film actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
Place of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)
People educated at Wells Cathedral School
Alumni of the University of St Andrews
Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art