Jack Davenport stars as Derek Wills, one of Broadway's most brilliant director-choreographers - and one of its most seductive bad boys - in NBC's new musical drama "Smash." But even Derek's genius is strained by the demands of bringing an untested new musical to the New York stage.
Davenport's television credits include lead roles in the series "FlashForward," "Swingtown," the BBC's "Coupling," "The Real Jane Austen" and "The Wyvern Mystery." He also was featured in two series of the BBC's award-winning "This Life" and the anniversary special "This Life+10," the miniseries "Dickens" and "Mary Bryant," and the six-part series "Ultraviolet" for the U.K.'s Channel Four.
On the big screen, Davenport can be seen in Working Title's comedy "The Boat That Rocked," directed by Richard Curtis. His other feature film credits include the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Career Girls," "Fierce Creatures," "Tale of the Mummy," "The Wisdom of Crocodiles," "The Bunker" and "The Wedding Date." He also executive produced and starred in two acclaimed short films, "Ticks" and "Subterrain." Davenport also has the leading role in "The Key Man," alongside Brian Cox and Hugo Weaving.
Among Davenport's other projects are radio productions of "A Clockwork Orange" and "The Cruel Sea." He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in the critically acclaimed production of "The Servant" at the Lyric Theatre. He also appeared in London's West End production of "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" and Gorki's "Enemies" at London's famed Almeida Theatre. Davenport was born in London, England and studied literature and film at the University of East Angelia. He currently lives in New York with his wife, actress Michelle Gomez, and their two-year-old son.
Winner of two Olivier Awards for productions of "Greater Title" and "Uncle Vanya." Broadway: "Greater Title," "The Full Monty," "Sweet Charity," "Ella," "Uncle Vanya," "Tip of the Hat," "Hairspray," "Judgment," "Wit," "A Doll's House." West End: "Greater Title," "Loose Cannon," "Uncle Vanya," "Slipstream." Off-Broadway/Regional: "Bombshell" (Wilder), "The Seagull" (BAM); "Truth/Consequences" (Playwrights' Horizons); "All-American" (Actors' Theatre of Louisville); "Love in Crimea" (Theatre Sans Argent); "Cedar City Falls" (Galapagos Arts Center); "A Streetcar Named Desire" (Williamstown); "Hat Trick" (Manhattan Theatre Club); "Love Soup" (Naked Angels); "The Age of Innocence" (The Atlantic Theater); "Kin" (Woolly Mammoth); "Macbeth" (New Burbage Theatre Festival); "ReelPolitik" (Williamstown). Derek's independent film credits include "First of May" (New Line) and "Home for Good" (Lionsgate). For the small screen, he has directed several BBC specials and a Mustang commercial, plus episodes of "Brothers and Sisters," "United States of Tara," "Lights Out" and "Awake." He is an adjunct professor of directing at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). A son of South London, Derek attended Cambridge University.
