David Schofield is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Ian Mercer in the films ' and '. He also appeared in the films An American Werewolf in London, Gladiator, From Hell, Valkyrie, The Wolfman and Darkest Hour.
Early life
Schofield was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England, one of ten children in a working-class family. He attended St. John Fisher and Thomas More R.C. Primary School, along with his brother, Peter. His first acting experience was at ManchesterBoys' School at the age of 12. In 1967 he was accepted as student assistant stage manager at a local repertory theatre. He worked in every department as a prop-maker, sound-man, writer, stage sweeper, waiter and tea-maker, putting in 14-hour days, six days a week. After two seasons, at the age of 19, he became a student of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, which he left early to pursue his path as a working actor.
Career
Film and television
Schofield earned credits in TV series such as Band of Gold, Footballers' Wives and Holby City among many other TV productions. On the big screen he is best known as the paranoid darts player in the Slaughtered Lamb in An American Werewolf In London, and his other films include The Dogs of War, Tree of Hands, The Last of the Mohicans, Anna Karenina, Gladiator, From Hell, and as Ian Mercer in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. He has also appeared in Valkyrie as anti-Hitler conspirator Erwin von Witzleben, The Wolfman, F, Burke and Hare, Lord of Tears and as Peter Carmichael in the suspense thriller Last Passenger. On TV he appeared alongside Jimmy Jewel in the ITV comedy-drama Funny Man, played the title role Shackleton, in Jekyll & Hyde starring Michael Caine, and played DCS John Salway in the award-winning BBC series Our Friends in the North in 1996. In 2008, he starred as Kirill, in the web series of the same name. In 2009 Schofield guest starred as King Alined in the BBC fantasy drama series Merlin. In 2011 he played the sinister Police Sergeant Foley in Hugo Blick'sThe Shadow Line, a seven-part series for BBC Two. In autumn 2015, he was seen as Odin in the episode "The Girl Who Died" in the ninth series of the BBC1 series Doctor Who. In 2016 he appeared as Vivan Wolsey in the BBC series' Father Brown episode 4.1 "The Mask of the Demon" and The Coroner episode 2.6 "Life". In 2017 he appeared as Abbot Eadred in The Last Kingdom. In 2018, he appeared as Thomas the Apostle in the film Mary Magdalene, written by Helen Edmundson.
In 2001-02 Schofield appeared as Javert in a BBC radio adaptation of Les Misérables. Since 2007 he has played Frank Twist in the BBC Radio 4 drama series Brief Lives set in a Manchester legal practice. In 2011, he played Tellwright in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Anna of the Five Towns.
