He may not be an obvious dreamboat, but Hugh Bonneville is one of those character actors who we can’t help but love whenever he shows up in a historical costume movie or TV show. He’ll play high drama or ridiculous comedy with equal aplomb, and he looks as dapper in 1920s black-tie as he does in a Victorian frock coat. While the young pups get all the ladies, let’s not ignore the mature charms of Mr. Bonneville!
Victor Savage in “The Dying Detective,” The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994)
Daniel Aurifaber in “The Sanctuary Sparrow,” Cadfael (1994)
Schiller in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
Mr. Rushworth in Mansfield Park (1999)
Charles Bovary in Madame Bovary (2000)
Ralph Banner in Tipping the Velvet (2002)
Henleigh Grandcourt in Daniel Deronda (2002)
Samuel Pepys in Stage Beauty (2004)
Prince Regent in Beau Brummell: This Charming Man (2006)
Rev. Brook Bridges in Miss Austen Regrets (2008)
Mr. Bennet in Lost in Austen (2008)
Gilbert in Glorious 39 (2009)
Captain Oldknow in From Time to Time (2009)
Pontius Pilate in Ben Hur (2010)
Ben Sanger in Shanghai (2010)
Edward Masterman in “Murder on the Orient Express,” Agatha Christie’s Poirot (2010)
Lord Harrington in Burke and Hare (2010)
Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey (2010-2015)
Captain Henry Avery in “The Curse of the Black Spot,” Doctor Who (2011)
Duke of Milan in “The Hanged Man,” Da Vinci’s Demons (2013)
Pirate King in Galavant (2015-2016)
Gloucester in “Henry VI Part 1,” The Hollow Crown (2016)
Lord Louis Mountbatten in Viceroy’s House (2017)
What’s your favorite historical costume movie or TV role that Hugh Bonneville has portrayed?
My fav Hugh role is Robert Lord Grantham aka Isis’ owner and Cora’s husband.
Too hard to pick, but I’m partial to silly so might have to go with Pirate King in Galavant.
I’m with you! But then I adore the song “the lords of the sea.”
Talk about coincidence, I literally just finished listening to Hugh narrating Ian Fleming ‘s Goldfinger (excellent rendition). I love Hugh any way he comes. He shows up in many places and it’s always a kick to spot him.
He was best in “Daniel Deronda” and while he was decent during the first 3 series of “Downton Abbey”, it all went downhill during the last 3 series. Worst I think was “Viceroy’s House” where he made absolutely no effort at all in portraying Lord Mountbatten in a historically accurate way.
https://enoughofthistomfoolery.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/film-review-viceroys-house-photocopying-downton-abbey/
He was wonderful (and tragic) in Monuments Men.
Yes, I really liked him in that movie!
Unfortunately he was only in it briefly and it was a terrible film.
Oh, I adore him! A big fluffy puppy with serious manliness.
What about Donald Jeffries in the Monuments Men?
I’ve watched Daniel Deronda several times and always forget he’s in it, because he’s cold as ice and manipulative as heck–a real snake and a far cry from his fluffy-and-stern-as-need-arises roles. What an actor!
I love so many of these – he was hilarious as Rushworth in Mansfield Park, but my favorite role of his was a Bernie in Notting Hill – super hilarious in that one! I had no idea he was in so many period pieces.
Yes, he was delightfully (and so endearingly) ridiculous as Rushworth!
Love him in Mansfield Park. But yes, adore him in everything, basically. Rawr.