Dan Stevens Breakthrough to Mainstream Fame, Best Known Works and Fun Facts About His Wife
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Dan Stevens Groomed His Acting Career from His Teenage Years
The English actor was born on October 10, 1982, in Croydon, London. Stevens and his younger brother were adopted by parents who were teachers. The identity of his biological parents remains unknown at this time. The actor and his brother spent their growing up years in Wales and South East England.
The London native is also an alumnus of the renowned Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he bagged a degree in English Literature. Stevens joined the college’s dramatic club known as the Footlights, where he excelled greatly. Dan was also an active member of the Marlowe Society during his time at Cambridge. During a Marlowe Society production of Macbeth, Sir Peter Hall, a film director who was in attendance to support his daughter Rebecca Hall, took notice of Stevens’ acting prowess and decided to work with him.
The Transition from Stage to Screen
Dan got his much-awaited acting debut in 2004 when Peter Hall named him among the cast of his touring production of As You Like It by Shakespeare. The tour cut across various theatres around the world before terminating at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
Stevens’s exceptional performance earned him wonderful reviews from all over the globe. He also earned himself a worthy commendation at the 2004 edition of the Ian Charleson Awards. A couple of years later in 2006, the prolific actor who was already on the rise guest-starred in The Line of Beauty. The series was a BBC adaption of an award-winning novel of the same title by Alan Hollinghurst. During that same period, he landed a role in Hay Fever, a production which was also directed by Peter Hall.
Stevens switched over to films in the early 2000s and one of his notable characters from the onset was Lord Holmwood in BBC’s adaptation of Dracula in 2006. He also portrayed the Basil Brookes character in the Emmy award-winning BBC film, Maxwell, in 2007. Dan finished the year in style following his inclusion in Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow.
Big Break With Downtown Abbey and The Popular Projects That Followed
The talented actor starred as Edward Ferrars in BBC’s adaptation of Sense & Sensibility in 2008. He got his breakthrough in 2010 when the producers of Downtown Abbey named him among the cast of the ITV series. The television series was an instant hit and has gone on to receive widespread praise and acclaim in the years that followed.
More so, the popular TV series which was created by Oscar-winning screenwriter, Julian Fellowes, has received multiple award nominations including the Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA. However, Stevens decided against continuing to appear in the series in 2012 after its 3rd season.
Exiting Downtown Abbey following the demise of his character, Stevens relocated to New York City with his family. The star actor made his Broadway debut a couple of months after his move; he starred in The Heiress in 2012. A few years later in 2014, Stevens earned a lot of critical acclaim for his role in The Guest. For his appearance in the film, he was nominated for Best Actor at the Saturn Awards but lost the title to Chris Pratt.
Stevens also appeared in the Disney live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. He starred as the Beast/prince alongside Emma Watson, who starred as Belle. The movie was a box office hit, grossing over $1.2 billion worldwide. You will also find Dan on Netflix’s Apostle. He starred as Thomas Richardson in the critically acclaimed film. His other notable recent film and television appearances include Lucy in the Sky (2019), The Call of the Wild (2020), and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), among others.
Dan Stevens Enjoys a Lovely Family Life With Susie Hariet
The popular actor is happily married to Susie Hariet and their love story dates back to the time when they were both working in theatres in Sheffield, sometime in 2006. Then, both Stevens and Hariet were busy striving to establish a career in the theatres, although Hariet was concentrating more on musicals. They became very good friends during the process as they bumped into each other a lot and their friendship blossomed.
The love birds exchanged their marital vows in the presence of friends and family in 2009. As at that time, Hariet was heavily pregnant which explains why Willow Stevens was born a couple of months after the pair got hitched. The couple welcomed their second child, Aubrey Stevens, in 2012. Hariet and Stevens welcomed their third daughter, Eden Stevens, in 2016.
Stevens’ family left London for New York City in 2012 and the family of five reside in their mansion situated in Brooklyn Heights, New York. However, the family enjoys spending time in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Steven’s Wife Is Quite An Intriguing Personality
Dan Stevens’ lovely wife is 7 years older than him but that is not a hindrance as the couple has shown immense love for each other over the years. She has also been very supportive of her husband’s career, handling the hustle and bustle of being in the limelight pretty well.
Susie is notable for her heritage as she was born and raised in South Africa. It was during her early years that she picked interest in entertainment, influenced by her mother who was an actress.
Susie has appeared in a few movies like Worth in 2007 and the 2010 films The Dark Room and Forget Me Not. She is also known as a prolific jazz singer and singing tutor.