Julian Ovenden has built a reputation over the last fifteen years as one of the most versatile performers of his generation, in constant demand across the globe on stage, screen, concert hall and recording studio. Julian’s artistic training began at an early age as a chorister in the world famous choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. He subsequently won music scholarships to both Eton College and then to New College, Oxford University before completing his training on a major Arts Council Bursary at The Webber-Douglas Academy of Performing Arts.
His acting career began in a production of King Lear for the Royal Shakespeare Company directed by the visionary Yukio Ninagawa. He was then cast by Michael Grandage in two Olivier Award-winning hit shows at the Donmar Warehouse: Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along and Grand Hotel. He starred in Adrian Noble’s A Woman Of No Importance at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Richard Jones’ Annie Get Your Gun opposite Jane Horrocks at The Young Vic as well as originating the role of Armand in Michel Legrand’s Marguerite in the West End opposite Ruthie Henshall. He starred opposite Nathan Lane in a production of Simon Gray’s Butley on Broadway and created the title role in Maury Yeston’s Death Takes A Holiday for The Roundabout Company in New York.
Recent stage work includes a hit run at The Donmar and West End transfer of My Night With Reg, starring in Harvey Weinstein’s first foray into stage musicals with Finding Neverland and playing Georges Seurat in the first French production of Sunday in The Park With George, at the Chatelet in Paris. In 2017 Julian collaborated with the acclaimed director Lyndsey Turner on The Treatment at The Almeida. As well as his stage work, Julian is well known to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic for his wide body of work in TV, most notably in the worldwide phenomenon Downton Abbey. He played Andrew Foyle in the hugely popular wartime series Foyle’s War. He appeared in Jonathan Nolan’s smash hit Person of Interest for 3 years. He has starred in many other TV shows including Netflix’s The Crown, Steven Spielberg’s Smash, The Forsyte Saga, The Assets, The Royal, Any Human Heart, Poirot, Charmed, Related, Cashmere Mafia, A Christmas Carol and Family Guy. In 2015 he starred as Captain Von Trapp in a live to air movie of The Sound of Music, the first foray into live musicals for ITV. Recently Julian starred as Willam De Nogaret in the Jeremy Renner produced hit Knightfall for the History Channel/ HBO. He returns to Prague this year to start work on the second season.
In films, Julian starred opposite Emma Watson in the thriller Colonia, with Richard E Grant in First Night, with Toni Servillo and Connie Nielsen in The Confessions, Head Full of Honey with Nick Nolte and Matt Dillon and is about to start shooting a comedy Surviving Christmas with Joely Richardson and Game of Thrones’ Gemma Whelan.
As a vocalist, Julian has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras including The New York Philharmonic, The Royal Philharmonic, The Royal Concertgebouw, The LPO, The New York Pops, The Gothenburg Symphony, The Australian Symphony and enjoys a special relationship with the John Wilson Orchestra. He has headlined at many of the world’s leading music venues including Carnegie Hall, The Alice Tully Hall, The Appel Hall, Lincoln Centre, The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Sydney Opera House, The Royal Opera House, The Wigmore Hall, The Chatelet, Birmingham Symphony, The Bridgewater Hall, The National Concert Hall in Dublin etc. In 2013, Julian recorded a debut album for Decca records entitled If You Stay and has since recorded Rogers and Hammerstein at the Movies with John Wilson for Warner Classics and Christmas at Downton Abbey for Warner Music that went double platinum earlier in 2016. In late 2015, he signed a multiple record deal with East West/Warners and his latest album Be My Love was released in April 2016. Julian is proud to have performed at many Royal command performances, in particular for the Queen’s 90th Birthday party in Windsor Castle.