Adrian John Rawlins (born 27 March 1958) is an English actor best known for playing Arthur Kidd in The Woman in Black (1989) and James Potter in the Harry Potter films. In 2019, he starred in Chernobyl as Nikolai Fomin.
Early life Rawlins was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire,Adrian Rawlins movietome.com the son of Mavis (née Leese) and Edward Rawlins, a market trader."City actor putting a new twist on Dickens tales", The Sentinel, 27 December 2015 . Accessed 27 January 2016 Rawlins was educated at Stanfield Technical High School in Stoke-on-Trent and the Stoke VI Form College. He then studied art and acting at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Career Rawlins has appeared in over 30 films including Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves and Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself. He has a pivotal role in the Harry Potter film series as Harry Potter's father James Potter. Onstage, he has appeared in Her Naked Skin (2008, National Theatre). He played Richard Collingsworth in the 1989 TV serial version of The Ginger Tree, opposite Samantha Bond. He also starred in The Woman in Black which was made for television and aired at Christmas 1989.
Since 2014, he has volunteered at East Riding Theatre in the East Riding of Yorkshire, becoming artistic director in 2017.
Filmography Film
Year Title Role Notes 1980 Palm Beach David Litvinoff 1985 Revolution Bill 1987 With Love to the Person Next to Me Man in Bed 1988 Georgia 1990 Mountains of the Moon Edward 1993 Flynn Tailor1996 Different for Girls Mike Rendell Breaking the Waves Dr. Richardson The Inner Sanctuary Owen 2000 Blood Carl Dyson2001 My Brother Tom Jack Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone James Potter 2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself Harbour 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban James Potter 2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2009 Tales of the Fourth Dimension William Shakespeare Direct-to-video 2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 James Potter2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Intruders Police Inspector 2012 The Raven Doc Clements 2014 The Woman in Black: Angel of Death Dr. Rhodes 2015 Bridgend Vicar 2017 Darkest Hour Air Chief Marshal Dowding 2019 The Small Hand Edward Merriman 2020 Undergods Dominic2021 Without Remorse Chief of Staff The Colour Room John 2022 Living Middleton 2023 One Life Geoff 2025 Rose of Nevada Mr. Richards 2026 The Brink of War Max Kampelman Post-production Post-production
Television Year Title RoleNotes 1985 I Live with Me Dad Registrar TV film1986 The Kit Curran Radio Show Nevin Episode: "A Sick Society" Chance in a Million PC Willis Recurring role; 2 episodes1988 Neighbours Mr. Pike Guest role; 1 episode Christabel Albrecht Miniseries The Four Minute Mile Chris Chataway TV film1989 The Ginger Tree Captain Richard Collingsworth Miniseries The Woman in Black Arthur Kidd TV film 1991 4 Play Martin Episode: "Seduction"1992 Casualty Mark Episode: "Body and Soul" Early Travellers in North America Charles Dickens Recurring role; 4 episodes Screen One Michael Mitchum Episode: "Running Late"1993 The Bill Bernard Holt Episode: "Echo" Soldier Soldier Major Tim Radley Recurring role; 8 episodes 1994 Moving Story Steven Elliot Episode: "None Shall Sleep"1995 Tears Before Bedtime David Baylis Recurring role; 4 episodes She's Out DS Mike Withey Series regular; 6 episodes1996 The Bill David Stone Episode: "Hard Enough" The Man from Snowy River Travelling Salesman Episode: "Prince of Hearts" 1997 Insiders Woody Pine Series regular; 6 episodes 1998 Casualty Richard Thomas Episode: "Eye Spy"1999 Forgotten Oliver Fraser Miniseries An Evil Streak Christopher Clarkson Miniseries Liverpool 1 Peter Kitchen Episode: "King of the Castle"2000 Sunburn Ronnie Vaughn Episode #2.4 Dalziel and Pascoe Henry Crayford Episode: "Cunning Old Fox" Badger Aidan Fletcher Episode: "Troubled Waters"2001 Midsomer Murders Adam Keyne Episode: "Tainted Fruit" Holby City Chris Eastwood Episode: "Night Shift" 2002 The Stretford Wives Frank Foster TV film 2003 Hear the Silence Dr. Tony Danielson TV film2004 Dunkirk Captain Bill Tennant Miniseries Spooks Andrew Forrestal Episode: "Outsiders"2005 I Shouldn't Be Alive Karl Episode: "Escape from the Amazon" Ahead of the Class Tony Mackersie TV film The Man-Eating Lions of Njombe George Rushby TV film Animals Bob Thornwell TV film 2006 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Tim Sumner Episode: "Natural Causes"2007 Silent Witness Alan Eckhert Episode: "Peripheral Vision" Lewis Harry Bundrick Episode: "Whom the Gods Would Destroy" Agatha Christie's Marple Derek Turnbull Episode: "Nemesis" New Tricks Daniel Newley Episode: "God's Waiting Room" The Whistleblowers Derek Press Episode: "Environment" Life Line Jack TV film Clapham Junction Peter TV film The Old Curiosity Shop Jacob TV film2008 Trial & Retribution Plaskett Episode: "The Rules of the Game" 10 Days to War Paul Stinchcombe Episode: "Failure Is Not an Option" Doctor Who Dr. Ryder Episode: "Planet of the Ood" Banged Up Abroad John Episode: "Nightmare in Chechnya" 2009 Hunter John Elder Miniseries2010 Bouquet of Barbed Wire Richard Goodfellow Miniseries Misfits Dave Episode #2.52011 Midsomer Murders David Orchard Episode: "Echoes of the Dead" Strike Back: Project Dawn John Allen Recurring role; 2 episodes Law & Order: UK Roland Hextor Episode: "Dawn Till Dusk" 2012 Mrs Biggs DI Williams Miniseries 2012–2013 Prisoners' Wives Ian Series regular; 7 episodes2013 Mayday DS Mills Miniseries By Any Means Daniel Foster Miniseries2014 Silent Witness DI John Leighton Episode: "Commodity" Father Brown Dr. Walter Henshaw Episode: "The Maddest of All" Glue DCI Simson Series regular; 8 episodes 2015 From Darkness Gareth Harding Miniseries 2015–2016 Dickensian Edward Barbary Series regular; 14 episodes 2016 War & Peace Platon Karataev Miniseries2017Death in Paradise Stephen Langham Episode: "Erupting in Murder" The White Princess John de la Pole Series regular; 6 episodes Maigret Oscar Bonvoisin Episode: "Maigret in Montmartre"2018 Hard Sun DS George Mooney Series regular; 6 episodes Innocent Rob Moffatt Miniseries Girlfriends Dave Series regular; 6 episodes2019 Chernobyl Nikolai Fomin Miniseries Sanditon Mr Heywood Episode #1.12020 Trigonometry Mick Recurring role; 2 episodes Small Axe Headmaster Episode: "Education"2021 A Discovery of Witches William Cecil Recurring role; 4 episodes Grace Harry Frame Recurring role; 2 episodes Baptiste Richard Chambers Recurring role; 2 episodes2022 Gentleman Jack Jonathan Gray Episode: "It's Not Illegal"Slow HorsesDuncan TropperRecurring role; 4 episodesAll Creatures Great and Small Charles Harcourt Recurring role; 2 episodesAndor Doctor Rhasiv Recurring role; 2 episodes2023 The Sixth Commandment Ian Farquhar Recurring role; 4 episodesVera Daniel Rede Episode: "The Rising Tide"2024 Mary & George Sir Edward Coke Miniseries Moonflower Murders Lawrence Treherne/Lance Gardner Post-production2025-2026Patience Douglas Gilmour Recurring role2025 Midsomer Murders Reverend William Gideon Episode: "Treasures of Darkness"2026 Star City Lev Burkov Episode: "Plow Deep"
Video games Year Title Role 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 James Potter (voice)
Theatre credits Year Title Role Venue Notes 1984 Miss Julie Jean 1985 Time To Kill Peter Wolfson Swan Theatre, Worcester 1986 The Freud Scenario Student / Footman Royal National Theatre, London 1987 A View from the Bridge Rodolpho Cottesloe Theatre, London A Small Family Business Roy Ruston Olivier Theatre, London 1989 The Glass Menagerie Jim O'Connor Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester 1990 Three Sisters Staff Captain Vassily Vasilyevich Solyony Queen's Theatre, London 1991 The Miser Valère Olivier Theatre, London 1992 Hamlet Laertes Riverside Studios, London 1993 The Clearing Robert Bush Theatre, London 1995 Easter Elis Barbican Centre, London 1997 The Herbal Bed Rafe Smith Duchess Theatre, London 2000 The Maiden's Prayer Taylor Bush Theatre, London 2002 Dinner Hal Royal National Theatre, London 2005 The Lunatic Queen Various roles Riverside Studios, London 2006 Clever Dick Dick Hampstead Theatre, London 2008 Her Naked Skin William Cain Royal National Theatre, London 2009 The House of Special Purpose Nicolas Romanov Minerva Theatre, Chichester 2011 Good John Halder Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester 2013 The Herd Ian Bush Theatre, London 2014 3 Winters Vlado Royal National Theatre, London 2019 The Lady from the Sea Doctor Edvard Wangel The Print Room, London
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result2003 British Independent Film Awards Best Supporting Actor/Actress Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself Robert Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself 2019 OFTA Television Awards Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture of Limited Series (with Jessie Buckley, David Dencik, Robert Emms, Fares Fares, Alex Ferns, Jared Harris, Ralph Ineson, Mark Lewis Jones, Barry Keoghan, Michael McElhatton, Adam Nagaitis, Con O'Neill, Paul Ritter, Stellan Skarsgård, Sam Troughton & Alan Williams) Chernobyl 2020 CinEuphoria Awards Honorary Award - Merit (with Jessie Buckley, David Dencik, Robert Emms, Fares Fares, Jane Featherstone, Alex Ferns, Chris Fry, Jared Harris, Ralph Ineson, Mark Lewis Jones, Barry Keoghan, Craig Mazin, Michael McElhatton, Adam Nagaitis, Con O'Neill, Johan Renck, Paul Ritter, Stellan Skarsgård, Carolyn Strauss, Sam Troughton, Alan Williams & Sanne Wohlenberg) Chernobyl
References
External links
Adrian Rawlins at the Hampstead Theatre