Brendan Coyle

Brendan Coyle ( born December 2, 1963 in Corby, Northamptonshire as David Coyle ) is a British- Irish actor. In German-speaking countries, he is best known for presenting the Bates, the personal servant of Lord Grantham, in the television series Downton Abbey. For this role he was nominated for an Emmy in 2012 for best supporting actor in a drama series.

Life and career

Coyle is the son of a Scottish mother and an Irish father. During his youth, he is not interested in acting and worked after school first in his father's butcher. After the death of his father he went to Dublin, where a relative of his father worked at the Focus Theatre. In 1981, he attended drama school and in 1983 was awarded a scholarship to Mountview Theatre School in London.

Because of his training in Ireland, the experience with the representation of Irish characters and the Irish theater he is often cast in roles with an Irish background.

Coyle has starred in numerous television series, films and plays with. For the play The Weir, he received the 1999 Laurence Olivier Award.

In the German-speaking world, he was seen in some series and movies. His most famous role here is that of the war-torn servant Bates in the television series Downton Abbey, for which he was nominated for an Emmy in 2012.

Coyle was voiced by different voice actors. In Downton Abbey Michael Iwannek lends him his voice.

Coyle lives in Norfolk and also has Irish citizenship. He is the grandnephew of the English football legend Matt Busby.

Filmography (selection)

Awards and Nominations (selection)

• 2011: BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor ( Downton Abbey )
• 2012: Basauri Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts
• 2012: Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ( Downton Abbey )