1. Overview
Matthew Gregory Wise, known professionally as Greg Wise, born on May 15, 1966, is an English actor and producer. He has established a notable career across British television and feature films. Wise is widely recognized for his role as John Willoughby in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility, where he met his future wife, actress Emma Thompson. His career spans a variety of roles, from period dramas to contemporary series, and he has also ventured into producing. Beyond his professional life, Wise is known for his personal life with Emma Thompson, including the birth of their daughter and the adoption of a Rwandan orphan.
2. Life
Greg Wise's personal life is characterized by his upbringing in Newcastle upon Tyne, his academic pursuits in architecture and drama, and his enduring family life with his wife, Emma Thompson, and their children.
2.1. Early life and education
Greg Wise was born on May 15, 1966, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. His parents, Douglass Wise and Yvonne Jeannine Czeiler, were both architects. He received his early education at St Peter's School, an independent school located in York. Following his secondary education, Wise pursued higher studies at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, where he initially studied architecture. During his time at Heriot-Watt, he actively participated in theatrical performances at the Bedlam Theatre. After his architectural studies, Wise shifted his focus to drama, training at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
2.2. Personal life
Greg Wise has been in a relationship with actress Emma Thompson since 1995. They met on the set of the film Sense and Sensibility, where they both starred. The couple welcomed their daughter, Gaia, in 1999, who was conceived through IVF. Wise and Thompson married in 2003. In the same year, they informally adopted Tindyebwa Agaba, a Rwandan orphan who was a former child soldier. Their family life has been a significant aspect of their public image, often emphasizing their commitment to family and humanitarian causes.
3. Career
Greg Wise's career encompasses a diverse range of acting roles in both film and television, alongside his work as a producer and participation in various other activities, including theatre and charity events.
3.1. Early career
Wise's first professional engagement was on stage, where he starred in the musical Good Rockin' Tonight. This production was based on the life of television producer Jack Good, marking Wise's initial foray into the performing arts.
3.2. Television career
Wise has had a prominent career in British television, particularly in period dramas. He appeared in several BBC productions, including The Moonstone alongside Keeley Hawes, The Buccaneers with Carla Gugino, and Madame Bovary starring Frances O'Connor. He was also part of The Riff Raff Element in 1992 and 1993, and portrayed Sir Charles Maulver in the 2007 five-part series Cranford.
In 1999, Wise starred as Marshall in ITV's seven-part drama Wonderful You, where he notably worked alongside his future mother-in-law Phyllida Law and future brother-in-law Richard Lumsden. His television work also includes a number of readings of classic and modern love scenes for The Carte Noire Readers, featuring excerpts from works like Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss. In 2011, he appeared in the Hallmark Channel film Honeymoon for One, co-starring Nicollette Sheridan.
Wise portrayed Lord Louis Mountbatten in the first and second seasons (2016-2017) of Netflix's critically acclaimed series The Crown, a role that brought him significant international recognition. Other notable television roles include Jamie Baird in A Masculine Ending (1992), Henry of Gault in Covington Cross (1992), Cato Macgill/Adam Prime in Typhon's People (1993), Alister in The Riff Raff Element (1993), Greg Martin in Taggart (1994), Justin Amberson in Tales from the Crypt (1996), Corporal Hugh Brittan in The Place of the Dead (1997), Dr. Jim Nightingale in Hospital! (1997), Crispian Grimes in House of Frankenstein 1997 (1997), Red Knight in Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998), Narrator for Battersea to Bethlehem: A Christmas Story (2001), Oliver Rice in Sirens (2002), Major Côtard in Hornblower: Loyalty (2003), Charles Mathers in According to Bex (2005), Professor Anderson in Number 13 (2006), John Harrogate in Trial & Retribution Sins of the Father (2006), Peter Higgins in Elizabeth David: A Life in Recipes (2006), Nevile Strange in Agatha Christie's Marple: Towards Zero (2007), Philip Hawkin in A Place of Execution (2008), Gavin Williams in Law & Order: UK (2011), Major Pete Bartham in Homefront (2012), Duncan Lancaster in De cœur inconnuUnknown HeartFrench (2014), Gilbert Aldridge in The Outcast (2015), Arnold Galavant in Galavant (2016), Warren Schifford in Modus (2017), and Alfred Miller in Strange Angel (2018).
3.3. Film career
Wise's film career began prominently with his role as John Willoughby in the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. His filmography includes a variety of roles across different genres.
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feast of July | 1995 | Arch Wilson | |
| Sense and Sensibility | 1995 | John Willoughby | |
| The Moonstone | 1996 | Franklin Blake | BBC TV film |
| Judas Kiss | 1998 | Ben Dyson | |
| Africa | 1999 | Josh Sinclair | |
| Mad Cows | 1999 | Alex | |
| The Discovery of Heaven | 2001 | Max Delius | |
| Hills Like White Elephants | 2002 | The American | short |
| Johnny English | 2003 | Agent One | |
| Five Moons Plaza | 2003 | Francesco Doni | |
| Every Seven Years | 2004 | Boyfriend | short |
| The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby | 2005 | Minister Lee | |
| A Cock and Bull Story | 2005 | Greg | |
| The Disappeared | 2008 | Jake Ryan | |
| Morris: A Life with Bells On | 2009 | Miloslav Villandry | |
| Effie Gray | 2013 | John Ruskin | |
| 3 Days in Havana | 2013 | Harry Smith | |
| Walking on Sunshine | 2014 | Doug | |
| A Private War | 2018 | Professor David Irens | |
| Military Wives | 2019 | Richard |
3.4. Producing activities
In addition to his acting roles, Greg Wise has also worked as a producer. He is credited as the producer of the 2010 BBC/Masterpiece production The Song of Lunch. This television film notably starred his wife, actress Emma Thompson, and Alan Rickman.
3.5. Other activities
Wise has expanded his professional activities beyond film and television acting. In February 2015, he made a return to the theatre, starring in Brad Fraser's play Kill Me Now at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, London.
He has also participated in various charity events. In 2019, Wise won the celebrity version of The Great British Bake Off, a competition held in aid of Stand Up to Cancer, showcasing his baking skills for a charitable cause. In 2021, Wise appeared as a contestant on the nineteenth series of the popular dance competition show Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with professional dancer Karen Hauer, and they were eliminated in the fourth week of the competition.
[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936353/ Greg Wise at IMDb]