This article is about the British actor. For the 19th-century Albert Medal (Lifesaving) recipient, see Mark Addy (Albert Medal). For the schoolmaster and politician in Ghana, see Mark Diamond Addy.
Addy was born 14 January 1964[citation needed] in York, where his family has lived since at least 1910 when his paternal great-grandfather was recorded there. His father, Ian, spent his working life as a glazier at York Minster.[1] Addy was educated at Joseph Rowntree School in York.[2] Addy furthered his acting education by attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating with an Acting Diploma in 1984.[3] Whilst still at school, Addy had three weeks work experience at the York Theatre Royal, loved it so much he continued working there, eventually deciding acting was to be his career goal.[2]
He portrayed Bill Miller (using an improvised American accent) in Still Standing and portrayed Detective Boyle in the second series of the British sitcom The Thin Blue Line. He also appeared on ITV1's comedy drama series Bonkers, and another ITV comedy drama, Bike Squad, in early 2008 as Sergeant John Rook.[5][4]
In 2011, He portrayed King Robert Baratheon in the HBO series Game of Thrones: Addy's audition for the role was, according to showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the best they saw, he being the easiest actor to cast for the show.[7] Although Robert was a main character in the series beginning, the king's enthusiasm for drinking, whoring, and hunting, eventually took its toll, and Addy's character was killed off in season 1 after a hunting incident with a wild boar.[8]
He portrayed Hercules, one of the main characters in the BBC One fantasy drama series Atlantis,[9] which started airing on 28 September 2013 in the UK. In the BBC television drama New Blood (2016),[4] featuring young detectives from the Serious Fraud Office and the London Police Service, Addy played D.S. Derek Sands.[10]
In 2019, he appeared in the Downton Abbey movie as Mr. Bakewell, who owns the shop from which Mrs. Patmore buys her supplies; a character who was mentioned in the television series but hadn't yet appeared onscreen.[14]
In 2020, he portrayed DS Stan Jones in the detective drama series White House Farm.[15]
On 20 July 2019, Addy was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of York, having given a speech at the Roses Varsity opening ceremony a few months prior.[21][22]