Shaun Evans (born 6 March 1980) is an English actor. He is best known for playing a young Endeavour Morse in the ITV drama series Endeavour and Coxswain Elliot Glover in Vigil.

Shaun Evans
Shaun Evans in Hello Goodbye at the Hampstead Theatre in 2015
Born (1980-03-06) 6 March 1980 (age 44)[1]
EducationNational Youth Theatre
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
OccupationActor
Years active2001–present

Early life

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Evans was born on 6 March 1980. He is a Liverpudlian with Irish parents. His father worked as a taxi driver and his mother was a hospital worker. He has a brother who is 11 months his senior.[2] He gained a scholarship to St Edward's College in Liverpool's West Derby suburb, which he attended from 1991 to 1998 and where he began acting in school productions.[2][3] He completed a course with the National Youth Theatre in London before fully moving to London around the age of 18 to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[4][5]

Career

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Acting

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Evans's first major role was that of French teacher John Paul Keating in the Channel 4 comedy-drama Teachers during its second series in 2002. The following year he made his feature film debut in The Boys from County Clare, starring alongside Bernard Hill, Colm Meaney and Andrea Corr.

Additional screen credits include Sam’s Game, Being Julia, The Situation, Cashback, Gone, Boy A, Telstar: The Joe Meek Story, Princess Kaiulani and Clive Barker's horror film Dread.

On television, Evans was featured in the 2002 docudrama The Project and was seen as the Earl of Southampton in the miniseries The Virgin Queen, which premiered in November 2005 on Masterpiece Theatre on PBS in the US before airing on the BBC in January 2006. His stage work includes a UK tour of the award-winning play Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall.

Recent television appearances include Murder City, BBC's Ashes to Ashes, Gentley's Last Stand and the four-part drama The Take from the novel by Martina Cole on Sky1. Evans also starred in Sparkle alongside Bob Hoskins and Stockard Channing (2007). Shaun played Lawrence Elton in the Acorn Series, Inspector George Gently, S1, E1; "Gently Go Man" 2007.

In 2009, he portrayed Kurt Cobain in the Roy Smiles play Kurt and Sid at the Trafalgar Studios opposite Danny Dyer as Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious.

In 2012, Evans also played the role of new pupil Daniel in the BBC legal drama Silk alongside Maxine Peake[6] and starred in the ITV series The Last Weekend.[7]

Starting in 2012, Evans played the young Inspector Morse in Endeavour, which focuses on the detective's early career.[8] The initial episode was broadcast on 2 January 2012. Endeavour was then recommissioned for nine further series by ITV.

On 23 May 2022, ITV confirmed that Endeavour would end production after a decade on air with a total of 36 episodes.

In January and February 2015, Evans starred as Alex in the Peter Souter play Hello/Goodbye, with Miranda Raison playing his love interest.

In 2021, Evans starred as Elliott Glover, coxswain of the fictional submarine HMS Vigil, in the TV series of the same name.[9]

In September 2024, it is announced that Evans will portray as John Hughes in the new ITV espionage thriller, Betrayal.

Directing

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Evans directed three episodes of the BBC medical drama Casualty[10][11] which aired on 8 July 2017,[12] and 19 and 26 May 2018.[13][14] He also directed four episodes of Endeavour: 'Apollo' in series 6, which aired on 17 February 2019; 'Oracle' in series 7, which aired on 9 February 2020; and 'Striker' in series 8, which aired on 12 September 2021. On 22 May 2022, he directed 'Prelude', the first episode of the prequel's ninth and final series which aired on 26 February 2023.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2003 The Boys and Girl from County Clare Teddy
2004 Being Julia Tom Fennel
2006 Cashback Sean Higgins
The Situation Wesley
2007 Gone Alex
Sparkle Sam Sparkes
Boy A Chris
2008 Telstar: The Joe Meek Story Billy Kuy
2009 Dread Quaid
Princess Kaiulani Clive Davies
2011 Wreckers Nick
Archaeology Noah Short film
2014 War Book Tom

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Sam's Game Tom Episodes 3 & 5: "Mumma's" and "Slogan"
2002 Teachers John Paul Keating Series regular. Series 2; Episodes 1–10
The Project Andy Clark Television film
2005 The Virgin Queen Earl of Southampton Mini-series; Episodes 2 & 4
2006 Murder City Ryan Everitt Series 2; Episode 3: "Death of a Ladies' Man"
2007 Inspector George Gently Lawrence Elton Series 1; Episode: "Gently Go Man"
2009 Ashes to Ashes PC Kevin Hales Series 2; Episodes 1 & 3
The Take Jimmy Jackson Mini-series; Episodes 1–4
2010 Come Rain Come Shine David Mitchell Television film
2011 The Defenders Ricky Hall Series 1; Episode 17: "Nevada v. Greene"
Monroe Lee Bannister Series 1; Episode 1
2012 Whitechapel Sly Driscoll Series 3; Episodes 1 & 2
Silk Daniel Lomas Series 2; Episodes 4–6
The Last Weekend Ian Mini-series; Episodes 1–3
2012–2023 Endeavour DC/Sgt. Endeavour Morse Main role. Series 1–9; 36 episodes
2015 The Scandalous Lady W Sir Richard Worsley Television film
2021 Vigil Elliot Glover Series regular. Series 1; Episodes 1–6
2024 Until I Kill You John Sweeney Main role. Mini-series; Episodes 1–4
TBA Betrayal John Hughes Main role. Pre-production

Theatre

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Year Play Role Venue Notes
2005 Blue/Orange Bruce Crucible Theatre, Sheffield & UK Tour
2009 Kurt and Sid Kurt Cobain Trafalgar Theatre, London
2014 Miss Julie / Black Comedy Jean / Harold Gorringe Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester Double bill
2015 Hello/Goodbye Alex Hampstead Theatre, London
2021 Manor Ted Farrier Lyttelton Theatre, London

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
2013 TV Choice Awards Best Actor Endeavour Nominated
2014 Crime Thriller Awards Best Leading Actor

References

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  1. ^ "All there is to know about Endeavour star Shaun Evans' love life". Hello Magazine. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b Luaine Lee (25 June 2012). "Shaun Evans puts his own ideas in 'Endeavour'". The Deseret News. McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
  3. ^ "Acting success for former pupils". St. Edwards College Alumni News. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  4. ^ Davis, Laura (21 July 2007). "A truly sparkling career". Liverpool Daily Post. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  5. ^ Benedict, David (15 May 2007). "Shaun Evans is 'Gone'". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009.
  6. ^ "Shaun Evans joins the cast of Silk". Cultbox.co.uk. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  7. ^ Seale, Jack (19 March 2012). "Rupert Penry-Jones and Shaun Evans for ITV1's The Last Weekend". Radio Times. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. ^ Hollingshead, Iain (5 August 2011). "Inspector Morse is an enigma – let's keep him that way". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  9. ^ "Vigil cast: Who is in the thriller series and where have you seen them before?". Heart. 29 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Shaun Evans to direct Casualty!". BBC Online. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  11. ^ Dainty, Sophie (23 February 2017). "Endeavour star Shaun Evans swaps acting for directing as he joins Casualty". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  12. ^ Writer: Suzanne Cowie; Director: Shaun Evans; Producer: Jo Johnson (8 July 2018). "Man Up". Casualty. BBC. BBC One.
  13. ^ Writer: Julie Dixon; Director: Shaun Evans; Producer: Jo Johnson (19 May 2018). "Episode 35". Casualty. BBC. BBC One.
  14. ^ Writer: Debbie Owen; Director: Shaun Evans; Producer: Jo Johnson (26 May 2018). "Episode 36". Casualty. BBC. BBC One.
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