John Hopkins

John Hopkins was born in Luton and majored in English at the University of Leeds from 1993 to 1996 As an undergrad he joined the universitys drama group and appeared in several plays ultimately winning the Sunday Times studentactor award for his performance in A Short Play About Sex and Death With his thespian credentials thus bolstered John was admitted to the London Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts from which he graduated in 2000 Almost immediately he was recruited by the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company with which he performed his first repertory season from 2001 to 2002 Around this time his looks encouraged television offers and after minor roles in Love in a Cold Climate and Trial and Retribution 7 he was offered and accepted the role for which he is best known to nontheater goers as Sergeant Scott in the increasingly labored but popular British whodunit television series Midsomer Murders 1997 Give him his due he left the show after the 20042005 season and was back with the Royal Shakespeare Company for its 20062007 season in both London and StratforduponAvon playing Caesar opposite Patrick Stewart in Antony and Cleopatra More recently his stage roles have included Richard Hannay in Patrick Barlows comedic four handed version of The 39 Steps Richard I in the new play Holy Warriors at Shakespeares Globe and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing a performance which The Guardian said confirms Hopkins as one of our best Shakespearean actors Back on television he was a villain in Stan Lees Lucky Man and played Sir Francis Basset for two series of the BBC drama Poldark In a 2020 article in The Times London he was named one of 10 of the best British actors on stage now