
Rupert S. Graves (born 30 June 1963) is an English film, television, and theatre actor. He is known for his roles in A Room with a View (1985), Maurice (1987), The Madness of King George (1984), and The Forsyte Saga (2002). Since 2010, he has starred as DI Lestrade in the BBC television series Sherlock. Graves first came to prominence in costume-drama adaptations of E. M. Forster's novels A Room with a View (1985), and Maurice (1987), before going on to appear in films including A Handful of Dust (1988), The Madness of King George (1994), Different for Girls (1996), and Intimate Relations (1996). Graves's role in Intimate Relations won him the Best Actor award at the 1996 Montreal World Film Festival. He was also acclaimed for his portrayal of Young Jolyon Forsyte in the television miniseries The Forsyte Saga. Later, he appeared in films such as V for Vendetta (2005), Death at a Funeral (2007), Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019), and Emma (2020), and in TV series such as Charles II: The Power & the Passion (2003), A Waste of Shame (2005), Sherlock (2010–), The Crimson Field (2014), and The Family (2016).
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 30, 1963 (63)
- Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, UK
- Actor, also writer
- 72 on MovieCove · 115 credits in all
What are Rupert Graves' films like?
Across their 52 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 2 · Earnest 34
Light 9 · Serious 15 · Dark 14
A split, not a type: Grounded 24 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 2
Gentle 6 · Charged 20 · Intense 12
Steady 16 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 23 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 3
Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 5
Casual 11 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 6
Easy watch 10 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 14
A split, not a type: Resolved 20 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 6
Roles they play
Usually the Shadow: 9 of 26 analyzed roles.
Show the 26 rolesHide the roles
- Allyas Alec Scudder in Maurice (1987)
- Shadowas John Beaver in A Handful of Dust (1988)
- Shadowas Adolf Hitler in The Plot to Kill Hitler (1990)
- Heroas Philip Herriton in Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991)
- Shadowas David Martin in Open Fire (1994)
- Heraldas Paul Prentice in Different for Girls (1996)
- Shadowas Huntingdon in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996)
- Threshold guardianas Joseph Lees in Dreaming of Joseph Lees (1999)
- Shadowas Octavian in Cleopatra (1999)
- Heroas Young Jolyon Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga (2002)
- Allyas George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham in The Last King (2003)
- Allyas Linus in Pride (2004)
- Heroas William Shakespeare in A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and His Sonnets (2005)
- Heroas Eddy Somerset Taylor in Rag Tale (2005)
- Shadowas The Lord of the North in Son of the Dragon (2006)
- Heroas Robin Cape in Clapham Junction (2007)
- Mentoras Lexy in The Good Times Are Killing Me (2009)
- Shadowas Sir Arthur Hill in Garrow's Law (2009)
- Threshold guardianas DI Lestrade in Sherlock (2010)
- Heroas Narrator (UK) in The Hunt for Bin Laden (2012)
- Shadowas Dragutin in Air Force One Is Down (2013)
- Heroas Cane in Native (2016)
- Mentoras Luke in Swimming with Men (2018)
- Allyas Dr.Peter in Silencio (2018)
- Mentoras Eddie in A Working Mom's Nightmare (2019)
- Shadowas Mr. Goff in Washington Black (2025)
Moods and endings
- Happy10
- Bittersweet20
- Tragic8
- Ambiguous14
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Rupert Graves' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 51 of their 72 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (23).
- Maurice (1987) · actor · free
- God on Trial (2008) · actor · free
- MI-5 (2002) · actor · free
- Ashes to Ashes (2008) · actor · free
- A Room with a View (1986) · actor · free
- Death at a Funeral (2007) · actor · free
- The Madness of King George (1994) · actor · free
- The Crimson Field (2014) · actor · free
- Bent (1997) · actor · free
- Different for Girls (1996) · actor · free
- Clapham Junction (2007) · actor · free
- Secret State (2012) · actor · free
- +11 more
- Maurice (1987) · actor
- MI-5 (2002) · actor
- Ashes to Ashes (2008) · actor
- Scott & Bailey (2011) · actor
- The Crimson Field (2014) · actor
- The White Queen (2013) · actor · free
- 12 Monkeys (2015) · actor
- Secret State (2012) · actor
- Emma. (2020) · actor · free
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996) · actor
- A Handful of Dust (1988) · actor
- Silencio (2018) · actor
- +6 more
- MI-5 (2002) · actor · free
- Doctor Who (2005) · actor · free
- Ashes to Ashes (2008) · actor · free
- Death at a Funeral (2007) · actor · free
- New Tricks (2003) · actor · free
- The Crimson Field (2014) · actor · free
- Secret State (2012) · actor · free
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996) · actor · free
- A Handful of Dust (1988) · actor · free
- Mrs Dalloway (1997) · actor · free
- Cleopatra (1999) · actor · free
- The Good Times Are Killing Me (2009) · actor · free
- +4 more
- BritBox
- Sherlock (2010) · actor
- MI-5 (2002) · actor
- Inspector Morse (1987) · actor
- Inspector Lewis (2006) · actor
- Ashes to Ashes (2008) · actor
- Scott & Bailey (2011) · actor
- Agatha Christie's Marple (2004) · actor
- New Tricks (2003) · actor
- Wallander (2008) · actor
- Waking the Dead (2000) · actor
- McDonald & Dodds (2020) · actor
- Death in Paradise (2011) · actor
- +2 more
- Shout! TV, show their 6 titles on Shout! TV
- Howdy, show their 4 titles on Howdy
- Acorn TV, show their 3 titles on Acorn TV
- Cohen Media Channel, show their 3 titles on Cohen Media Channel
- PBS Masterpiece, show their 3 titles on PBS Masterpiece
- Sundance Now, show their 2 titles on Sundance Now
- Wonder Project, show their 2 titles on Wonder Project
- ALLBLK, show their title on ALLBLK
- Cineverse, show their title on Cineverse
- Dekkoo, show their title on Dekkoo
- Lifetime Movie Club, show their title on Lifetime Movie Club
- Strand Releasing, show their title on Strand Releasing
Subscription and free streaming for Rupert Graves' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
115 credits, 72 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Missed Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

The Break (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

Juliet & Romeo(2025)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Washington Black(2025)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows
The Burning Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

Wolves of War(2022)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Reunion(2022)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
Daliland(2022)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Surface(2022)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows
Smyrna(2021)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
McDonald & Dodds(2020)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Emma.(2020)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
The War of the Worlds(2019)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Lion Brothers: Cubs to Kings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Special Couple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

Silencio(2018)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Swimming with Men(2018)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Krypton(2018)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows
Native(2016)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Riviera(2017)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows
Sacrifice(2016)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
The Family(2016)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows
The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Rosamunde Pilcher: Fighting for Her Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

Bone in the Throat(2015)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
12 Monkeys(2015)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
The Crimson Field(2014)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Salting the Battlefield(2014)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Turks & Caicos(2014)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Sherlock: Many Happy Returns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

The White Queen(2013)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
Air Force One Is Down(2013)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows
Ultimate Tutankhamun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

Secret State(2012)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
Seven Ages of Starlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

Speed Kills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

Fast Girls(2012)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Underwater Okavango (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

Putin, Russia and the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

Predator Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

The Hunt for Bin Laden(2012)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Death in Paradise(2011)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
Scott & Bailey(2011)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Case Sensitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

Made in Dagenham(2010)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Sherlock(2010)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
Garrow's Law(2009)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Law & Order: UK(2009)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Wallander(2008)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
God on Trial(2008)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Midnight Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

Son of the Dragon(2006)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
Ashes to Ashes(2008)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
The Dinner Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

The Waiting Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

Death at a Funeral(2007)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all filmsTo Be First (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

Clapham Junction(2007)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Inspector Lewis(2006)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Intervention (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

V for Vendetta(2005)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Rag Tale(2005)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Doctor Who(2005)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Agatha Christie's Marple(2004)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Pride(2004)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
This World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

New Tricks(2003)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
The Last King(2003)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Extreme Ops(2002)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
MI-5(2002)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
The Forsyte Saga(2002)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Room to Rent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

Waking the Dead(2000)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Take a Girl Like You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Checkout Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Dreaming of Joseph Lees(1999)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
All My Loved Ones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Cleopatra(1999)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows
The Blonde Bombshell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

The Revengers' Comedies(1998)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Bent(1997)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Mrs Dalloway(1997)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows
Different for Girls(1996)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Intimate Relations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

The Innocent Sleep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Open Fire(1994)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Doomsday Gun(1994)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Royal Celebration (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Harry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Una questione privata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Damage(1992)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Sheltering Desert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

The Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

The Plot to Kill Hitler(1990)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
A Handful of Dust(1988)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Fortunes of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

Maurice(1987)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Inspector Morse(1987)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
A Room with a View(1986)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Puccini (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
St. Ursula's in Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Good and Bad at Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Mona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Vice Versa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

Return of the Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Seacole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

Security (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 113 titles, 111 of them dated from 1978 to 2026; peak year 2007.
Film career
Peak 2007 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 9 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1986Screen debut· A Room with a View
- 1991First top-billed film· Where Angels Fear to Tread
- 1996Breakout· Different for Girls
- 1996Career best· Different for Girls
- 2010Career best· Sherlock
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Rupert Graves' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 40; across their 38 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up30
- 50th to 74th18
- 25th to 49th12
- Below 25th12
Shape of the crowd
32 of their 72 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved12
- Universally Panned3
- Divisive4
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser32
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed17
Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Rupert Graves' work okay for kids?
Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Rupert Graves work with?
People who share at least 2 of Rupert Graves' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Helena Bonham Carter shares the most, 5.
Directors
- David HareShared titles: Salting the Battlefield (2014), Turks & Caicos (2014), Damage (1992)See all 3 shared titles with David Hare

- Charles SturridgeShared titles: Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), A Handful of Dust (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Charles Sturridge

- James IvoryShared titles: Maurice (1987), A Room with a View (1986)See all 2 shared titles with James Ivory

Writers
- E.M. ForsterShared titles: Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), Maurice (1987), A Room with a View (1986)See all 3 shared titles with E.M. Forster

- Martin ShermanShared titles: Smyrna (2021), Bent (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Martin Sherman
- Derek GrangerShared titles: Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), A Handful of Dust (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Derek Granger
- Tim SullivanShared titles: Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), A Handful of Dust (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Tim Sullivan

Actors
- Helena Bonham CarterShared titles: Salting the Battlefield (2014), Turks & Caicos (2014), The Revengers' Comedies (1998), Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), A Room with a View (1986)See all 5 shared titles with Helena Bonham Carter

- Bill NighyShared titles: Emma. (2020), Salting the Battlefield (2014), Turks & Caicos (2014)See all 3 shared titles with Bill Nighy

- Ewen BremnerShared titles: Salting the Battlefield (2014), Turks & Caicos (2014), Death at a Funeral (2007)See all 3 shared titles with Ewen Bremner

- Martin FreemanShared titles: Sherlock (2010), Pride (2004), The Last King (2003)See all 3 shared titles with Martin Freeman

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Peter CoulsonShared titles: Cleopatra (1999), Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), A Handful of Dust (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Peter Coulson
- Nick FentonShared titles: Salting the Battlefield (2014), Turks & Caicos (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Nick Fenton

- Paul EnglishbyShared titles: Salting the Battlefield (2014), Turks & Caicos (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Englishby

- Thomas TownendShared titles: Salting the Battlefield (2014), Turks & Caicos (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Thomas Townend
Producers
- Robert A. HalmiShared titles: A Working Mom's Nightmare (2019), Son of the Dragon (2006), Cleopatra (1999)See all 3 shared titles with Robert A. Halmi

- Romain SchroederShared titles: Air Force One Is Down (2013), Rag Tale (2005), Extreme Ops (2002)See all 3 shared titles with Romain Schroeder
- Tom ReeveShared titles: Air Force One Is Down (2013), Rag Tale (2005), Extreme Ops (2002)See all 3 shared titles with Tom Reeve

- Rebecca EatonShared titles: God on Trial (2008), The Forsyte Saga (2002), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Rebecca Eaton

Mixed roles
- Ian HartShared titles: Native (2016), Rag Tale (2005)See all 2 shared titles with Ian Hart





