Hugh Dancy Movies and TV Shows

There's a Reason Hugh Dancy Looks Familiar — Here's What He's Been In

If you consider yourself an expert in early-2000s films, then you're probably very familiar with Hugh Dancy. The British actor caught fans' eyes (and hearts) after starring as Anne Hathaway's love interest in "Ella Enchanted" and Successful Saving magazine hotshot Luke Brandon in "Confessions of a Shopaholic." In 2013, Dancy found major success as main character Will Graham in the hit series "Hannibal." Following the show's third and final season, Dancy landed the role of Cal Roberts on Hulu's "The Path," and he stayed on for all three seasons.

More recently, Dancy has added some big titles to his portfolio. In addition to joining the season 21 cast of "Law & Order," Dancy has a huge part in "Downton Abbey: A New Era." He stars as renowned film director and producer Jack Barber, who's come to Downton to make a movie. It also appears Dancy's character and Lady Mary get cosy while the rest of the Crawleys are settling matters in the South of France. "Downton Abbey: A New Era" is out now, and in case you're craving more Jack Barber, we rounded up Dancy's most beloved titles for your viewing pleasure.

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1. "The Big C"

When Cathy Jamison is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she takes it as her sign to live life to the fullest. On her to-do list: kick cancer's butt, stop spoiling her son, and tell her husband it's time he stops acting like an immature teenager. Dancy is featured in season two as Lee Fallon. Cathy and Lee share a doctor and become close friends during a clinical trial.

2. "Black Hawk Down"

Inspired by true events, "Black Hawk Down" follows Captain Mike Steele as he leads the US military's 1993 raid in Mogadishu. Their mission was to capture and take down the henchmen of a Somali warlord. Dancy portrays Sergeant First Class Kurt "Doc" Scmid, who was a Delta Force operator in real life.

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3. "The Sleeping Dictionary"

In the 2003 romance drama "The Sleeping Dictionary," Dancy plays a British officer named John Truscott, who's sent to a remote village to Westernize the local Iban community. Waiting for John is Selima, a local who's been tasked to show John around and teach him the native tongue. As John learns more of Selima's customs and traditions, he begins to fall in love with her and vice versa — but their romance isn't well-received by the colonists and natives.

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4. "Tempo"

Dancy and Melanie Griffith play onscreen lovers and master thieves in the crime-thriller "Tempo." When Jack and Sarah are betrayed by their boss and left penniless, Jack hatches a plan to seduce a luxury jewellery store's newest employee so he can case the joint and makeup their earnings. But when Jenny grows suspicious of Jack's behaviour and secret phone calls, she begins to investigate who Jack really is.

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5. "Ella Enchanted"

Anne Hathaway stars opposite of Dancy in this 2004 Cinderella-inspired movie that follows their characters, Ella and Prince Charmont, on a hilarious journey to find Ella's fairy godmother, Lucinda. When Ella was born, Lucinda cast a spell on her that required Ella to do whatever she's told, whether or not she wants to. Living under her snotty stepmother's roof, Ella is more than eager to break the curse and live her own life. With a big crush on Ella, Prince Charmont is more than happy to help.

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6. "King Arthur"

"King Arthur" is a modern retelling of the classic tale "Arthur." In this version, Roman army officer Arthur and his men are given a perilous mission to save the Roman family of Marius Honourius. Guinevere is the first family member to be saved and proves herself useful against the Saxon Army. Dancy stars as Galahad, one of Arthur's men.

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7. "Shooting Dogs"

"Shooting Dogs" tells the story of Catholic priest Father Christopher and British schoolteacher Joe Connor's (Dancy) efforts to aid Ecole Technique Officielle refugees during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. BBC news producer David Belton's work inspired the movie; he was on the ground at the time of the Rwandan genocide. Pulling from his own real-life experiences, Belton helped write and produce the film.

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8. "Basic Instinct 2"

Following her boyfriend's unexpected death and a run-in with the law, Catherine Tramell is referred to psychiatrist Dr. Michael Glass by her prosecutor. After a few sessions and a bit of client research, Glass comes to the conclusion that Catherine is a threat and her career as a crime novelist could be fueling her endeavours. Nevertheless, he still finds himself wildly attracted to her and the two take their professional relationship to new steamy heights. Dancy plays reporter Adam Towers, Dr. Glass's ex-wife's new husband.

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9. "Blood and Chocolate"

"Blood and Chocolate" is "Twilight" minus the vampires. Vivian is a werewolf caught in a werewolf-human love triangle. Apart from her pack, no one knows that she has the ability to morph into a four-legged creature, which makes dating a human like Aiden (Dancy) somewhat challenging. To make matters worse, Gabriel (who has a secret crush on Viv) is going around telling the whole pack that Aiden isn't to be trusted.

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10. "Savage Grace"

"Savage Grace" is a dramatization of the infamous 1970s Baekeland murder case. Yearning for life filled with glitz and glamour, Barbara Baekland (Julianne Moore) seeks to protect her familial wealth and power when it's made known that her only son prefers men to women. But in reality, she's damageing her relationship with her son. Meanwhile, her unfaithful husband is creating headlines of his own. Out of spite, Barbara begins having an affair with a man named Sam Green (Dancy).

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11. "Evening"

In her last moments, Ann Grant reveals the story of her one true love to her grown daughters. She and Harris met at her best friend Lila's wedding by way of Lila's brother, Buddy Wittenborn (Dancy). Ann and Harris hit it off and spend the wedding glued to one another. After one too many cocktails, Buddy drunkly starts professing his love for Ann whose heart is now with Harris. But Harris's feelings aren't as strong, and he eventually leaves Ann for another woman.

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12. "The Jane Austen Book Club"

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, "The Jane Austen Book Club" follows six people as they launch a book club solely dedicated to reading Jane Austen novels. Dancy plays Grigg, a sci-fi bookworm looking to broaden his literary perspective. However, his attendance is more largely due to the fact that Jocelyn, one of the club founders, is trying to set Grigg up with Sylvia, a fellow member. But Grigg isn't attracted to Sylvia, he's more interested in Jocelyn.

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13. "Adam"

In this 2009 romance, Adam (Dancy) finds himself falling for his apartment building's new tenant, Beth (Rose Byrne). As they get to know each other and embark on quirky adventures together, Beth develops mutual feelings. However, Beth's family's party puts their relationship at a crossroads when her parents voice their concerns regarding Adam's Asperger's syndrome.

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14. "Confessions of a Shopaholic"

If shopping were an Olympic sport, aspiring fashion writer Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) would have a gold medal. Sadly, that's not the case. Instead, she's drowning in debt and somehow finagled her way into securing a job as an advice columnist at a finance magazine. There she meets Luke Brandon (Dancy), an editor who sees great potential in Rebecca and is excited to bring her onto the team. Of course, the Rebecca Brandon knows isn't the real Becky, and there's only so many lies Rebecca can spew before they catch up to her.

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15. "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

After not seeing her sister for years, Lucy (Sarah Paulson) is excited when Martha calls her out of the blue — though, the reason why Martha is calling is more gruelling than Lucy could have ever imagined. Martha has managed to escape a cult. Lucy and her husband Ted (Dancy) take Martha in, but soon the night terrors start setting in. Though Martha may have found physical peace, it's her mental and emotional health that need healing.

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16. "Hysteria"

Set in Victorian England, "Hysteria" is about the invention of a mechanical vibrator and how two doctors —both of whom are men — are able to "test" the invention by labelling it as a medical prescription for women's illness. Determined to end the "plague" among women, the doctors meet with participants to learn what exactly is the best form of medicine. Simultaneously, Dr. Mortimer Granville (Dancy) turns to his private life for inspiration as well.

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17. "Deadline Gallipoli"

"Deadline Gallipoli" is a two-episode show about three war journalists living in Gallipoli at the height of the British and Allied troops' invasion. Their job is to cover the war, but there's more bubbling under the surface. When their story is intercepted they'll have to fight to uncover the truth even if it means jeopardizing their careers and quite possibly their lives in the process. Dancy stars as journalist Ellis Ashmead.

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18. "Hannibal"

Dancy plays main character Will Graham in "Hannibal," which ran from 2013 to 2015. The TV series follows Will, a criminal profiler, as he takes down bad guys. But with an uncrackable case on his hands, Will taps psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter for help. Together they're a force to be reckoned with, but Hannibal isn't being completely honest with Will.

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19. "The Path"

A Hulu original, "The Path" centres around Eddie Lane's journey to possibly escaping and exposing Meyerism, a new-age spiritualist movement. Eddie is a longtime, faithful member of the movement, but a vision causes him to have second thoughts. While Eddie contemplates leaving the movement, Cal Roberts (Dancy) actively plans ways to expand the group's outreach following the death of the their founder, Dr. Meyer.

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20. "Late Night"

Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling) is the first women and person of colour to join late night talkshow host Katherine Newbury's staff of writers. Despite being put down by almost everyone in the office, including Katherine, Molly finds her voice and begins making waves in the writer's room. Just as ratings start to rise, a scandal involving Katherine and an employee threaten to put an end to her career and marriage. Dancy portrays longtime staff writer Charlie Fain, who befriends Molly early on.

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21. "Homeland"

As hinted in the name, "Homeland" is a thriller series that dives into the world of homeland security through the eyes of a Marine sergeant, CIA agent, the president, and consequently, the president's staff and advisors. The show takes place all over the world from Washington DC to the Middle East as characters' careers evolve and grow. Dancy doesn't make an appearance until the eighth and final season. His character is John Zabel, a foreign policy advisor to the US president.

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22. "The Good Fight"

"The Good Fight" is the series sequel to "The Good Wife." Lawyers Maia Rindell and Diane Lockhart team up with Chicago lawyer Lucca Quinn. They all have something to prove, and for Maia and Diane's careers this opportunity is do or die. Dancy joined the cast for the final two seasons as junior lawyer Caleb Garlin. With a photographic memory, he's their secret weapon.

23. "Law & Order"

In 2022, Dancy become part of the "Law & Order" family. He was brought on as executive assistant distract attorney Nolan Price. Like the many seasons before it, "Law & Order" season 21 follows New York City police officers as they take down the city's criminals and the district attorneys who take them to the stand.

24. "Downton Abbey: A New Era"

The modern world comes to Downton with the arrival of film director Jack Barber (Dancy), who has his eyes set on producing a film at Downton. Meanwhile, the Crawley family learns of Violet Crawley's newly inherited villa in the South of France, a token put into her possession from a man of her past. Lady Mary stays at Downton to host the film crew as the rest of the family leaves to visit the French estate, which gives Mary and Jack some time alone.

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