Dominic West

Dominic West is a British actor who did two different cameos in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Dominic West was born on September 3, 1969 in Sheffield, Yorkshire (England), to George and Moya West, respectively a plastics-manufacturing plant owner and a theater-loving homemaker. He had five sisters and two brothers.

West began acting in community theater on 1978. He studied at Eton College.

On 1988, he went to Argentina and worked as cattle herder for four months, because he want to try to be "different". After that, he returned to Great Britain and then attended to Trinity College (Dublin), where he graduated on 1993, with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. He would spent the two following years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

On 1991, West acted in a short. His brown hair and eyes and 6 feet would provide him with a plethora of roles in the following years.

On 1995, West made his cinema debut in Richard Loncraine's Richard III, starring Ian McKellen. West acted as Henry, Earl of Richmond.

West's career began growing up with Benjamin Fry's E=mc2 (1996) and his role as a young Anthony Hopkins/Pablo Picasso in James Ivory's Surviving Picasso. He also co-top-billed Ferdinand Fairfax's True Blue (1996), alongside with Harry Fielder ("Death star Guard" from 1977 Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. By the way, his parents divorced that same year.

West continued getting higher and higher billings the following year: Károly Makk's The Gambler, starring Michael Gambon (of Dumbledore fame), David Parker's Diana & Me and a discreete role in Spice World. He would also star in theater, particularly for the Peter Hall Company (playing in The Seagull) and for Old Vic Theatre (playing in Cloud Nine and in Waste), both in London. He received the Ian Charleston Award for his role in The Seagull He also acted in TV miniseries Out of Hours.

1999 was another good year for Dominic West. He appeared in Michael Hoffman's production of William Shakespeare's A midsummer night's dream. His character was Lysander, the handsome lover of Hermia (played by Callista Flockhart from Ally McBeal, and later real-life girlfriend of Harrison Ford).

That same year, West also appeared in a TV production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, directed by David Hugh Jones and starring Patrick Stewart from Star Trek.

But to us, it is of special interest his appearance in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. West appeared as one of the Palace Guards in Theed, the capital of Naboo. He was also a Naboo officer squad leader. As this is written, it is unclear if these two characters are intended to be the same one.

A star in the making, West was the third in the cast of Betty Thomas' 28 Days (2000), after Sandra Bullock and Viggo Mortensen. It was his only job to debut that year.

On 2001, he would work quite much. He was one of the main characters in Stephen Herek's Rock Star, the guitarist (Look for his great line "He eats a lot of pussy."), and also appeared in Stephen Whittaker's version of Charles Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, for TV. But not an easily tiring guy, he also appeared as a guest star in two episodes of A Touch of Frost, and did theatre at the Roundabouts American Airlines Theatre (New York), particularly Noel Coward's Design for Living.

And then 2002. 2002 gave him a top billing role in currently-active HBO police drama series, The Wire. West became Detective Jimmy McNulty for the first third seasons, and coutning. He also appeared in Bernardo Bertolucci's Ten Minutes Older: The Cello and in Rob Marshall's acclaimed Chicago. He would receive a Broadcast Film Critics Award for best acting ensemble (obviously shared), and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture, both for Chicago.

Although Dominic West has never been married, he has had a daughter named Martha with then-girlfriend Polly Astor.

On 2003 he was too busy collection those awards, but had a chance to act again on Mike Newell's Mona Lisa Smile, next to Julia Roberts and Kirsten Dunst.

2004 saw him in sci-fi thriller The Forgotten, and also hosting one of the Meteor Ireland Music Awards. He was also interviewed in Later with Jools Holland, during "Jool's 12th Annual Hootenanny".

On 2005, he acted in theater, again in a Shakespeare play: As you like it, going Orlando at the Wyndham Theatre of London. At that time, he was also being considered to replace Pierce Brosnan for the next installment of James Bond - although it is known now that Daniel Craig has won that race.

Dominic West is currently acting in an adaptation of Frank Miller's comic-book 300. He plays Theron and is directed by Zack Snyder, from Dawn of the Dead.