Allen Leech Irish stage, film and television actor Date of Birth: 18.05.1981 Country: Ireland

Biography of Allen Leech

Allen Leech is an Irish actor of stage, film, and television. He gained international recognition after portraying British and Soviet intelligence officer John Cairncross in the box office biopic "The Imitation Game," which depicted the life of mathematician and logician Alan Turing. Leech made his professional acting debut with a small role in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" in 1989. His first major film project was the dramedy "Cowboys & Angels." He gained attention from the international audience with his role in the series "Rome," and his most famous role to date is Tom Branson in the series "Downton Abbey."

Allen Leech was born on May 18, 1981, in Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland. He is the third of four children in his family. His father, David Leech, is the CEO of a computer company, and his mother, Kay Leech, is a homemaker. He has an older brother named Greg, an older sister named Eli, and a younger brother named Simon. Leech attended St. Michael's College. He became interested in acting at the age of eleven when he played the Cowardly Lion in a school production of "The Wizard of Oz." This experience helped him realize the pleasure that acting could bring. Leech immediately began pursuing acting after actor Peter McDonald told him how to get into the professional stage. He focused on drama throughout his teenage years, and his acting endeavors, along with the support of his family, helped him navigate the challenges of school life.

Leech started making progress in his career when he joined the ensemble of "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Gate Theatre. He recalls, "I was a fan of Blanche DuBois, played by Frances McDormand. The Coen Brothers were wandering backstage, and I was with them, a naive sixteen-year-old." Leech earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master's degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College, Dublin. He later admitted that he saw his education as a "safety net" in case his acting career didn't work out.

His first notable film role was as Vincent Cusack, a gay fashion student, in the dramedy "Cowboys & Angels" and Mo Chara in the comedy "Man About Dog." During this period, Leech was still studying at Trinity College and confessed that he hardly did any homework, spending most of his time in rehearsals and on set. On stage, Leech also played the role of Willie in the production of "The Queen and Peacock" at Garter Lane Arts Centre. In subsequent years, he appeared on stage in Tom Murphy's play "The Morning After Optimism" and Hugh Leonard's play "Da at the Abbey." On television, Allen portrayed Shane Kirwan in the Irish series "Love Is the Drug," which earned him a nomination for the Irish Film and Television Academy Award for Best Actor. He was then cast in the series "Legend," which explored the lives of three different Irish families. Leech's performance as Willie in the series earned him another nomination for the same award.

In 2007, Leech portrayed Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a military leader and friend of Emperor Octavian Augustus, in the series "Rome." He has also appeared in several miniseries, including "Battlefield Britain," "Heroes and Villains," and "Black Mirror." In the series "The Tudors" in 2010, Leech played the doomed Francis Dereham, the former lover of Catherine Howard. That same year, he joined the cast of "Downton Abbey" as Tom Branson, the former chauffeur who became one of the most beloved characters in the series. In 2011, Leech portrayed Officer Sam Leonard in the TV series "Primeval" and played the role of Carl in the thriller film "Rewind."

In 2012, Leech received an invitation to star in the action crime film "The Sweeney" alongside Ray Winstone and Ben Drew. He portrayed Max in the thriller film "In Fear" and Wayne in the detective film "Grand Piano" with Elijah Wood. Leech was then cast as John Cairncross in the 2014 biopic "The Imitation Game," which depicted the challenging life of cryptographer Alan Turing and his struggles with homophobia. In the film, Cairncross is portrayed as a member of the British codebreakers' team, but in reality, he was a Soviet agent who sent decrypted German dispatches to Moscow, and the British were unaware of his actions.

In 2015, Leech appeared in the thriller film "Hunter's Prayer" directed by Jonathan Mostow. He was named the Sexiest Irishman in 2005 by U Magazine and was listed as one of the 50 Best-Dressed British Men by GQ in 2015. Since June 2014, Leech has been in a relationship with British TV presenter Charlie Webster.