Oliver Dench
Born
Oliver Mayer

(1993-09-09) 9 September 1993
Reading, Berkshire, England
Years active2013–present
FamilyJeffery Dench (grandfather)
Judi Dench (great aunt)

Oliver Mayer (born 9 September 1993), known professionally as Oliver Dench, is an English actor and theatre maker. He is co-founding artistic director of the Revolve Theatre Company. On television, he is known for his roles in the CW series Pandora (2019–2020) and the BritBox period drama Hotel Portofino (2022–).

Early life

Dench was born in Reading. His maternal grandfather was Jeffery Dench, actor and brother of Judi Dench.[1] He attended Gillotts School[2] and the Henley College.[3][4] Dench has said he was "obsessed with Shakespeare as a child thanks to my granddad".[5]

Career

In 2014, Dench formed the Henley-on-Thames-based Revolve Theatre Company with Joe Morris and Tom Smith. Their debut show at the Henley Fringe Festival was Dench in a one-man version of Hamlet playing all fifteen roles.[6]

Dench made his television debut in 2016 as Will Palmerston in the Canadian YTV series Ride about an equestrian school in England.[7] He made his London stage debut in School Play at Southwark Playhouse in 2017.[8][9] He appeared in the 2018 Sky Kids series The Athena.

In 2019, Dench began starring in the CW science fiction series Pandora as Xander Duvall, a role he would play for both seasons.[10] He played Iullus in the first season of Domina before the role was taken over by Joseph Ollman. As of 2022, Dench stars as Lucian Ainsworth in the period drama Hotel Portofino.[11] He starred as Cliff in the Paris revival of Cabaret that December at Le Lido on the Champs-Élysées.[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2013 One Night at the Aristo Bartender Short film
2018 Technology Orphan
Lifeline Voice Short film
TBA Queen of the Redwood Mountains

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2016–2017 Ride Will Palmerston Main role
2018–2019 The Athena Sam Warner Main role
2019 Noughts + Crosses Anthony 1 episode
2019–2020 Pandora Xander Duvall Main role
2021 Domina Iullus 2 episodes
Whitstable Pearl Max Azarov Episode: "The Free Waters"
2022 Hotel Portofino Lucian Ainsworth Main role

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2012 A Christmas Carol Young Scrooge Reading Repertory Theatre
2013 Romeo and Juliet Paris Reading Minster
2014 One Man Hamlet Various Henley Fringe Festival
The Witch of Edmonton Morris Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon / Royal Shakespeare Company
2015 Much Ado About Nothing Borachio St James's Church, Reading
Romeo and Juliet Romeo The Boater, Bath
2017 School Play Tom Southwark Playhouse, London
2022 Cabaret Cliff Le Lido, Paris

References

  1. Hegedüs, Eric; Rorke, Robert (12 July 2019). "'Pandora' star Oliver Dench follows great aunt Dame Judi's path". New York Post. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  2. Davies-Evitt, Dora (7 March 2023). "Oliver Dench, Judi Dench's great-nephew, is a face to know". Tatler. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  3. "Hamlet becomes 'dench' at Henley Fringe". Henley Standard. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  4. "Oliver makes a dashing Mr Darcy" (PDF). Henley Standard. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  5. "Oliver Dench". TresA Magazine. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  6. Cox, Anne (3 July 2014). "Oliver Dench goes solo with one-man Hamlet at Henley Fringe Fest". Stage Review. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  7. Vartanian, Henrick (30 August 2016). "Oliver Dench Saddles Up for his TV debut on YTV's RIDE". Brave New Hollywood. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  8. Cheesman, Neil (27 January 2017). "Interview with Oliver Dench – Tom in Alex MacKeith's School Play". London Theatre. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  9. Wood, Alex (8 February 2017). "Oliver Dench – Actor in School Play at the Southwark Playhouse". Theatre Bubble. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  10. Damore, Meagan (24 October 2020). "Pandora: Oliver Dench Explains the 'Optimistic Responsibility' of Season 2". CBR. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  11. Teti, Julia (5 August 2022). "Hotel Portofino Stars Oliver Dench & Lily Frazer Describe the 'Conflict' of Their Show the Best They Can". She Knows. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  12. Wood, Alex (12 October 2022). "Full cast for Paris revival of Cabaret announced". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
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