David Cann
ActorBorn 1956· Westminster, London, England, UK

David Cann

David Cann is an actor with a diverse and successful career in both theatre and television. After training at RADA he served his apprenticeship in the repertory system, appearing at many of Britain's grand old theatres in a wide range of roles. In plays ancient and modern, Shakespearean drama, musicals and pantomime, David developed into a leading man and character actor with a strong vocal technique and a firm grasp of many artistic styles; from the extreme naturalism of Lawrence's 'A Collier's Friday Night' through the high comedy of Sheridan's 'A School for Scandal' to the classical verse (not to mention the athletic sword-fighting) in 'Romeo and Juliet'. Moving into television David appeared in many shows including 'Sapphire and Steel' and 'Grange Hill'. In between these, he worked in small fringe theatres, such as the Gate in Notting Hill and the Croydon Warehouse, where such heart-warming pieces as Barrie Keeffe's 'My Girl' showed his subtlety in the more intimate space of studio theatre. In the mid-90’s David auditioned for a small part in a new type of comedy pioneered by Chris Morris. The resulting series, 'Brass Eye', was hailed as a major breakthrough in TV style; satirising TV itself. Morris subsequently asked David to join a small team to develop the award-winning BBC radio series 'Blue Jam' and, in 1999, some of this material was filmed for television as 'Jam'. It is for his work in this surreal and iconic series that David is best known. Over many years David has developed a strong reputation working with new and emerging talent, helping writers to develop their scripts through workshops and rehearsed readings. This led to David working with young director Tamara Harvey who later asked David to take the leading role in Laura Wade's charming play about the Welsh poet WH Davies in the highly-praised production of 'Young Emma' at the Finborough Theatre in London in 2003. For the BBC David became part of a notable storyline as Dot Cotton's cancer specialist in 'EastEnders' and again as Doctor Casper in the disturbing, futuristic drama-documentary 'If...we could stop the violence David’s film work includes appearances in 'Run, Fat Boy, Run', 'Attack The Block', 'The Iron Lady', 'Greed' and 'Rebecca'. On television David has appeared in 'Spooks' and 'Psychoville', 'Silent Witness' and 'The Javon Prince Show', but more recently 'Sex Education', 'It’s Kevin', 'Sally4Ever', 'Sick Note', 'Killing Eve' and 'The Baby'.

80 acting credits

Acting · 80

House of the Dragon
8.3
TV

House of the Dragon

2022

EastEnders
4.2
TV

EastEnders

1985

Silent Witness
7.5
TV

Silent Witness

1996

Sex Education
8.2
TV

Sex Education

2019

Spooks
7.7
TV

Spooks

2002

Grange Hill
6.7
TV

Grange Hill

1978

Killing Eve
7.9
TV

Killing Eve

2018

Doctors
4.8
TV

Doctors

2000

The Bill
6.8
TV

The Bill

1984

Bad Girls
7.6
TV

Bad Girls

1999

Benidorm
7.5
TV

Benidorm

2007

Not Going Out
7.4
TV

Not Going Out

2006

Pie in the Sky
8.4
TV

Pie in the Sky

1994

Blake's 7
7.3
TV

Blake's 7

1978

Between the Lines
5.5
TV

Between the Lines

1992

Les Misérables
7.3
Film

Les Misérables

2012

Black Books
8.1
TV

Black Books

2000

Shine on Harvey Moon
7.7
TV

Shine on Harvey Moon

1982

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps
6.7
TV

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps

2001

Campion
6.1
TV

Campion

1989

Four Weddings and a Funeral
6.9
TV

Four Weddings and a Funeral

2019

Bad Education
6.9
TV

Bad Education

2012

Psychoville
6.9
TV

Psychoville

2009

Brass Eye
7.7
TV

Brass Eye

1997

Bridget Jones's Diary
6.7
Film

Bridget Jones's Diary

2001

Sapphire & Steel
7.2
TV

Sapphire & Steel

1979

Sick Note
6.6
TV

Sick Note

2017

The Commander
6.4
TV

The Commander

2003

Still Open All Hours
6.0
TV

Still Open All Hours

2014

Sally4Ever
4.8
TV

Sally4Ever

2018

Saxondale
7.5
TV

Saxondale

2006

Rebecca
6.3
Film

Rebecca

2020

The Green Green Grass
6.9
TV

The Green Green Grass

2005

Jam
8.1
TV

Jam

2000

The Iron Lady
6.4
Film

The Iron Lady

2011

Lead Balloon
7.6
TV

Lead Balloon

2006

People Like Us
8.1
TV

People Like Us

1999

Crooked House
6.4
Film

Crooked House

2017

Beast
7.7
TV

Beast

2000

The Tomorrow People
6.9
TV

The Tomorrow People

1973

Nineteen Eighty-Four
6.8
Film

Nineteen Eighty-Four

1984

If...
8.0
TV

If...

2004

Attack the Block
6.5
Film

Attack the Block

2011

Uncle
7.6
TV

Uncle

2014

The Baby
6.1
TV

The Baby

2022

Hold the Sunset
6.3
TV

Hold the Sunset

2018

15 Storeys High
8.1
TV

15 Storeys High

2002

It's Kevin
7.2
TV

It's Kevin

2013

tlc
6.2
TV

tlc

2002

Armchair Thriller
4.2
TV

Armchair Thriller

1978

Greed
5.6
Film

Greed

2019

Berkeley Square
7.9
TV

Berkeley Square

1998

Run Fatboy Run
6.2
Film

Run Fatboy Run

2007

A Dark Adapted Eye
8.0
TV

A Dark Adapted Eye

1994

No Bananas
7.7
TV

No Bananas

1996

Chromophobia
5.2
Film

Chromophobia

2006

One by One
7.0
TV

One by One

1984

Frontiers
9.0
TV

Frontiers

1996

Hard Cases
TV

Hard Cases

1988

Biggles
5.2
Film

Biggles

1986

Albatross
6.0
Film

Albatross

2011

Mr Charity
TV

Mr Charity

2001

The Murder of Stephen Lawrence
6.8
Film

The Murder of Stephen Lawrence

1999

High Stakes
6.5
TV

High Stakes

2001

The Buckingham Murders
5.6
Film

The Buckingham Murders

2024

Dog Eat Dog
5.3
Film

Dog Eat Dog

2001

Lizzie and Sarah
7.4
Film

Lizzie and Sarah

2010

On a Moonlit Night
6.7
Film

On a Moonlit Night

1989

The Truth
7.0
Film

The Truth

2006

London Belongs To Me
7.5
TV

London Belongs To Me

1977

Lee Evans: So What Now?
7.4
TV

Lee Evans: So What Now?

2001

The Javone Prince Show
1.0
TV

The Javone Prince Show

2015

The Kármán Line
6.4
Film

The Kármán Line

2014

Moonmonkeys
Film

Moonmonkeys

2007

True Crimes
7.0
TV

True Crimes

1992

Knights & Emeralds
7.5
Film

Knights & Emeralds

1986

Captive
7.0
Film

Captive

2008

Wet Job
6.3
Film

Wet Job

1981

Jeremy: A Nightmare
Film

Jeremy: A Nightmare

2023

The Eagleman Stag
6.3
Film

The Eagleman Stag

2010

David Cann — BragThat