Hugh Bonneville is one of Britain's best-loved actors, whose credits include Downton Abbey, Twenty Twelve, W1A and the Paddington films. From getting his big break as Third Shepherd in the school nativity play, to navigating Highclere Castle's complex labrador policy, to mistaking a Hollywood star for an estate agent, Hugh creates a brilliantly vivid picture of a career on stage and screen. What is it like working with Judi Dench and Julia Roberts, or playing Robert de Niro's right leg, or not being Gary Oldman, twice? A naturally gifted writer and wickedly funny storyteller, Hugh also writes with poignancy about his father's dementia and of his mother, whose life in the secret service only emerged after her death. Whether telling stories of working with divas, Dames or a bear with a penchant for marmalade, this is a richly entertaining account of his life as an actor.

Hugh Bonneville was born in London in 1963. After school in Sherborne, Dorset, and studying Theology at Cambridge, Hugh became a professional actor in 1985. His career has spanned radio, television, film and stage, including appearances at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End. He received two Emmy nominations for his performance as Robert Crawley in Downton Abbey, and BAFTA nominations for his roles in Iris, Twenty Twelve and W1A. He lives in West Sussex with his wife, Lulu Williams. They have a son, Felix.