You know the feeling. You’re watching a lavish period drama or a gritty spy thriller, and a tall, sharp-jawed British guy walks onto the screen. You lean over to whoever is on the couch and say, "Wait, I know him. He was in that thing with the king, right? Or was it the secret agent show?"
Honestly, it’s usually both.
Max Brown is one of those rare actors who has managed to be everywhere without the exhausting "A-list" baggage. He’s the king, the spy, the doctor, and the valet. From the soapy drama of Hollyoaks to the high-stakes political intrigue of The Tudors and the massive cinematic scale of Downton Abbey, his filmography is basically a roadmap of great television from the last two decades.
If you’ve been trying to pin down exactly where you’ve seen him, or you're just looking for your next binge-watch, let’s break down the Max Brown movies and TV shows that actually matter.
The Royal Treatment: From The Tudors to The Royals
Most people first really "saw" Max Brown when he stepped into the treacherous world of King Henry VIII. In The Tudors, he played Edward Seymour. If you remember the show, Seymour wasn't just some background noble; he was the ambitious brother of Jane Seymour, strategically navigating a court where losing your head was a literal job hazard.
Brown played Seymour with this sort of quiet, calculating intensity. He wasn’t as loud as some of the other characters, but you always felt he was the smartest person in the room. It’s a role that arguably set the template for his career: playing men who are refined, capable, and occasionally a little bit dangerous.
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Years later, he leaned back into the crown—though in a much more scandalous way—playing King Robert in The Royals.
If The Tudors was historical drama, The Royals was pure, unadulterated camp. Brown showed up as the "dead" prince who wasn't actually dead, returning to reclaim his throne and stir up an absolute mess of family drama. It was a total pivot from his earlier work, proving he could handle the "guilty pleasure" side of TV just as well as the prestige stuff.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (and the Valet)
One of my personal favorites in the Max Brown catalog is his stint on Spooks (known as MI-5 in the States). He played Dimitri Levendis for the final two seasons.
Spooks was famous for being absolutely brutal to its lead characters—nobody was ever safe. Brown’s Dimitri was the "new blood" who had to prove himself in a world of piracy and counter-terrorism. It’s one of his more physical roles, and it showed he could handle the action-hero vibe without breaking a sweat.
Then, he went and did the most British thing possible: he joined Downton Abbey.
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In the 2019 Downton Abbey movie, Brown played Richard Ellis, a royal valet who shares a very subtle, poignant connection with Thomas Barrow. It was a standout performance because it was so understated. In a movie filled with massive sets and dozens of characters, the chemistry between Brown and Robert James-Collier provided some of the film's most talked-about moments. He didn’t need a crown or a gun; he just needed a well-timed look.
A Quick Cheat Sheet of Key Roles
- Edward Seymour (The Tudors): The ambitious climber.
- Dimitri Levendis (Spooks/MI-5): The tactical field agent.
- Evan Marks (Beauty and the Beast): The tragic scientist/doctor.
- King Robert (The Royals): The manipulative, long-lost monarch.
- Richard Ellis (Downton Abbey): The observant royal valet.
- DI Sam Gillespie (Sister Boniface Mysteries): The charming 1960s detective.
Why Does He Keep Popping Up in Everything?
It’s easy to dismiss actors like Brown as "working actors," but that actually undersells the skill involved here. Basically, he’s a chameleon.
He started out in British soaps like Grange Hill and Hollyoaks, which is essentially the "boot camp" for UK actors. If you can survive the shooting schedule of a daily soap, you can do anything. That foundation allowed him to jump across the pond to American TV, landing a major role in The CW’s Beauty and the Beast as Dr. Evan Marks.
Interestingly, he was supposed to lead a high-budget series called Hieroglyph for Fox—a big-budget fantasy set in ancient Egypt. The show was actually cancelled before it even aired, despite having a full pilot and writers' room ready. It’s one of those "what if" moments in Hollywood history, but it didn't slow him down. He just pivoted back to the UK for You, Me and the Apocalypse and later joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (sorta) as Michael Carter in Agent Carter.
The Big Screen and Beyond
While he’s definitely a king of the small screen, his film work is worth a look if you want to see a different side of him.
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- Turistas (2006): This was a mid-2000s horror flick about backpackers in Brazil who get targeted by organ harvesters. It’s gory, it’s tense, and Brown plays Liam. It's a far cry from the velvet robes of The Tudors.
- That Good Night (2017): A much more serious, emotional film where he starred alongside the legendary John Hurt.
- Love Tomorrow (2012): This one is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s a dance-centric drama where he plays a character named Dominic. It actually won the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards.
What’s He Doing Now?
Most recently, if you’re a fan of cozy British mysteries, you’ve probably seen him as DI Sam Gillespie in Sister Boniface Mysteries. It’s a spin-off of Father Brown, and it’s about as charming as TV gets. He plays the local inspector who has to put up with a wine-making, crime-solving nun.
It’s a perfect role for him at this stage of his career—he gets to be the dashing lead while leaning into the lighthearted, witty tone that British procedurals do better than anyone else.
How to Watch the Best of Max Brown
If you want to do a proper deep dive into his work, here is the most efficient way to do it without wasting time on the "filler" episodes:
- The Tudors (Season 2-4): Start here for the high-drama historical roots.
- Spooks (Season 9-10): Watch this if you want fast-paced tension and spy craft.
- Downton Abbey (2019 Movie): Essential for seeing his range in a period setting.
- Sister Boniface Mysteries: Perfect for Sunday afternoon "low-stakes" viewing.
The reality is that Max Brown has built a career on being the guy you're always happy to see show up. Whether he’s wearing a tuxedo, a tactical vest, or a 16th-century doublet, he brings a level of polished professionalism that makes every scene better.
If you're looking for a specific series to start tonight, Spooks is generally considered his strongest dramatic work, while The Royals is the way to go if you just want to see him have a blast playing a total villain. Check your local streaming platforms—most of these are currently available on BritBox, Paramount+, or Amazon Prime.
Practical Next Step: If you're a fan of the Downton Abbey film and haven't seen his work in The Tudors, that's your best starting point. It offers the same level of production value but with a much darker, more political edge. For those in the US, most of his earlier British work like Mistresses or Spooks can be found on specialist UK-centric streaming services.