Raised in Wales and London

By his own admission, had a nomadic upbringing and characterized himself as "rebellious"

At age 14, arrested on the mistaken belief he was a male escort

Had first acting role in an amateur drama group; donned drag to portray a brothel madam

While in drama school, arrested for stealing food

Profesional stage debut in "As You Like It" in Sheffield

Film debut in "Twenty-One" playing a junkie

Early TV credit, "The Last Romantics"

West End stage debut in "Making It Better"

Originated role of the tutor Septimus Hodge in Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia"

TV debut in "Middlemarch" (broadcast first in England and subsequently in the USA)

Breakthrough screen role as the young man who catches the eye of a bus conductor (Albert Finney) in "A Man of No Importance"

US stage debut in Broadway production of "Translations"

Had featured role as lusty son Seth in "Cold Comfort Farm" (aired on British TV)

Acted on the British stage in "Rat in the Skull"

Portrayed Fortinbras in Kenneth Branagh's full-length version of "Hamlet"

Starred opposite Catherine McCormack in "Dangerous Beauty"

Had lead role of an amnesiac who may or may not have committed a crime in the sci-fi thriller "Dark City"

Cast as Frank, an out-of-work actor, in "The Very Thought of You/Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel & Laurence"

Co-starred as a local merchant who threatens the marriage of Australian anthropologists in New Guinea in "In a Savage Land"

Returned to London stage in title role of Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

Portrayed Ali Baba in the ABC miniseries "Arabian Nights"

Offered a villainous turn as a former child star turned Satanist cult leader in "Bless the Child"

Had featured role in the medieval epic "A Knight's Tale" starring Heath Ledger

Returned to the London stage in "Luther"

Cast in the action adventure feature "Extreme Ops"

Co-starred in the "Legend of Zorro" opposite Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Cast opposite Edward Norton in Neil Burger's "The Illusionist"

Cast in Tom Stoppard's play "Rock 'n' Roll" at the Royal Court Theatre; reprised role on Broadway in 2007; earned a Tony award nomination for Best Actor in a Play

Cast in "Amazing Grace," Michael Apted's film about the slave trade in 19th century Britain