Biography

Douglas Reith is a British actor and teacher. He is best known for his role as Lord Merton in the television series Downton Abbey (2010–2015), as well as its two follow-up films. Reith was born in Melton, Suffolk. He studied acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. He began acting in the late 1970s, beginning with an appearance in International Velvet (1978) alongside Tatum O'Neal and Christopher Plummer. He worked as an announcer and presenter at BBC Radio 3 for five years before leaving to study Greats at Christ Church, Oxford for four years beginning in 1989. He worked as a teacher, including at Westminster School, before resuming his acting career. Reith joined the cast of Downton Abbey as Lord Merton in 2012, and alongside the cast was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards. He reprised the role in the films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). In 2017, Reith was cast in Tim Burton's live-action remake Dumbo (2019). In 2019, he was cast in SAS: Red Notice (2021).

Photos

Filmography

View Outlander
Outlander

Outlander

2014Series
8.2
View The Crown
The Crown

The Crown

2016Series
8.2
View Minder
Minder

Minder

1979Series
7.0
View Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey

2010Series
8.1
View Playhouse
Playhouse

Playhouse

1974Series
7.0
View Rumpole of the Bailey
Rumpole of the Bailey

Rumpole of the Bailey

1975Series
6.9
View Agatha Raisin
Agatha Raisin

Agatha Raisin

2016Series
6.1
View Rush
Rush

Rush

2013Film
7.7
View Professor T
Professor T

Professor T

2021Series
7.3
View Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

2025Film
7.1
View Pandora
Pandora

Pandora

2019Series
5.5
View Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire

Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire

2006Series
7.6