Rafe Spall is an English actor whose screen career includes British television comedy, international films, stage work, and recent streaming dramas. Viewers may know him from Apple TV’s Trying, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, The Big Short, or Sky’s crime drama Under Salt Marsh.
Born Rafe Joseph Spall on 10 March 1983, he is the son of actor Timothy Spall and writer Shane Spall. He grew up in south-east London and has two siblings. Rafe Spall later followed his father into acting, building a career across theatre, film, and television.
Early Life and Getting Into Acting
Spall attended Haberdashers’ Hatcham College in New Cross, south-east London. In interviews, he has spoken about struggling at school, including undiagnosed learning difficulties, and described himself as disruptive as a teenager.
He joined the National Youth Theatre when he was young, an experience he has said helped redirect his life and deepen his interest in acting.
Spall has also discussed the way his body size affected his early casting. In a 2011 interview with The Independent, he said he had lost weight after being repeatedly considered for “young fat boy” roles, and that the change broadened the parts he was offered. He has since cautioned against reducing his career or identity to that weight-loss narrative.
His family experienced a serious health crisis during his adolescence. Timothy Spall was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 1996 and later recovered. Rafe has said his father’s illness was a difficult period for the family while he was at school.
Breakthrough Roles That Built His Career
Rafe Spall began accumulating screen credits in the early 2000s and appeared in Edgar Wright’s comedy films Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World’s End (2013). These roles helped introduce him to audiences familiar with Wright’s collaborations with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
On television, he led Channel 4’s comedy Pete versus Life, playing Pete Griffiths, and appeared in the BBC crime drama The Shadow Line. He also appeared in the Black Mirror special “White Christmas,” alongside Jon Hamm and Oona Chaplin.
His wider international profile grew with Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (2012), in which he played Yann Martel, the author of the novel on which the film is based. At the official 85th Academy Awards results, Life of Pi received 11 nominations and won four Oscars: Best Director for Ang Lee, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects.
He later appeared in I Give It a Year (2013), The Big Short (2015), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), Men in Black: International (2019), and Just Mercy (2019), reflecting a range that spans romantic comedy, science fiction, financial satire, and legal drama.
From Jurassic World to Trying
Rafe Spall plays Jason Ross in Apple TV’s comedy Trying, starring opposite Esther Smith as Nikki Newman. The series follows the couple as they pursue adoption and later navigate family life with the children placed in their care.
Apple TV officially renewed Trying for a fifth season in May 2025. The fifth season premiered globally on Apple TV on 8 July 2026 and completed its weekly release on 26 August 2026.
In the fifth season, Jason and Nikki face the arrival of Kat, identified by Apple as the biological mother of Princess and Tyler and played by Charlotte Riley, with Scarlett Rayner and Cooper Turner returning as Princess and Tyler.
Confirmed 2026 and 2027 Projects
The table below includes only details confirmed by official broadcaster or platform sources, or by reputable entertainment-trade reporting.
| Project | Rafe Spall’s Role | Status and Verified Details |
|---|---|---|
| Trying (Season 5) | Jason Ross | Released. Apple TV premiered the fifth season globally on 8 July 2026 and completed its weekly release on 26 August 2026. |
| Bait | Nigel | Released. Spall appears in Riz Ahmed’s Prime Video comedy series, which launched on 25 March 2026. |
| Under Salt Marsh | Detective Eric Bull | Released. Sky’s crime drama follows Detective Eric Bull investigating a death in the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen. It is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW. Sky confirmed in August 2026 that the series has been renewed for a second run, with Spall returning as Bull. |
| Secret Service | Stuart Henderson | Released. ITV’s espionage drama stars Gemma Arterton, with Spall playing her on-screen husband. It was broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX in 2026. |
| Number 10 | Fictional British prime minister | Announced/upcoming. Deadline reported in December 2025 that Spall had been cast as a fictional British prime minister in Steven Moffat’s Channel 4 drama, alongside Jenna Coleman and Katherine Kelly. Variety later confirmed the project for 2026 UK production. No official character name or release date has been confirmed. |
| The Death of Sherlock Holmes | Leading role (an amnesiac Englishman) | In production/upcoming. Sky confirms the six-episode series is filming in Switzerland and is part of its 2027 slate. Sky describes Spall as playing “the leading role of the amnesiac Englishman”; the character has not been officially named as Sherlock Holmes, and no exact release date has been confirmed. |
Trying, Bait, Under Salt Marsh, and Secret Service have already been released. Number 10 remains an announced, upcoming Channel 4 project, and The Death of Sherlock Holmes is in production for Sky’s 2027 slate.
Theatre Work Beyond the Screen
Spall has continued to work in theatre alongside his screen career. His stage credits include The Knight of the Burning Pestle at the Young Vic, Constellations at the Royal Court, and Harold Pinter’s Betrayal on Broadway.
In 2022, he played Atticus Finch in Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in London’s West End, a role he discussed at length in an interview with The Independent.
Personal Life: Marriage, Split, and Family
Rafe Spall married actor Elize du Toit in 2010, and the couple have three children together.
In 2024, Spall and Trying co-star Esther Smith publicly announced they were expecting a child. The Independent reported that Spall and du Toit had separated before Spall and Smith became a couple, and that the expected baby would be Spall’s fourth child.
Public reporting on a person’s family should be handled carefully. The confirmed information is that Spall was married to du Toit, they share three children, and he and Smith announced a pregnancy in 2024. Claims about private timelines or household arrangements beyond what has been confirmed by Spall or reputable reporting are not included here.
Why His Career Stands Out
Rafe Spall’s career spans several formats rather than one fixed genre. His credits include British comedy, dark speculative drama, mainstream studio films, independent productions, stage drama, and streaming television.
That range is evident in the contrast between Jason Ross, an adoptive father in Trying; Detective Eric Bull in Under Salt Marsh; Stuart Henderson in Secret Service; and his upcoming roles in Number 10 and The Death of Sherlock Holmes. These projects also place him across Apple TV, Prime Video, Sky, and ITV.
For audiences exploring his work, Trying is a useful starting point for comedy and character-led television, Life of Pi demonstrates his place in major international cinema, and Under Salt Marsh shows his recent move into a crime-drama lead role.
Also Read: Sarah Michelle Gellar Net Worth: Career, Income and 2026 Update
FAQ
Is Rafe Spall related to Timothy Spall?
Yes. Rafe Spall is the son of actor Timothy Spall and writer Shane Spall. He has spoken about growing up in south-east London and about the impact of his father’s serious illness during his school years.
What is Rafe Spall best known for?
Rafe Spall has appeared in films including Life of Pi, The Big Short, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Men in Black: International. On television, he is widely associated with Jason Ross in Apple TV’s Trying and Detective Eric Bull in Sky’s Under Salt Marsh.
Is Rafe Spall married?
Rafe Spall married Elize du Toit in 2010, and they have three children. The Independent reported in 2024 that they had separated and that Spall was in a relationship with Trying co-star Esther Smith; Spall and Smith announced they were expecting a child that year.[
Was Rafe Spall in Trying Season 5?
Yes. Rafe Spall returned as Jason Ross in the fifth season of Trying, which premiered globally on Apple TV on 8 July 2026 and completed its weekly release on 26 August 2026.
Will there be a second season of Under Salt Marsh?
Yes. Sky confirmed in August 2026 that Under Salt Marsh has been renewed for a second series, with Rafe Spall returning as Detective Eric Bull.
What is Rafe Spall working on next?
His confirmed upcoming work includes Steven Moffat’s Number 10, in which he has been cast as a fictional British prime minister, and Sky’s The Death of Sherlock Holmes, a six-episode series currently in production for release as part of Sky’s 2027 slate.
One Comment