Toby Jones was born on 7 September 1966 in Hammersmith, London, and is 59 years old. He is a highly acclaimed English actor of screen and stage, having appeared in over 150 films and television programmes throughout his career. Toby is one of the UK’s most prolific and versatile actors, widely recognised for his role in ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office which earned him a National Television Award for Most Popular Drama Performance in 2024. Ahead of his appearance on Who Do You Think You Are? on Thursday 16 July, here are five things you might not know about the star…
1. Distinctive voice
Toby is not always in front of the camera. In fact, many of his roles have been non-visual. Most famously, he voiced Dobby the House Elf in the Harry Potter series (2001-2011), as well as Aristides Silk in Spielberg’s 2011 The Adventures of Tintin and Owl in Disney’s 2018 Christopher Robin.
2. Missing scenes
In 2001, Toby starred in an autobiographical production Missing Reel, a one-man theatre show telling the story of his experiences being cut from Notting Hill, where he was supposed to play an “over-eager” fan of Julia Roberts’ character Anna Scott.
3. Highly decorated
Throughout his career, Toby has received many accolades including a BAFTA for his role in Detectorists and an Olivier Award for his performance in The Play What I Wrote, as well as being nominated for a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy. He was appointed OBE in 2021 and accepted an honorary doctorate from Keele University in 2025, both for services to drama.
4. Top supporter
Toby supports Stoke City FC and portrays Neil Baldwin in Marvellous, a film based on Neil’s experience of being labelled with learning difficulties but never accepting limitations. Neil was the beloved kit man and unofficial mascot for the club in the 1990s.
5. Putting pen to paper
The BBC Two comedy series Don’t Forget the Driver was Toby’s first experience at writing for television, alongside playwright Tim Crouch. Once the scripts were finalised, all episodes were shot within 31 days.