Nathaniel Parker

Nathaniel Parker is a British actor most notable for playing the titular Inspector Lynley on The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. His earliest claim to fame was as Flying Officer 'Flash' Gordon on the television show Piece of Cake, about the fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain, and he currently stars as Lord Agravaine on the BBC series Merlin.

His other notable roles include Harold Skimpole on Bleak House, Gabriel Oak on Far From the Madding Crowd, Rawdon Crawley in a BBC adaptation of Vanity Fair, and Edward Rochester in Wide Sargasso Sea.

Parker joined the National Youth Theatre and subsequently studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Afterward he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he played Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice both on the West End and on Broadway. His breakout role was the aforementioned role on Piece of Cake, and he has been a regular presence on television ever since, including a seven-year starring role as Det. Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley opposite Sharon Small as Det. Sergeant Barbara Havers.

Parker is also a voiceover artist who has worked in audio books, most notably on Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series.

He has been married to actress Anna Patrick (Rome) since 1988; they have two daughters, Raphaella and Angelica.

Applicable Tropes:

 * Happily Married
 * Like Brother and Sister: Explicitly said that he thinks of Sharon Small as his little sister.
 * Shakespearian Actor
 * Shipper On Deck: Parker would have ended The Inspector Lynley Mysteries with Lynley and Barbara holding hands and walking into the sunset.
 * Tall, Dark and Handsome