Why Nick From Pieces Of Her Looks So Familiar

Netflix's series "Pieces of Her" has a lot of moving parts. Though the show premiered on Netflix's Top 10, reactions to the "Pieces of Her" were varied based on multiple factors. Many found issue with the portrayal of Andy (Bella Heathcote), who investigates her mother Laura's (Toni Collette) past after a violent attack. After a season of intrigue, Andy learns that her biological father is Nick Harp (Aaron Jeffery), a fugitive and terrorist who was involved with the murder of Laura's pharmaceutical CEO father Martin (Terry O'Quinn).

This aspect of the series is by far the most engaging. Flashbacks reveal that Laura was actually born Jane Queller (Jessica Barden), a piano prodigy. But after she gets involved with Nick (portrayed in flashbacks by Joe Dempsie), she becomes undone. Nick is not only an extremist, but becomes violent towards Jane during their relationship. His brutality pushes Jane to give herself up to the police with the promise of witness protection. But Nick's obsession with her never dies, and eventually he goes looking for his daughter. Dempsie's portrayal of Nick is integral to the series. Without his charisma and charm, audiences would have difficulty understanding how Jane fell for such a monster.

Dempsie's long resume in television prepared him well to portray the captivating villain. 

"Skins" is not just any teen drama. While it started careers for Joe Dempsie, Dev Patel, and Nicholas Hoult, "Skins" is also an intimate and at times excruciating look at the life of teens in England. An unflinching depiction of growing up, the series includes the heavy topics of child neglect and mental illness. Many characters go through the gauntlet, but Chris Miles' (Dempsie) story is by and far the most touching, if tragic.

First introduced as more of a tertiary character, his definitive traits are doing drugs with his friends and not caring about life. Chris has difficulties because his parents have effectively written him off after the premature death of his brother Peter. This all changes when he falls in love with Jal (Larissa Wilson). Her parents think he is a bad influence, but the two are good for each other. They both grow and change through the course of their relationship, which is what makes Chris' death so heartbreaking at the end of Season 2.

Both Peter and Chris die from a brain hemorrhage, adding stark realism to the series. Teenagers come of age in front of our eyes, and feel the ramifications of real-life tragedy. Chris' death is one of the saddest moments of the show, but it is not in vain. In the end, Chris' friends celebrate him by living life to the fullest as he would have wanted.

Joe Dempsie wouldn't be a prominent English actor if he didn't make an appearance in sci-fi classic "Doctor Who." The series was revived in 2005, regenerating the Time Lord with a special screwdriver (via IMDb). Dempsie appears in Season 4, Episode 6, titled "The Doctor's Daughter." After arriving on planet Messaline, the Doctor (David Tennant), Martha (Freema Agyeman), and Donna (Catherine Tate) find that they have landed in the middle of the war. Dempsie portrays Cline, one of the planet's inhabitants who kicks things off by taking a tissue sample from the Doctor. They use the sample to create the Doctor's daughter, Jenny (Georgia Tennant née Moffett).

Speaking with Leftlion about his "Doctor Who" episode, Dempsie said, "I just saw it as another job, but it's such an institution that you can't help but treat it with a lot of respect." He also acknowledged that the show was special to his uncles, who had been fans for decades at that point. This particular episode was also notable for another reason; it's where Doctor David Tennant met his real-life wife Georgia Moffett. Even more coincidental, Moffett also happens to be the daughter of previous Doctor Peter Davidson.

As with most "Doctor Who" episodes, "The Doctor's Daughter" is a self-contained story as the Doctor comes to terms with his reality. Dempsie's appearance in the popular series is just one of many contributions he makes to the television screen.

Critically acclaimed and culturally significant, "This Is England" became a definitive portrayal of skinhead culture in '80s England. The film even earned a BAFTA for best British film in 2008. Written by Shane Meadows, the film is semi-autobiographical and follows the escapades of Shaun (Thomas Turgooose) as he falls in with a gang (via The Guardian). In a ten-year retrospective of the film, iNews explained that contrary to the white supremacy currently prevalent in the skinhead subculture, the film demonstrates the origins of the movement that were not based in racism. The same outlet notes that "This Is England" was the beginning of promising careers for many prominent English actors, including Stephen Graham, Joe Gilgun, and Jack O'Connell. The film was so significant that it spawned three miniseries, each taking place in '86, '88, and '90 respectively.

The miniseries brings back the characters from the film and chronicles their lives growing up in England. Joe Dempsie was not a part of the original film, but played Higgy in "This is England '86" and "This is England '90." Though the role of Higgy is fleeting, the actor's appearance was an important contribution to an English cornerstone.

Though the "Game of Thrones" finale will live on in infamy, there is no doubt that it remains a cultural touchstone. Based on George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, the show became popular for its combination of fascinating characters and well-developed fantasy world. Joe Dempsie portrays young blacksmith Gendry, who first appears when Ned Stark (Sean Bean) investigates Robert Baratheon's (Mark Addy) children born out of wedlock. After Ned's death, Gendry goes on to be a large part of Arya's (Maisie Williams) story, including a romance that fanned the flames of a thousand shippers. However, his most famous act as a "GoT" cast member occurred off the set. 

After Davos (Liam Cunningham) saves Gendry from Melisandre (Carice van Houten), he sends him on his way back to King's Landing — in a row boat. Demspie told Entertainment Weekly that he expected to return to "Game of Thrones," but didn't expect it to take as long as it did, which turned out to be four seasons. Dempsie added fuel to the fire of internet speculation by tweeting "Still rowin'" one year after his last appearance in Westeros.

When the character does return, he joins forces with Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and reunites with Arya. Though the two part ways, Gendry remains a big factor in the victory against The Night King.

From sci-fi to fantasy, Joe Dempsie has dipped his toe into many genres. In 2018, he added spy thriller to the list. "Deep State" follows in the footsteps of high-tension thrillers like "Homeland" and "24." Mark Strong stars in Season 1 as Max Easton, a former intelligence operative who is brought into an Iranian conflict after his son Harry Clarke (Dempsie) seemingly dies in the field. Though Strong does not continue into Season 2, Dempsie reported to Digital Spy that he was delighted when Walton Goggins joined the team. Harry did not die after all, and instead is pulled into a vast world of conspiracy that continues in Season 2.

"Deep State" was created to have mass appeal, being filmed in partnership with Fox Networks Group Europe and Africa, and meant to air in several countries, according to Variety. The show does not shy away from complex topics. The tortuous aspects of the series are real. Maybe even a little too real for Demspie, who told Digital Spy he volunteered to undergo real waterboarding for one pivotal scene. The actor has become accomplished in his many years in the entertainment industry and clearly does not shy away from difficult experiences.