Known For
Acting
Known Credits
33
Gender
Male
Birthday
July 16, 1953 (72 years old)
Place of Birth
Melton, Suffolk, England, UK
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).
| 2025 | Downton Abbey: The Grand Finaleas Lord Merton | |
| 2022 | Downton Abbey: A New Eraas Lord Merton | |
| 2021 | The War Belowas Field Marshal Haig | |
| 2021 | SAS: Red Noticeas Sir Charles Whiteside | |
| 2021 | Professor Tas Dean | |
| 2019 | Downton Abbeyas Lord Merton | |
| 2019 | Pandoraas Prescott Fleming | |
| 2019 | Dumboas Sotheby | |
| 2017 | Fearlessas Justice Angus Hill | |
| 2016 | The Crownas Admiral Leach | |
| 2016 | Agatha Raisinas Lord Pendlebury | |
| 2015 | Serial Teachers 2as Le chef de la sécurité | |
| 2014 | Outlanderas Professor Brown | |
| 2013 | Rushas Awards Presenter | |
| 2011 | W.E.as Lord Brownlow | |
| 2010 | Downton Abbeyas Lord Merton | |
| 2009 | Enidas BBC Interviewer | |
| 2006 | Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empireas Metellus | |
| 2006 | The Queenas Lord Airlie | |
| 2005 | The Queen's Sisteras Horace Featherstonehaugh | |
| 2005 | Elizabeth Ias Jude | |
| 2005 | Elizabeth Ias Judge | |
| 2002 | Rose and Maloneyas Sir Andrew Ross | |
| 1998 | Bloodlines: Legacy of a Lordas | |
| 1996 | The Prince and the Pauperas Chamberlain | |
| 1984 | Cold Warrioras Ferris | |
| 1984 | Amyas Jimmy Martin | |
| 1983 | An Englishman Abroadas Toby | |
| 1980 | The Happy Autumn Fieldsas Fitzgeorge | |
| 1979 | Minderas Bellars | |
| 1978 | International Velvetas Howard | |
| 1975 | Rumpole of the Baileyas Sergeant Downs | |
| 1974 | Playhouseas Fitzgeorge |