Adam Rayner as Bassam "Barry" Al-Fayeed in Tyrant | FX

Since the start of his acting career, British actor Adam Rayner has been involved in a diverse range of critically acclaimed productions spanning television, film and theater. 

In 2013, Rayner moved to New York to shoot the feature film Tracers, in which he plays “Miller” in a story that follows “Cam” (Taylor Lautner) a New York City bike messenger who is wanted by the mafia.The film was released early 2015 and is now available on VOD. 

Prior to Tyrant, Rayner was last seen on television screens in the BBC/Discovery Channel co-production The Whale. Shot in Malta, Rayner played “Captain George Pollard,” a man helming his first voyage as captain of the 18th-century whaler The Essex. Also starring Jonas Armstrong and David Gyasi, The Whale was broadcast on BBC1 in December 2013. Also in 2013, Rayner starred as “Simon Templar” in the pilot remake of the popular TV series, The Saint.

In 2012, Rayner took on the male lead role of “Aidan Marsh” in the BBC1/HBO co-production Hunted, starring opposite Melissa George. Written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), the eight-part spy drama series was produced by the creators of Spooks, and followed highly skilled operatives working for a private intelligence firm who don’t know who they can trust. The series premiered in October on BBC1 in the UK and on Cinemax in the U.S.

In 2010, Rayner appeared in the popular TNT series, Hawthorne, as “Dr. Steve Shaw” for two seasons opposite Jada Pinkett-Smith. He previously starred as the male lead in the primetime BBC1 drama series Mistresses as lawyer “Dominic Montgomery.” Rayner has also appeared in a number of popular television series including: At Home with the Braithwaites, Vincent, The Line of Beauty, Doctor Who, Waking the Dead, Sensitive Skin and the BAFTA Award-winning comedy Miranda as “Dr. Gail,” Miranda Hart’s love interest.

Rayner’s notable feature film credits include: Alek Keshishian’s Love and Other Disasters in 2006 with Brittany Murphy, Matthew Rhys and Catherine Tate, and Dan Reed’s revenge thriller Closure in 2007.

Rayner has also appeared on stage in This is Our Youth at the Garrick Theatre, where he played drug dealer “Dennis Ziegler,” originally played by Matt Damon on Broadway. Rayner has worked numerous times with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Marianne Elliott’s 2006 Much Ado About Nothing in which he played “Claudio,” and Nancy Meckler’s 2006 Romeo and Juliet in which he played “Tybalt.” Additionally, in 2004, he appeared on stage as “Jack Absolute” in The Rivals at the Bristol Old Vic, directed Rachel Kavanagh.Most recently, in 2015 Rayner performed to critical acclaim in Michael Attenborough’s Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, playing the lead role of the American doctor.

Rayner studied English at Durham University before securing a place at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.“Dennis Ziegler,” originally played by
Matt Damon on Broadway. Rayner has worked numerous times with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Marianne Elliott’s 2006 Much Ado About Nothing in which he played “Claudio,” and Nancy Meckler’s 2006 Romeo and Juliet in which he played “Tybalt.” Additionally, in 2004, he appeared on stage as “Jack Absolute” in The Rivals at the Bristol Old Vic, directed Rachel Kavanagh.

Rayner studied English at Durham University before securing a place at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.