James Purejoy Discusses Being A 'Philanthropist'

Actor James Purejoy stopped by the studio to talk about his role in the new NBC drama series The Philanthropist.

The Philanthropist is an eight-part drama for NBC that follows the heroic adventures of Teddy Rist, billionaire playboy-turned-vigilante philanthropist, taking him across the globe from Haiti to Myanmar, Kashmir to Paris, Kosovo to San Diego.

Purefoy, who is most recognized for his role as Mark Antony in the Emmy Award-winning HBO series Rome, was born and raised in Somerset, England. He joined the Central School of Speech & Drama in London at the age of 18. Spotted by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Purefoy left to go to Stratford-upon-Avon for two years where he took on prominent roles in "King Lear," "The Tempest" and "Macbeth," among many others.

While firmly establishing his reputation in classical theatre and television drama, Purefoy came to the attention of an international audience with roles opposite Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale and Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil, and as Reese Witherspoon's love interest in Mira Nair's Vanity Fair. At the same time he completed leading roles in many films within the UK independent film industry, including Mansfield Park, Bedrooms and Hallways, Maybe Baby, Blackbeard and Beau Brummell.

The Philanthropist premieres tonight, Wednesday, June 24 at 10pm. For more information, visit www.nbc.com/the-philanthropist.

Written by Pierre Bonny.