Appearing on BBC's The One Show, actor Dan Stevens was the headline guest sitting on the sofa alongside presenters Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas. Promoting his new series 'Gaslit', which explores the Watergate scandal of the seventies and led to the eventual resignation of US President Nixon, Stevens left viewers aghast at his hilarious remark.
"What you've got is a criminal for a leader who is wrapped in a messy war, embroiled in a stupid scandal and surrounded by ambitious idiots and really should resign," he explained, apparently describing the plot Gaslit.
The Downtown Abbey star then jokingly corrected himself: "No, I'm sorry that's the intro to Boris Johnson."
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There were audible gasps in the studio followed by laughter and social media reaction soon followed in support of the actor's comments. This isn't the first time The One Show has held the government to account.
Presenter Matt Baker finished a relatively soft-ball, cosy interview in 2011 with then Prime Minister David Cameron by asking "How on earth do you sleep at night?".
Who is Dan Stevens?
Stevens is a 39-year-old, Croydon-born actor who first drew international attention for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV acclaimed period drama Downton Abbey. Adopted at birth, he grew up in Wales and southeast England, while his biological brother was adopted by a different family.
Stevens attended Tonbridge School on a scholarship, where he became interested in drama after auditioning for the title role in Macbeth. From then on, he spent his summers training and performing with the National Youth Theatre in London. Stevens went on to study English Literature at the University of Cambridge and as a member of the famous Footlights group alongside Tim Key.
The actor, who is fluent in both French and German, has since gone on to star alongside the lies of Harrison Ford, Dame Judi Dench, Natalie Portman and Christopher Plummer in film productions. Staying close to his stage roots, in 2012, Stevens moved with his family to New York City where he has lived ever since, making his Broadway debut that year opposite Jessica Chastain and David Strathairn in The Heiress.
Who is Dan Stevens married to?
Dan Stevens is married to Susie Harriet, a South African-born jazz singer and vocal coach. The couple met while performing theatre shows in Sheffield and tied the knot in 2009. The pair have three children together, two girls born in 2009 and 2016 and a boy in 2012.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Stevens said: "I'm lucky to be married to someone who entirely gets what I do. She is totally sympathetic to the actor's life. Her own mother was an actress, so she sort of grew up with it".
The family are thought to live in the stunning historic neighbourhood of Brooklyn Heights, New York.
